Category: Food

Posted on

Efficient Meals for 180 Days

My plan for the next two years is to spend about 6 months each summer (May-October) onshore in San Carlos (during the heat of the summer and during hurricane season) and then 6 months sailing the Sea of Cortez (November-April). During sailing season, I want to generally “stay off the grid”, away from marinas and civilization. My new boat has limited electrical power capabilities and hence limited ability to store perishable goods. My experiences last year taught me what seems to work best in terms of food. Nonperishables like dries beans and rice work very well, especially when combined with a pressure cooker. I did not like carrying so many cans. They were difficult to organize and rummage through. I ended up prepackaging meals in gallon-sized plastic bags. These one-pot meals could be dropped in the pressure cooker and with a minimum amount of fuel a meal could be had in 20-30 minutes. Usually, these meals would last 2-4 days. I liked using a pressure cooker, particularly while underway, because there was no chance of spillage in rough seas. However, storage of these bulky gallon-sized plastic bags of nonperishables was problematic. 

I met a family at Christmas Island who used bulk freeze-dried foods, packaged into individual meal-sized proportions. They gave me some and I must say they were very tasty and extremely easy to prepare. I note the portions were vacuum sealed in mylar (aluminized) bags, which do a much better job keeping the contents fresh, especially at sea. I found conventional plastic bags simply did not keep the moisture out over long periods of time. Accordingly, I plan to prepare perhaps 180 of these meals for my time at sea beginning this fall.

When I wake up I have tea and a biscuit. A little later I have a portion of my homemade oatmeal in the morning. If available, later in the morning, I will have a piece of fruit. I eat my main meal in the early afternoon. It usually is substantial. Around dusk I will have a snack, nuts or dried fruit, and a glass of wine if I am not sailing.

This post is about the main meal.

Goal:

  • 180 vacuum-sealed meal packs
  • Each pack = 1.5 portions (roughly one large meal)
  • One-pot preparation
  • Shelf-stable / long-voyage compatible
  • Designed around bulk ingredients and freeze-dried components
  • Minimize ingredient count while maximizing variety
  • Minimize fuel to prepare

I worked this out using “first principles.” A large offshore meal might realistically be:

  • 700–1000 calories
  • roughly 120–180 g dry weight per meal (depending on fat content)

A realistic vacuum bag might contain:

  • Carb base, 80–120 g
  • Protein, 20–40 g
  • Vegetables, 15–30 g
  • Fat powder/dairy, 10–20 g

For 180 meals: 180 × 150 g ≈ 27 kg. That is ~60 pounds total dry food.

I used ChatGPT to propose 30 meals with the above criteria, then went about a half dozen iterations refining to my own tastes and availability of ingredients. I decided on these sources of protein: 50% chicken, 25% beef, 15% tuna, and 10% Spam. The tuna and Spam were thrown in for variety. I discovered that Span takes on an almost bacon-like taste when fried. Many of the early recipes proposed by ChatGPT were bland, so I expanded the spices/herbs.

I should point out that I expect to supplement my diet with seafood, either caught or bartered for. I also expect to visit some ports on occasion, perhaps once a month, allowing me to stock up mainly on fresh fruit.

Shopping List for 180 Meals

The shopping list was surprisingly sparse (taking advantage of buying in bulk) and the total cost of six months of food for one person was under $800. I expected it to be more, given the cost of freeze-dried foods. Indeed, the most expensive item was $230 for freeze-dried chicken.

Carbohydrates

•    Couscous: 1.92 kg (RiceSelect Couscous, 27 oz x 3), $26

•    Instant beans: 420 g (Mother Earth Products Dehydated Fast Cooking Black Beans, 16oz), $17

•    Instant potatoes: 2.82 kg (Chef’s Quality: Mashed Potatoes Complete Instant 5.43 Lb), $28

•    Instant rice: 4.56 kg

(Minute Instant White Rice, 72-Ounce Box x 1), $8

(Minute Instant Brown Rice, 28-Ounce Box x 2), $9

(Minute Instant White Rice, 12-Ounce Box x 5), $13

•    Quick oats: 420 g (Amazon Grocery, Steel Cut Quick Oats, 25 Oz), $4

•    Ramen noodles: 2.10 kg (Nissin Top Ramen Noodle Soup, Chicken, 3 Ounce (Pack of 24)), $7

•    Red lentils: 720 g (Iberia Red Lentil Beans, 12 Ounce x 2), $8

•    Rice noodles: 420 g (Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Rice Noodles 14 oz), $5

