Homemade MRE from the Fresh Market

Gear List (affiliate links)
Solo Stove alcohol burner: amzn.to/4a84Jay
Sneak Flask: amzn.to/3wKeyNs
Gmark bamboo sporks: amzn.to/3VbYEFv
Humangear Nesting Cup: amzn.to/48I6cmN
Mylar Food Storage Bags: amzn.to/3ONV5Sd
Amazon Wish List: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls...

[@dougbotimer8005]

Shortbread and tea are definitely comfort food.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Absolutely!

[@1974heathinn]

Just thought about how good that tea would be with the shortbread

[@PaineK]

That coffee mug is class! Shout out to the battle buds and good partners who know how to hit the nail on the head.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Absolutely!

[@Brykk]

I like to fold up 3 or 4 tortillas and vacuum pack them for my mre’s. Both of your entrees could easily be put into a tortilla as a burrito and lend themselves to adding salsa/hot sauce, peppers, sour cream, etc. looks like you could put that alcohol bag into a cigar case for a little hard shell protection when in a pack or drawer. One of my favorite entrees is wolf brand chili from dollar general served over a pouch of a mexican style rice. And in case you werent aware, you can buy peanut butter in individual pouches that are great to add into an mre. They go great in those tortillas, or as a snack.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Great suggestions. The issue I’ve run into with the peanut butter is the packs I’m finding only have a couple months of shelf life so I can’t include them under these rules. They are a great item though.

[@Brykk]

@@dadbudgetadventures put some peanut butter in a heavy duty ziploc freezer bag, put it in the freezer to harden it up a bit, then vacuum seal it. I dont know how much longer it will last, but it may be worth a little testing. Btw, this is how you can vacuum seal soups for an mre. Add soup to the same kind of bag, set it flat in the freezer until its solid, then take it out and vacuum it down. You can do it with any kind of soup, chili, or stew. Vacuum sealers can be used to save a ton of money.

[@cheetahb5]

@@dadbudgetadventuresWhat about peanut butter powder? It has a better shelf life and just mixing it with a little water makes it back into spreadable PB.

[@donalddicorcia2433]

Vacuum sealing and freezing does NOT make your food shelf stable! Botulism will grow in your food and it will spoil. The only way to safely do that is with mylar retort pouches, a chamber style vacuum sealer and a pressure canner. Please be careful!

[@cheetahb5]

I’ve really enjoyed your home MRE videos. It’s really gotten me thinking about how to build gluten-free MREs since I’m celiac. I need to run through your videos again and write down all the items to sort through what would be ok to have. And then find additional GF items.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Great idea. I hope you’ll share your findings so we can pass them along.

[@cheetahb5]

@@dadbudgetadventures Will do! Keep up the great videos.

[@2jedismom]

I’m leaving on a two week car camping excursion to Florida this week and I’ve incorporated so many of your ideas into my food stash. Certainly will help budget-wise since I won’t be eating fast food all the time!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That’s awesome! Love hearing people making actual practical application of these ideas. Have a safe and fun trip

[@charylliss3741]

Born and raised in Montana we have had plenty of times without power, or snowed in from town, flood or fires. Lots of seasonal employment also. Understand just "putting by" as my granny used to say.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

For sure. Prepare when there is plenty for the lean times.

[@HobbesBaxter]

That was a great looking coffee (tea) mug. I had a mouth full of coffee when you revealed it, I almost drenched my keyboard from laughing. I want one! Thanks for the videos!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you! I’ll pass your compliment along to the creator. She will really appreciate it.

[@lskazalski]

It's brilliant!

[@mommiedearest5337]

That mug should appear in all your videos going forward.

[@danpost4755]

I have been playing around with making these meals for a few weeks now. I appreciate the variety you present and your list of rules. I'm having fun and have roped a buddy into it, too. Have you been to a Costco or Sam's Club yet? I haven't seen one. Just a thought. Thanks! Also, for those with restrictions, your guidelines are pretty clear. Plus, if it is an actual survival situation, we may have to make do with what is available. I am diabetic. I look for low-carb options for my MRE adventures.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I haven’t done a big box store yet but I do plan to try one at Costco soon.

[@elberttanner6189]

Keep in mind, Denatured Alcohol produces Carbon Monoxide when burning, do not use in confined spaces. If in an emergency you use a spirit stove in a confined space use pure grain spirit (e.g.Everclear) for fuel, much safer, Carbon Dioxide rather than Carbon Monoxide.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Great suggestion

[@lizdimps1498]

The twinnings Irish breakfast is amazing with rumchatta as a creamer.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That sounds incredible!

