SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
Expedition Foods is a UK-based freeze-dried camping meal manufacturer that makes really good 1000 calorie and 800 calorie meals. You can buy their meals in the USA from Racing the Planet, an organization that runs extreme ultramarathon events in deserts around the world. Not only are they packed with calories, but they are also really great tasting dinners that pack flat and won’t leave you hungry after you finish them.
I first discovered Expedition Foods dinners when I was hiking the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland in 2019 and a newly acquainted hiking friend I met on the trail gave me some of their meals to try. I was floored at how good they were and sought them out when I got back to the states. They’re really much better than the Mountain House or Good-to-Go Dinners when I’m in the mood for something tasty on the trail. And the dinner, breakfast, and dessert selection is out of this world, including, some of my favorites, which are available in 1000 calorie and 800 calorie servings.
- Thai Green Chicken Curry with Rice
- Sweet and Sour Chicken with Rice
- Chicken Korma with Rice
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Hot Cereal with Mango
- Chocolate Chip Biscuit Pudding
Yes, they even have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals.
The “cook’ time with these meals is usually 5-8 minutes and they come in the standard sealed ziploc bags with oxygen-absorbing packets inside you need to remove before you add hot water. That’s a far cry from the 20 minutes it takes to rehydrate some prepared backpacking dinners, which get cold before they’re ready to eat.
In addition to taste, these meals pack some serious calories in amounts you simply don’t find in meals from American camping meal producers. If you’re lucky, you’ll get 500 or 600 calories out of a Mountain House dinner and they take up a huge amount of space in a food bag. For example, a Mountain House Classic Spaghetti Dinner with Meat Sauce has 470 calories total and costs $9.50. That’s highway robbery (rip-off).
Granted, the Expedition Foods meals cost a little extra. But in my opinion, they’re really worth it. The taste alone will blow you away. Try them and let me know what you think.
Note: As far as I’ve been able to find out, Racing the Planet is the only place you can buy them in the US.
Disclaimer: The author purchased these meals.
SectionHiker is reader-supported. We only make money if you purchase a product through our affiliate links. Help us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, beginner FAQs, and free hiking guides.
My wife and I discovered Expedition Foods during the 2019 TGO. I have to agree with you that EF is much better than Mountain House. I would say that the quality of back packing food is much higher in the UK. We also liked Summit to Eat and Tent Meals (vegan). If you can find those in the US, give them a try as well. Thanks as always for your blog and I hope your ankle is healing well.
I look forward to trying these, though on a per-calorie basis they don’t actually seem cheaper than Mountain House (which I’ve had given to me as gifts by various non-hiking relatives; waste not want not). The large meals (1000 cals) look good for when the hiker hunger has set in. The small meals look good for pre-hiker hunger, and are priced right in line with good ole’ MH:
Expedition Foods Scrambled Egg with Cheese & Caramelised Onion (450kcal)
US$9.95
And why it is that euro foods are just better, I dunno, but in my experience this is true. America’s best cuisine seems to be the double-cheeseburger–and believe me, I love me a good double-cheeseburger–but whether it is chocolate or these hiker meals, there’s something less profit-oriented in the foodstuffs that shows in the quality. (Of course there’s still plenty of awful stuff made everywhere to go around….)
Much better tasting, packs flat, cooks faster, lots more calories.
I try to count my calories down at home and up on the trail. Together, that should point toward medium… and my size is extra medium. I guess I’m successful!
Just went on-line to order these, but it looks like they ship from the UK and take forever.
That why I told you to order them from Racing the Planet in their online store. That’s US-based.
That is EXACTLY what I did.. and they are saying 45-90 days for surface shipping!
Oh well. They must have run out of stock.
From Racing the Planet Store website:
“All products are shipped from Hong Kong and shipments are sent the same day, if the order is received before 2pm (Hong Kong time).”
If you use FedEx Express option it states 3-5 days with an * and the following statements:
“*Delivery times are estimates only and are quoted in business days. When international orders reach the destination country, they may be subject to customs assessments which can cause delays beyond original delivery estimates. Weather and public holidays may also be a delaying factors.”
~and~
“IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the COVID-2019 virus, shipping around the world has been disrupted. Unfortunately we are unable to guarantee shipping times at the moment, and additional shipping charges may apply.”
Great tip! I like that you can buy these in 450, 800, 1000 cal servings. Also looks like lower sodium content than Mountain House salt bombs. Hope I can get these in stock. Thanks for the review.
Although shipping cost is $15. Yikes!
Buy a lot. That’s what I did. :-)
How does the weight compare to Mh?
I bought some of these and agree that they are much better than any other freeze-dried meals that I have tried. The smallest packs (450kcals) cost $10, so they are fairly pricey, especially when you figure in a minimum of $15 for shipping. However, for me, it is worth it and I’ll buy again. I never have much of an appetite at elevation and I’ve learned the hard way that I can’t choke something down for the calories, if it is disgusting.
Of the ones that I tried, here are the ones that were delicious:
Spaghetti Bolognese
Custard with Mixed Berries
Custard with Apple
These were also really good:
Chocolate Chip Biscuit Pudding
Beef and Potato Hotpot
Spaghetti Carbonara
This one was OK:
Scrambled Egg with Cheese & Caramelised Onion
These two were not bad, but probably wouldn’t buy them again:
Beef Stroganoff with Rice
Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta
These meals, along with some snacks and other items, can now be bought directly from Expedition Foods’ own website (https://expeditionfoods.com). Shipping was just over $14, which is worth it to me, to get these great tasting meals.
Did you have them shipped to the US? If yes, how much custom fees did you have to pay, if at all?
Didn’t he tell you?