Proteins

•    Freeze-dried chicken: 1.61 kg (Mountain House Diced Chicken #10 x 3), $234

•    Freeze-dried ground beef: 912 g (Mountain House Ground Beef #10), $95

•    Spam: 1.08 kg (SPAM Lite Single Pouch, 2.5 Ounce (12 Pack)), $14

•    Tuna pouch: 1.68 kg (StarKist Low Sodium Albacore White Tuna, 2.6 oz Pouch (24 Pack)), $48

Vegetables

•    Broccoli: 240 g (Birch & Meadow 1 lb of Dried Broccoli Florets), $36

•    Corn: 510 g (Augason Farms Freeze-Dried Sweet Corn, 16 oz), $22

•    Red pepper: 342 g (Augason Farms Dehydrated Diced Bell Peppers #10), $18

•    Vegetable medley: 1.37 kg (Augason Farms Vegetable medley #10), $23

Dairy / Fat

•    Butter powder: 216 g (Hoosier Hill Farm Real Butter Powder, 1LB), $20

•    Coconut powder: 342 g (FreshDrinkUS, Premium Coconut Milk Powder 16oz), $21

•    Milk powder: 702 g (Hoosier Hill Farm Whole Milk Powder, 2LB), $23

Seasonings 

•    Black pepper: 7.2 g (Amazon Grocery, Ground Black Pepper, 3 Oz), $3

•    Chicken Bouillon: 24 g (Maggi Granulated Chicken Flavor Bouillon, 3.5 oz), $11

•    Chili powder: 30 g (Simply Organic Chili Powder, 2.9 oz), $6

•    Curry powder: 90 g (Simply Organic Curry Powder, 3 Oz), $7

•    Dill: 6 g (Amazon Grocery, Dill Weed, 1.1 Oz), $4

•    Granulated garlic: 12 g (365 by Whole Foods Market, Garlic Granules, 2.43 Ounce), $3

•    Italian seasoning: 72 g (McCormick Culinary Italian Seasoning, 6.25 oz), $13

•    Mushroom powder: 48 g (Umami Powder – Shiitake Mushroom Seasoning, 2.8 oz), $10

•    Onion powder: 48 g (Amazon Grocery, Onion Powder, 2.85 Oz), $1

•    Oregano: 12 g (Amazon Grocery, Oregano Leaves, 0.65 Oz), $1

•    Parsley: 21 g (McCormick Parsley Flakes, 0.87 oz), $5

•    Smoked paprika: 36 g (McCormick Smoked Paprika, 1.75 oz), $2

•    Soy powder: 48 g (NatureVit Soya Milk Powder, 300g), $15

•    Thyme: 12 g (Amazon Grocery, Ground Thyme, 2 Oz), $4

•    Tomato powder: 546 g (Spicy World Pure Dried Tomato Powder 20oz (1.25LB)), $15

TOTAL = $779

30 Base Recipes

Note, these freeze-dried meals will be sealed in mylar (aluminumized) plastic bags. I learned last year that regular plastic bags to not keep moisture out. Each make will have a label affixed to it, e.g.,

MEAL #19

Beef Curry Rice

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Wait: 8 min

Meal #1: Chicken Curry Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 20g

•    Vegetable medley 20g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Coconut powder 12g

•    Butter powder 8g

•    Curry powder 4g

•    Onion powder 1g

•    Granulated garlic 1g

•    Black pepper 0.3g

Add: 425 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #2: Mexican Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 20g

•    Corn 15g

•    Red pepper 5g

•    Tomato powder 12g

•    Chili powder 2g

•    Smoked paprika 1g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #3: Broccoli Butter Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Broccoli 15g

•    Milk powder 12g

•    Butter powder 10g

•    Parsley 0.5g

•    Black pepper 0.3g

Add: 400 ml water

Meal #4: Chicken Coconut Curry Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 20g

•    Vegetable medley 20g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Coconut powder 18g

•    Curry powder 4g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 425 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #5: Creamy Chicken Ramen Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Ramen noodles 70g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Vegetable medley 18g

•    Milk powder 12g

•    Butter powder 8g

•    Parsley 0.5g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #6: Italian Chicken Ramen Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Ramen noodles 70g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 5g

•    Tomato powder 12g

•    Italian seasoning 4g

•    Oregano 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #7: Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

•    Instant potatoes 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 15g

•    Corn 20g

•    Milk powder 15g

•    Thyme 0.5g

•    Parsley 0.5g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 350 ml water

Meal #8: Chicken Curry Potato Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Instant potatoes 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 3g