[@AboveAverageMan97]

Head ache before noon?

[@lizdimps1498]

Not that much rumchatta😆. Like a half of an ounce. They make it in the little single serve cups like the ones at the gas station or coffee shops

[@dadbudgetadventures]

@@lizdimps1498 juuuuuust enough

[@robertgregory5260]

Good episode. I never thought of this at Fresh Market. We will buy meat there because they have butchers. But, I will start checking out some of the other aisles. Thanks.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Some interesting things to choose from

[@steveturner3999]

Another great job of showing options, high and low budget. I’m going to try out the tuna dish as it sounds like a very good way to get tuna involved. I like your humble approach and the fact you are offering ideas and suggestions, not absolutes. The fact you admit to not being aware of some dietary restrictions in order to make certain meals is admirable. Looking forward to the next video.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you so much. Always great to hear that people are paying attention to the full intent.

[@jameskelly1680]

That alcohol bag is brilliant. I needed a very lightweight bag for my alcohol burner... thanks for the suggestion. Still carry my canteen and cup. They really did knock that one out of the park when they made those.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

It’s an almost perfect kit for sure.

[@ultramagapatriot5874]

Love your videos!! Great information on mre's for emergency meals or camping meals

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you! I’m so glad you like them!

[@AboveAverageMan97]

I have bought and used Shredded beef packs from wild planet only 3 oz size wise and its only 25mg of sodium. Down side is it's only beef nothing else so you gotta come up with something else to flavor it up. But it's not seafood... So no allergy complications. Great video thanks for taking time to do these.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I need to find those! Sounds like something worth trying.

[@sfocelot]

Love this channel. Gives folk an idea of alternatives to food items to store.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you. That’s absolutely what I’m trying to do!

[@SusanP674]

Great video, I really enjoy seeing the wide variety of foods you put into the mre's!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you! Much appreciated

[@Tamara_D]

Fantastic job on the healthy mre! Pretty clean ingredients. 👏 🎉 It just needs an IPA/wine to round it out. 💯 👍

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I really should have done that. Maybe I’ll do one soon with an adult beverage included.

[@donalddicorcia2433]

Brilliant! A single-serve box or can of cabernet would go perfectly with that.

[@mommiedearest5337]

Hahaha. I agree!

[@davidmanen5495]

Another great video! Thanks for the ideas on quick and tasty food for the next camping trip. Cheers and safe travels

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you. So glad you’re enjoying it.

[@TheLongburns]

Thanks as always! Need to start planning the 15k episode. Stay as reachable as you can, but everyone knows what it will be like as your channel grows. Doing a variety of things is always good.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Yeah I need to do something cool for 15k. Let’s see how it plays out!

[@MinuteMan1999]

Go a couple of those tuna bowls a couple months back because I had a coupon for bogo free. I really liked them and at that bogo price I would get more but at full retail price it is a little bougie. The one problem I had with them was stirring it up in the packaging. Ended up dumping them into a bowl to prevent making a mess and loosing product to the ground. ✌️

[@dadbudgetadventures]

BOGO would go a long way to justify cost in an MRE. Glad you found a workaround for the mixing. Not much room to work with in that bowl.

[@rosskleinmann2626]

Cool video! That tuna salad looks great!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you. It really was and I plan to buy more.

[@midwestcemetery2366]

I have been watching you for only just a little while. Well my husband has started to drives for an amish family. And he is learning that sometimes when he has to drive for shopping he can be out for a long time. He's diabetic and takes his meds in the morning. He is starting to crash from low blood sugar when he's out for too long. So after seeing your videos. I am going to make him some mre's to keep in the vehicles. Thanks for the ideas

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That is so cool! Thanks for sharing that.

[@jabrilanderson8365]

I really do appreciate your content. Excellent work good sir!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you so much!

[@soyoucametosee7860]

I was given one of those Wild Planet tuna pasta cans. It is going to go in one of my mre. Thank you for the review.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

You’re welcome. Hope you enjoy the tuna as much as I did.

[@mrbuck1911]

Diabetic here, type 1, insulin is mandatory. So the most important thing about a T1D’s MRE is we need to know the carbohydrate count - no matter how much or how little carbs are in the MRE, we need to know - for insulin dosing. Now, for a diabetic MRE, I would add 1 rule, that is this, set a limit of 40 - 70 carbohydrates per meal. Now I will give you one place for leeway. When factoring in walking around snacks (Whisps and jerky is great for this) it’s okay to go over the 70 carb, if you let us know the count in the separate items that might not be eaten at the same time as the meal. Nuts are great options for keeping carb counts down. Obviously, preserving methods that lean more toward salt and fat over syrup/sugar will allow for a bigger meal. Do not worry about artificial sweeteners used in the meal. Just put it together, however you may want to put Stevia or another artificial in the seasoning/accessories pack. Also, having a honey pack or pure sugar pack isn’t a bad thing either. Because one issue of being on insulin therapy is that insulin can kill you as much as help you. Our hormones most likely weaken the effects of our insulin, but being active, like on a hike or being forced to move will increase the effects of insulin, so extra honey and sugar packs in the MRE can save our lives. If you stick to the new rule and make sure we understand the carb counts, then you can make this video. Now, type 2 diabetics will more likely benefit from a general calorie-count/weight-loss perspective. Artificial sweeteners maybe more helpful (Crystalite flavor packs, for example) in those MREs. I would attempt the T1D first, since the main restriction is a number in one category. A T2D MRE will require more categories of numbers to track. Give it a try. If you try to put a T1D MRE together, share your meal list with me. I will give you my opinions based on the information. I will get your idea and try it myself.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That’s good information and I encourage people to build their kits to meet their needs. All this information, however, confirms that I don’t need to be the one doing the diabetic MREs.

[@wretchedmess]

Great video! Humangear makes some awesome products I've used for years. They make a lid (called a capCAP) for a largemouth nalgene bottle that converts it to a smallmouth that is easier to drink from. You can remove it, load it with ice and drink and then put it on and drink from the smaller spout. Also, the Wild Planet meals are available at Walmart for $3.98, and have two other types of bowl. Keep up the good work, I enjoy the videos!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you so much!

[@greyhatdone]

Your videos are so helpful, thank you❤

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you! So glad you’re enjoying the content!

[@matthewjohnson8867]

Hey I have to say I really, really enjoy your videos. I'm a newer subscriber & have been inspired in a new way by your videos. Besides doing freeze drying & dehydrating meals for my family, I was inspired by your videos to host a youth group activity at our church buying the each of the 5 "food groups" so so each kid has to put together their own MRE's. Went to DG, made out like a bandit. They will no doubt have fun with this activity and it gives me an opportunity to teach the "why" in being prepared. Thanks again for your videos & keep up the great work...

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Wow, that’s a real honor. I’m so glad that you’re not only using the ideas but making them a form of outreach as well!

[@HummerGirl88]

Love the homemade MRE videos & I get ideas on different foods to try. I was excited to try the Whisps since they are gluten-free. I liked the cheddar ones but didn't care for the parmesan. Now, I am heading to Amazon to order the 2 cup set 😂

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That’s awesome! Try new things and keep what you like. That’s what it’s all about.

[@DrJekyll77]

Irish breakfast consist of Bailey's Irish cream 😁

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That would be a good breakfast right there

[@andrewstone6368]

Love your videos! Your personality your voice. The way you construct them. Just great! Im a seasoned prepper and operator and your videos are just addicting. Thank you for that. And you were a cop?!?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you for that high praise. Yes, I spent 26 years in law enforcement, 16 of them as a detective.

[@andrewstone6368]

@@dadbudgetadventures outstanding! LEO here also. 15yrs in. Thank you!

[@dianebondhus9355]

Thank you for another great video! ❤ The shortbread and tea would make my day better. 😁 I'm not sure I'll ever reach for a vegan/plant based food item, but I'm glad your meal turned out to be good.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you! Yeah, this whole thing was a dose of happiness. Every little bit helps in a disaster.

[@MistySlocomb]

Awesome video. Thank you. That really looks yummy.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you! It really was a great meal.

[@j.j.savalle4714]

You can use that mug as a signaling device if your lost...lol Another great vid. Many thanks for the taste testing of these options!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That’s an amazing plan! I need to market the mugs as a rescue device!