•    Coconut powder 15g

•    Curry powder 4g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 350 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #9: Chicken Broccoli Potato Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Instant potatoes 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Broccoli 15g

•    Milk powder 15g

•    Parsley 0.5g

Add: 350 ml water

Meal #10: Chicken Vegetable Lentil Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Red lentils 60g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 15g

•    Vegetable medley 20g

•    Bouillon 2g

•    Thyme 0.5g

Add: 450 ml water

Meal #11: Couscous Chicken Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Couscous 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Parsley 0.5g

Add: 350 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #12: Creamy Chicken Grain Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Quick oats 70g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 15g

•    Milk powder 15g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Parsley 0.5g

Add: 350 ml water

Meal #13: Chicken Garlic Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 20g

•    Granulated garlic 1g

•    Butter powder 10g

•    Black pepper 0.3g

Add: 400 ml water

Meal #14: Chicken Tomato Couscous

Ingredients:

•    Couscous 80g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Tomato powder 12g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Oregano 0.5g

Add: 350 ml water

Meal #15: Chicken Rice Soup

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 60g

•    Freeze-dried chicken 18g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Bouillon 2g

•    Parsley 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water

Meal #16: Beef Mediterranean Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 20g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 5g

•    Italian seasoning 4g

•    Oregano 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #17: Beef Chili Ramen

Ingredients:

•    Ramen noodles 70g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 20g

•    Tomato powder 15g

•    Red pepper 3g

•    Chili powder 2g

•    Smoked paprika 1g

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #18: Beef Potato Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Instant potatoes 80g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 20g

•    Corn 10g

•    Mushroom powder 2g

•    Smoked paprika 1g

Add: 350 ml water

Meal #19: Beef Curry Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 20g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Coconut powder 12g

•    Curry powder 3g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 400 ml water + 5 ml oil

Meal #20: Beef Bean Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant beans 30g

•    Instant rice 60g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 18g

•    Mushroom powder 2g

Add: 450 ml water

Meal #21: Beef Couscous Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Couscous 80g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 18g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Smoked paprika 1g

Add: 350 ml water

Meal #22: Beef Tomato Lentils

Ingredients:

•    Red lentils 60g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 18g

•    Tomato powder 15g

•    Mushroom powder 2g

Add: 450 ml water

Meal #23: Creamy Beef Noodles

Ingredients:

•    Ramen noodles 70g

•    Freeze-dried ground beef 18g

•    Milk powder 12g

•    Mushroom powder 2g

•    Black pepper 0.3g

Add: 400 ml water

Meal #24: Tuna Mediterranean Rice

Ingredients:

•    Instant rice 80g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 5g

•    Tomato powder 10g

•    Italian seasoning 4g

•    Tuna pouch 70g

•    Oregano 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water + tuna pouch

Meal #25: Tuna Cream Ramen Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Ramen noodles 70g

•    Milk powder 12g

•    Broccoli 10g

•    Tuna pouch 70g

•    Dill 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water + tuna pouch

Meal #26: Tuna Chili Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Instant beans 40g

•    Corn 10g

•    Tomato powder 15g

•    Red pepper 3g

•    Chili powder 1g

•    Tuna pouch 70g

•    Smoked paprika 1g

Add: 450 ml water + tuna pouch

Meal #27: Tuna Potato Chowder

Ingredients:

•    Instant potatoes 75g

•    Corn 15g

•    Milk powder 12g

•    Tuna pouch 70g

•    Dill 0.5g

•    Thyme 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water + tuna pouch

Meal #28: Spam Soy Noodle Bowl

Ingredients:

•    Rice noodles 70g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Soy powder 4g

•    Spam 60g

•    Onion powder 1g

Add: 400 ml water + Spam

Meal #29: Spam Chowder

Ingredients:

•    Instant potatoes 75g

•    Corn 15g

•    Milk powder 12g

•    Spam 60g

•    Thyme 0.5g

Add: 400 ml water + Spam

Meal #30: Spam Soy Couscous

Ingredients:

•    Couscous 80g

•    Vegetable medley 15g

•    Red pepper 4g

•    Soy powder 4g

•    Spam 60g

•    Smoked paprika 1g

Add: 350 ml water + Spam

Posted on

Cooking in Big Seas

About halfway from Vanuatu to Australia, I ran out of fresh food. Oh, I have some onions and half a pumpkin, but the bread, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, bananas, most of the dairy, and all the meals I prepared in advance are gone, not because I didn’t plan ahead, but because these things just don’t last more than a week at sea for me. I’ve tried all kinds of things to make bread last longer, but come day four I can taste the mold. My choices when I run out of fresh food is to eat out of my non-perishable stock, but most of these things (besides some canned soups) require cooking, and cooking while single-handed sailing can be a challenge, particularly in weather. When I run out of fresh protein, I usually fish. Generally, after a couple of hours, I have fresh fish. This morning it took less than an hour to catch a yellowfin tuna. Finding food, whether from my stores or the ocean, is not the problem. Cooking it can be. My go-to is a pressure cooker. I made wonderful squash last night in under six minutes. The great thing about the pressure cooker is there’s zero chance of spilling anything. Even on a gimbaled stove, liquid splashes out of a regular pan. But for something that needs to be fried, my other go-to are skillet meals. Here is an example. The sashimi rice was soaked for 15 minutes with pieces of a juiced tangerine rind and dried tarragon, then partially cooked in the non-stick skillet with a lid, the rice was scooped into a cup, some butter and the rest of the tangerine was added to the pan with the fish. When halfway done, a little dark soy sauce was poured onto the fish, the partially cooked rice was returned, and the skillet was covered until the fish and rice were finished cooking. The reason I am holding the pan tight in this photo is all of this was done during a squall with the boat rolling 8 degrees. I usually eat in the cockpit because when the food spills (or it’s blown off the plate), the sea water will clean up the mess. It may not look great, but trust me when I say it was better than canned chili. When it comes to cleanup, I just let the sea rinse the pan.
{CAPTION}
Posted on

Billfish

I am at the end of two-week passage between Tahiti and Tonga and have essentially run out of fresh food. For the first time since I caught the mahi-mahi a day from Tahiti (which was a month ago), I dropped a line in the water this morning, shortly after I passed Niue and about two days from Tonga. Within an hour I had a strike. I knew it was something different in the way it fought. When I finally got it close to the boat, I realized it was a billfish. I immediately recalled what a sailing friend of mine said once … “fish for what you want to catch ‘cause you don’t want to hook some big billfish.” I had a big problem. I lost my gaff when I caught the bigeye tuna way back. I was able to get a blacktip shark aboard because I targeted a particularly small one. I got the big mahi-mahi by wearing it out and grabbing it by the gill. That’s not something you want to do with a billfish. I will run out of wind tomorrow and I didn’t want to take the time to stop the boat, so I ran a loop of rope down the fishing line and after a minute it was around the tail. I could then use the rope to drag the fish aboard more safely tail-first. It is almost seven feet long. I am not sure what species it is. Maybe a reader can leave a comment if they know. Or, I can look it up when I have the Internet. I prepared it by taking two fillets and skinning them before chopping them up into large steaks. Fish only generally last five days in my fridge, but I laid them against the cold plate in hopes they would freeze. I know what I will be eating the next week.
{CAPTION}

{CAPTION}

Posted on

My Eating Schedule

Sometimes it’s not about whether you’d care for a pear, it’s more like, if I don’t eat this bruised pear right now, it is going to be mush in an hour and I’ll have to toss it overboard (and they cost me $5 apiece in Tahiti and I won’t see another pear for three months). My eating schedule is dictated by priorities … what needs to be eaten before it goes bad … or the seas are going to be rough this afternoon, so I better prepare a meal now … or my next destination does not allow the import of honey, so I better use it up … or I need to go up the mast this morning, so I better skip breakfast (because it’s hard to exercise strenuously on a full stomach). Sometimes it’s the other way around … I’m hungry but this squall necessitates I steer the boat by hand (while I gobble a handful of nuts using my other hand) … I was planning to eat that meal I prepared for the passage, but when I opened it up I discovered it had already gone off. Sometimes things are on sale … I just caught a big Mai-Mai and fish does not keep in the fridge for more than five days … or that bunch of three dozen green bananas I brought onboard five days ago have all ripened at the same time. I don’t really have meals … I snack all the time. Especially on a passage, I rarely have time or the opportunity to “prepare” a meal. I’m too busy either doing boat stuff or sleeping. I’ll have a can of corn. Later, I’ll have a chunk of cheese or a hard boiled egg. Then, maybe an orange. I do try to eat a balanced menu, just not all at the same time. My relatives probably remember when I was a kid, my ADHD (they didn’t call it that back then) didn’t allow different types of food touch each other. I would sort food on the plate and eat one type at a time. It’s sort of like that on the boat.
Posted on

Preparing Meals For A Passage

Before an extended passage, in this case a little over two weeks from Tahiti to Tonga, I prepare meals. It is difficult and sometimes impossible to cook while sailing, either because the seas are too rough or I am tired from handling the boat. Do, I usually spend the day before my departure cooking. In this case, I took a chicken carcass (from which I had taken the meat for sandwiches) and made broth in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes. I took the carcass out, added carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, and a bag of dry lentils and cooked for 10 minutes, then added the meat from the carcass. This made perhaps five meals. I usually eat something like this cold, not bothering to dirty dishes to heat it up. Besides, it’s warm enough at latitude 16.