[@mommiedearest5337]

😂

[@gregvanderboom5011]

That sure looked and sounded tasty! I've been to Fresh Food market for lunch several times and wondered around checking out what they have. I didn't buy anything that I haven't eaten before because of the price. I like their salad bar but some of the items on the cooked entree's are seasoned with spices I don't enjoy. I'll have to try the packaged foods. Thank you for the video and I appreciate you and your videos.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thanks for watching! The prices at FM can be off putting for sure. I don’t shop there much but this one needed to happen.

[@mommiedearest5337]

Treat yourself. It's expensive on a regular schedule, but throw just one in your pack and it will feel extra special. 😊

[@karenbruster1693]

Love the mug and the MRE

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thanks!

[@xSF141x]

Okay, I have an oddball proposition for you. Do a MRE at a clothing/furniture store. Something like Homegoods, Marshall's, Ross, etc. Because if you go down some of the isles, they'll have food. It might not meet all the requirements, but it'll definitely be interesting and wild.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I’ve bought stuff at Ross before and thought it would be a good component. That could be a fun challenge.

[@slade7499]

As usual, great video. The price isn't bad when compared to surplus or commercial MRE's and isn't such a craps shoot. Also, your approach is great and retains one of the most valuable aspects of an MRE; the ability to eat it cold if needed.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you. I think the ability to control all contents is the best reason for making your own.

[@Olyphoto7]

Well done 👍 I’m going to look for that canned tuna salad, it sounded like a great “elevated” option.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

It really is. I’ll buy that again.

[@mommiedearest5337]

Wild Planet is worth it! Skip Jack is a smaller tuna, hence less mercury. Buy it when it's on sale.

[@onlyinparadise4613]

Never heard of The Fresh Market before. Good to know 👍

[@dadbudgetadventures]

They may be regional, I’m not sure

[@gregsanderson2470]

Thankyou

[@dadbudgetadventures]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@daviddrury1316]

I'm enjoying these videos.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thanks! I’m glad you like them.

[@askehansen8620]

The coffee mug is really fun and good looking

[@dadbudgetadventures]

She did a great job on that

[@julierader5140]

I'd love to see an Aldi MRE!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Working on that. Hope to have one soon.

[@muchtested]

I agree

[@Robert_Sparkman_05]

Good episode. I like Thai Kitchen Thai Peanut rice noodle cart. It is sold at Walmart so unrelated to this episode. I usually make it and add rotisserie chicken chunks to it. It helps me get rid of the dark meat portion of a rotisserie chicken after I have eaten the white meat on sandwiches, etcetera. It could be included as a main course in an MRE.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Great idea!

[@kennycraven2648]

It’s interesting the variety and quality of packaged foods in the market currently. I’ve seen some products come and go because the lack of awareness and purchasing demand.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I hate when I find a great item and go back for it only to find it’s no longer around.

[@YabbaDabbaDoTime]

Good video. I enjoy these even if most of that stuff isn't available in Canada. I typically make cold weather rations with freeze dried foods because I winter camp and you don't want anything that'll freeze. That said, I also like your camping content. I like seeing people encouraging others to go out and enjoy nature, be that stealth camping, backpacking, bushcraft or car camping. Not everyone is comfortable or capable of wandering around the woods for a week.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I’m going to try to build a homemade cold weather MRE soon. Should be interesting to play around with it.

[@susanbrannan248]

Try going to World Market. There are so many good options there. I made shelf stable meals for my job there when I was a hospice nurse in a very rural area.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Unfortunately our WM closed a few years ago and there’s not one close by that I’ve found. Would love to try though if I find one while traveling.

[@sandraschick1916]

Thanks for your explanation about diabetic options - makes perfect sense. Also, I tried the packets of Indian Madras Lentil Chili and was VERY surprised. I dislike lentils a lot; but I really like this lentil chili, especially served over rice. Just another option. . .

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I need to look for that chili. Sounds really good.

[@mommiedearest5337]

That's a great flask!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I thought it was cool. Lots of ways one could use such a flask 😜

[@CraigSheppard]

I am really keen to see how that collapsible flask works out... I'm worried about the seams bursting in a backpack. I have that same alcohol burner and need to find a better way (secure, leakproof, easy to pour) to pack the fuel.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I bought them with my PFM40 mess kit in mind but I really want to stress test them to see what they can endure.

[@CMarie404]

comfort food for uncomfortable times. I like that. ❤ Good mood food.. I am all for that! Think I need to add some shortbread into my life. Yay! glad you tried that tuna. That Wild Planet tuna is SO good, imo. I have it on Subscribe & Save on Amazon. Every time I consider not getting it do to price, I just go for it anyway because it is some quality food. I always go with the red bean or the white bean option. I have yet to try the others. It is pricy, but it hits the spot, doesnt make me feel run down, doesnt tale up much room, doesnt need anything else, and it doesnt taste like a shelf stable product. Fresh. I do labor for work, and my lunch consists of whatever I can eat quick and on the go. Usually a dry snack bar. Well, sometimes I just want something "real". That is where these come in. If I remembered to pack some crackers or a tortilla, then it really adds to the sensory experience. MmM! Ive been going through your older content. Really good stuff! You have a gem of a channel. The DIY MRE is a great platform yet it has been fun to find the adventure content too, and everything in between.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you so much. I love that you are exploring the other content. The MRE success was accidental and unexpected but I’m having fun with it since it’s what folks seem to want to watch right now.

[@jamesmiller6834]

Nothing better than an old friend.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Old friends are the best friends. ❤️

[@CraigSheppard]

Not bad at all for how expensive TFM can get! I'd love to see you revisit an Aldi MRE since you've got more well-defined rules now! 👍

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I’m trying Aldi but they haven’t had a lot of options lately. I keep checking though.

[@mommiedearest5337]

Fresh Market is pricey, but you gotta treat yourself sometimes.

[@patdossenko1820]

looks good

[@dadbudgetadventures]

It really was

[@alanbierhoff6831]

We need to have a moment of silence for Bob Moore, Founder of Bob's Red Mill who passed away in February 10 at the age of 94. How are you liking the bamboojee sporks? I really like Human Gear products. I’ve been using their go bites and go tubbs for years

[@dadbudgetadventures]

The sporks are great. I don’t get that wood spoon feeling from them and they are easy to dispose of.

[@MarkHooten]

When you throw up the Calories, Protein and Sodium, you could also display total grams of sugar and carbs. This may help those on a carb-restricted diet.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I’m almost afraid to do that. I’m not sure I want to know 😬

[@talastalavelle4678]

Love the mug!!! Does your friend have a store?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

She does not. It’s strictly a hobby right now

[@tjfm59]

the yellow 'heat' bottle is a good fuel for alcohol burners. a lot cheaper. 12 oz of fuel. small bottle opening for easy pour. ah, just hit me - cold cereal- individual severing size. variety pack.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Good ideas! Thank you

[@DonP_is_lostagain]

Love the mug! Gonna look around at Trader Joe's and see what I can find. My problem is I have an REI about 2 miles away and they sell Mountain House, Backpacker's Pantry, etc. So, it's easy picking up one or two of those meals.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Those are a great option too

[@HarshmanHills]

another great one bud

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you!

[@robertjordan4755]

If you could, can you add the shelf life dates? Thanks for the videos. Could you keep them coming?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I used to do that but I have stopped for a couple reasons. One being that I might buy these and not shoot a video for a couple months. Then someone is going to get bent out of shape in the comments because the video drops less than a year from that date. I’d rather just present it as something you just gotta trust me on.

[@roymcintyre579]

Great looking meal. I might have to go and have a look around my local The Fresh Market. We also have a place called Fresh Thyme Market where I live. We shop quite a bit at Fresh Thyme. What's nice is The Fresh Market in our area is right beside the Costco We shop at. Great video today. Make a DBA MRE from Costco or Sam's Club or maybe both. Have a Blessed Day.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I have a Costco membership so I’m planing to try that build soon.

[@tryllyam]

Awesome mug! And you are so much fun to chat with in the comments, so I'm glad you can keep doing it - at least for now. Also, pat on the back for checking the sodium content. :-) My doctor recently told me that sodium doesn't contribute to high blood pressure as much as we think it does, unless you are sensitive to it. And if you'd ever like to have me help with ideas on a diabetic MRE, just ask. I think the basics of it are a lot easier than maybe doing vegan, but I could be wrong. Vegan is hard because it is really NO animal products, which would mean no honey packets. The important thing for a diabetic diet is to watch the carbs and the fiber. More fiber means you can look a slightly higher carbs. Anyway, I'm rambling. (I hate time change) Great video. Now I wish we had a Fresh Market here.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you. I’ll pass on the compliment to the mug’s creator. I think food sensitivity is more of a problem than people realize. We villainize an ingredient without looking any deeper. But I’m not a doctor and I don’t want lawyers coming after my stuff because I gave bad medical advice so I stay out of that arena 😂

[@TheRealAnarchrox]

For diabetics you want sugar free desserts and for the rest you're after low carbohydrates, high fibre, high protein and perhaps some emergency high sugar candy such as boiled lollies or jelly beans for if they get a low sugar level.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Good information. Thanks!

[@bravotwozero535]

That looked delicious despite me being totally carnivore. I will try to recreate it for hiking this summer.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I feel like all vegetarian options need a meat sidekick

[@newdrone5766]

If you have ethnic specific stores near you, I'd love to see some MREs from them. For example from an Indian or Chinese shop.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Looking into doing that soon. Let’s see what happens!

[@mommiedearest5337]

Great idea! Very interesting.

[@HFVidShotz]

Would you consider an MRE reflective of breakfast, lunch and dinner type of MRE selection? Thank you! Appreaciate all your content.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I have done a 24 hour MRE of that’s what you mean. May revisit that soon.

[@jtamsmom5]

I like your homemade MREs. Great ideas. It's good that you don't to address the HBP or diabetic issues. If it was an emergency situation each person would have to coiffure out what they needed. It could be hot and you're sweating a lot, you might need extra salt, you can always eat less food if you're diabetic and have no medication. I like her are the general rules, go talk to a dietician about these concerns. Thanks for all you put out there, I love your suggestions

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thank you so much. So many people want advice on things I’m not qualified to speak to and that’s a big risk for me to get involved in.

[@jtamsmom5]

@@dadbudgetadventures that's correct. Keep up the great work on this channel

[@Robinhood55]

Fun!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thanks!

[@donalddicorcia2433]

I keep a few of these on hand and grab one on my way out the door when I’m running late for work and don’t have time to make my usual sandwich..

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That is the original application I had for making these. Sounds like we think alike.

[@1974heathinn]

Would you consider a breakfast MRE? Aside from a granola bar, Muesli, and other grain things, I haven’t found anything with a year shelf life. I also have little experience with making these, so I am probably looking in the wrong places

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Breakfast is hard for sure. I’m always looking though

[@mommiedearest5337]

A breakfast MRE would be great!

[@sandraschick1916]

I was wondering what you would think of a can of refried bean dip with a bag of Quest brand taco flavor chips. Both are high in protein, but I'm not sure how good it would be cold. Also, what do you think about the Atkin's brand high protein treats? I love the peanut m&m's. Would love your feedback! 😊

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Bean dip would be great! I’m sure it would be just fine cold. I haven’t tried the Atkins items but I encourage people to use the things they like and make their own meals the way they want them.

[@tfisher8515]

10 pack case of vegan humanitarian daily rations are $35 right now on Amazon thats $3.50 per 24 hour meal pack. Ordered a case yesterday

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Cool!

[@donalddicorcia2433]

Love these videos but have not yet seen all if them. Please forgive me if you’ve covered this item but have you included Hormel compleats in any of your mre’s yet?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I have done a couple including an upcoming video

[@reldoc]

Bob from Red Mill just passed (about 90) and left the company to the workers.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

That is sad and amazing all at the same time. Hope they do well with what they’ve been given.

[@scenicdriveways6708]

Great video, I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it. By the way, Vegetarian is an old Indian word, it means "Bad Hunter". 🤠 Have a great week. JT

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Thanks for checking in!

[@AzraelsTear]

Interesting that you mention Diabetic MRE. I am diabetic and have a heart condition so both low sodium and diabetic friendly has been on the top of my mind. Just getting started but if I come up with anything worth mentioning I will submit it. 🍻

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Cool! Send what you can. Love new ideas.

[@AzraelsTear]

@@dadbudgetadventures I do not envy what you do. I spent about an hour at Walmart this afternoon, just looking for things to try that fit into the category of 1+ year best by dates, its insane how much stuff on the shelves expires in just a couple of months, makes you wonder how long its just been sitting there. Did find a couple of thing, wish there wan an easier way to submit information like a Facebook group or something. Will try to compile the stuff I found into a format that can be shared more easily.

[@spookyfish3792]

Are we supposed to heat seal those mylar bags even tho they have a zip seal?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

You don’t have to but you can just for the sake of securing them from air exposure.

[@gohammergo]

Commenting to help the channel. 😊 No need to reply to my comments like this. I really am doing it to help the channel. I like what you are doing and the message you give. Keep up the good work, and I'll keep "Commenting to help the channel" 👍👍👍

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I’ll take it. Thank you!

[@gohammergo]

☕🥂🍽👍

[@zm694]

In the Army in the early 1990’s… MRE “pouch bread” was the best! Have you seen anything like that in your shopping?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Not at all. That is one thing that just isn’t out on the civilian market.

[@zm694]

@@dadbudgetadventures thanks for reply. I will have to find it now. I will let you know…

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Please do!

[@AzraelsTear]

I'm extremely curious how the alcohol flask bag held up? I have thought about adding an alcohol burner to my kit but carrying the fuel just seems cumbersome.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

It’s done great. No change to the integrity of the bag at all.

[@AzraelsTear]

@@dadbudgetadventures Awesome, I think I can fit one of two of these down in my Stanley Cook Cup along with the drinking cup, so that is AMAZING news. Thank you!

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Sure thing. I bet you can regulate how much you put in it for a perfect fit.

[@AzraelsTear]

@@dadbudgetadventures Just wanted to follow-up on this. So I put denatured alcohol into two of those flasks. They have been sitting for a little over a week now and I am starting to see... dimples? Not sure what to call them, but there are all of these little inclusions that I can feel from the outside of the flask when I pick them up. Not sure if its going to cause any issues with the integrity of the flask long term, going to keep testing, but thought I would mention it in case anyone else is looking to try this. 🍻

[@maxwiz71]

Diabetic MRE is simple in theory but difficult in practice. Essentially you need to have as little carb/sugar as possible. A good target is less than 5% of the calories from carbs/sugar. That means 95% of the calories from protein and fats. That's the theory. In practice very few readymade meals are that low carb. It means no rice, no pasta, no baked product (bread/cake/cookies), no potato, ... and no sweet products unless they are artificially sweetened so no dried fruit, no jams/jelly/honey, ... So what can go in one? Canned meats and fish. Jerky (that's not sweetened). Dried sausage/salami. High fat/low carb nuts (almonds etc). High fat/low carb protein bars. Konjac noodles and rice substitute. Cheese products and baked cheese chips. Pork crackling. Some mayo based salads (tuna, egg, coleslaw, ...) if they are canned/shelf stable. Very high cacao unsweetened or artificially sweetened chocolate bars. You can make virtually carb free drinking chocolate powder with cocoa, low carb powdered milk and artificial sweetener. Teas and coffees are generally zero carb.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Yep. Finding prepared foods to meet all of that is definitely not easy. Seems like we’d be substituting more salt for sugar.

[@maxwiz71]

I've eaten a diet like this over years. When I do I don't need any medication for my diabetes. The trick is to increase the spices and herbs rather than add salt. But a lot of those dried/shelf stable foods are high sodium. Much easier to manage that if you are cooking fresh food from ingredients. Eggs, fresh veggies etc. hard to do those in an mre. Might be more achievable to prepare your own foods then freeze dry them. That sits well outside your usual rules for MREs.

[@MrKim-kv2vv]

I like that, “when the Zombies come” and not if👍🏻

[@dadbudgetadventures]

One day… 🧟

[@RoSR]

Do you do your own editing?

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I do all aspect of my videos

[@williamstewart1883]

Meatless chorizo might be the best vegan meat I've had so far. I think the spices help hide the off flavors of vegan meat.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

You may be right. The seasoning for chorizo is pretty strong, although it wasn’t too much so in the chili. Just enough flavor.

[@Hamptonacres1]

I've tried vegan foods before without success. Loma Linda brand are God awful. The Vegan Chili I have to admit looked like it tasted good. Thanks for trying it.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Honestly I was surprised by it. I expected to at least be underwhelmed. Did not expect I’d actually like it.

[@efcsscfe2208]

Fresh market is ridiculously expensive

[@dadbudgetadventures]

They are that. I don’t shop there much at all and that’s exactly why.

[@adamroberts7650]

How about Circle K MRE we have in canada 🇨🇦 and think usa 🇺🇸 as well The thank you for your time. Plan for the world we live in!😢 not the world you want to be!😊

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I may try to do a gas station MRE soon. Lots of folks seem to want to see me do that

[@joelantler6660]

heh heh, rock or something. classic.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

😂

[@tenchraven]

More vegan MREs, please? Someone needs to think about the preservation of self propelled protein sources. (Lets face it, if we're going Donner Party, the vegans go first.) :P As a diabetic, I think most people with a mutinous pancreas are over thinking. You put 5 days of your oral meds with your EDC test kit- for most of us thats an ounce including the bags. Proteins > carbs, which we are already doing. Yes, you're probably eating more carbs than we should in an MRE, Metformin will still do it's thing. This is short term, under five days. If you're that fragile... don't leave the house and buy a generator.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I think the thing about special diets is that you need to go find the things that work for you and stick up. Most people won’t and then they find themselves faced with having to choose from what they can find in a pinch.

[@drackar]

Given that you are using a container specifically sold to contain potable alcohol for a NON-potable alcohol source, if you end up using those "stealth" flasks for longer term fuel storage you should probably properly mark the things as non-potable before some dipshit friend hurts himself with it, thinking it's vodka.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Well I will only be storing one at a time so the dipshit would be me and I’m not a vodka fan. Figure I’ll be ok.

[@nichevo1]

Can I tell you the truth? I'm not interested in this one at all because I'm not going to want to eat these foods. Probably. You lost me at vegetarian. But I want to encourage you to keep up the good work. Let me just say that, you could save everybody a little time by, either in the beginning or the end of the video, or in the section view in KZbin, or in the transcript or description, whatever, if you would just give a list out of all of the items, you save the viewer a lot of time trying to comb through to pick out the make and model of each item. I'll still give you the upvote, I just don't want to spend 20 minutes watching it every time. Gimme a shopping list, I'm on my way.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I can appreciate that but unfortunately if I did that it would crush my channel with the algorithm. Viewers watching the first few seconds for a list and leaving would destroy it completely.

[@nichevo1]

@@dadbudgetadventures It's a pity that the algorithm destroys value, then. I mean I understand, do what you have to do but. Maybe a link to your website if you have one.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

Here’s the thing, I’m not selling premade kits or insisting that people build theirs to my specs. I’m showing what’s out there and seeing if it’s any good. I encourage people to build their own the way they want and just letting them know if the stuff I’m finding is crap or not. I really am not looking at setting up a program for telling people what to buy. The people who follow my channel are here for the way I present my content and it’s not for everyone. I get that and if someone doesn’t want to hear what I have to say then I’m not going to hold that against them.

[@nichevo1]

​@@dadbudgetadventuresI have no beef with your deal, whatever. Please don't interpret anything I've said as a criticism (except of the algorithm). In theory, you could be flattered that people want to follow your example, word for word-do what you do and so forth. (You could even post affiliate links on Amazon to the stuff you specify, that would be a revenue stream for you.) I don't wish to mandate anything that you do or don't do, post all the vegetarian recipes or chicken recipes you like. I'm trying to be helpful and supportive and go along with you in this little adventure. When I talk about things like 'see if French or Italian or Ukrainian canned goods offer something new,' I'm not trying to be obnoxious, I'm saying, French rations are the bees knees according to our GIs and although it might be more spendy, you might get a better product at the end. Foreign rations cost the earth on eBay, but as I think I mentioned, our GI's like theirs much better than ours. So it's not necessarily always and only about the lowest price, it can also be about the best product. Or, it doesn't make any sense to me that for instance a can of beef with barley should cost 20 bucks, Maybe it does on Amazon, but I'm thinking that if you find an East European grocery store, it can't cost that much there. You know Amazon doesn't always always have the lowest price. Anyway to repeat, nothing is a criticism, anything that seems negative is meant constructively, I'm all for you and keep up the good work. I just happen to mention that I personally am not interested in vegetarian rations, many other people will be, you can't make everybody happy with every video. No doubt Jews and Muslims were not interested in the pork products, the Hindus won't like beef, etc, etc, etc. Hope my comments are helpful and not annoying.

[@joshuabuxton237]

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Kroger. They have these ready cooked rice, Kroger brand, I have seen them other places. I also believe you have something like this on one of your videos. Don’t remember what they go for but they’re cheap and have a year or longer shelf life. They don’t have to be refrigerated and they’re fully cooked. If KZbin allowed photo comments I would show you.

[@dadbudgetadventures]

I’m familiar. And I have a Kroger a block from home. Look back at videos from last year I did one at Kroger and it’s the one that kinda kicked off the success with these videos. I will be doing a follow-up Kroger video for sure.

[@joshuabuxton237]

@@dadbudgetadventures well, so you do. I watched it and those are the exact things I’m talking about. I guess I’m taking your advice pretty well since I’m on the right track. Thanks again for all you’re doing.