Posted on

A Dorado Arrived Immediately After I Cleaned Out The Fridge

Until yesterday, I had not fished since catching the shark at Raroia. Yesterday, I hooked something, but it worked its way off the line before I could land it. Today, I put the line out about 7:00 this morning and went about doing my chores. I had just finished cleaning out the fridge. Nothing fresh was left. I was in the cockpit getting rid of the spoiled food, some cheese, fruit, and bread. Before finishing, I got a hit on the rod. I heaved to and started fighting the fish. It took me twenty minutes to tire the fish out and bring it alongside the boat. Without a gaff, I had to grab the nearly five foot dorado by the gills and wrestle it aboard. By the time I processed the fish, more than an hour had passed. I’m sorry to say I could not take all of the fish. I cut out six huge fillets, leaving perhaps a third of the fish as fish food. But even if I eat fish twice a day for the next week, I don’t think I will finish what I have.
 
 
Posted on

…. and Sometimes You Eat The Shark

So, I learned some lessons yesterday after loosing three sharks I hooked and after losing a reef fish that I hooked to the sharks before I could land it. Number One, I do not want to hook a six-foot shark. Number Two, whatever I hook, I better land it fast. These lessons taught me that I need to target a small shark, like I used to target trout with my fly rod. I tossed some seven-day-old tuna out a few feet from the boat and I would pull it out again if a big shark took an interest. After the third try, a two and a half foot blacktip shark took the bait, and once hooked, I simply jerked it onto the deck before the other sharks made him their dinner. I got five nice-portioned piece of meat … exactly what I was looking for. I threw the rest of the tuna overboard and thanked the sharks for their service.

Posted on

Chai Tea Recipe

I remember the day in 2014 I became addicted to chai tea. I had just finished the Larapinta Trail, a 139 mile-long walking track in the Northern Territory of Australia. (from east to west, with the eastern end at Alice Springs and the western end at Mount Sonder, one of the territory’s highest mountains. It follows the West MacDonnell Ranges, sometimes along the ridge line, other times on the plain below, in the West MacDonnell National Park. I had returned to Alice Springs and treated myself to a cafe where I sat pondering the menu and nursing my blisters. On a whim, I ordered chai tea, something I had never had before. It arrived as a steaming kettle of water and a sachet of fresh herbs and spices. It was ambrosia. When I returned to the US, I tried to source “good” chai tea and was disappointed with everything I tried. Being the scientist I am, I decided to experiment with recipes. I kept a notebook and with each batch, I fiddled with the formula.

What follow is the final product (the hot links are to Amazon), a concoction I drink almost every day. I even have a milk frother on the boat!

150 g chopped candied ginger

50 g star anise (broken into pieces by hand)

10 g dried bay leaf (crushed by hand)

50 g cinnamon chip

15 g whole allspice

50 g whole green cardamon

10 g whole black peppercorn

20 g whole cloves

I measure the ingredients with a small kitchen scale and usually make a double batch at a time.

Mix the spices and store in a ziplock bag (do not store with tea leaves).

Add to 4c water several tablespoons (to taste) of the spice mix and a couple of teaspoons of Assam tea leaves (to taste). Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, steam unflavored and unsweetened Silk soy milk (I use a Breville Milk Café Frother). Remove tea from the heat. Add honey (I use Nates raw unfiltered honey to taste) and a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I use Watkins baking vanilla). Filter the spice/tea/honey/vanilla mixture. Note: throw away the precipitate at the bottom as it will make your tea bitter. I store the tea in a thermos. Add 2-3 times more tea than steamed soy milk (to taste) and mix. Spoon a little foam on the top.

Posted on

50 Recipes

Here’s a list of 50 recipes using the ingredients from the pantry of non-perishable goods on-board. These meals are designed to be both practical for long-term storage and diverse in flavor, giving many options. These recipes cover a variety of flavors and meal types, from hearty stews to lighter salads and comforting casseroles.

1. Coconut Lentil Curry

Ingredients: Lentils, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, rice.

2. Chickpea & Couscous Salad

Ingredients: Couscous, canned chickpeas, olives, artichoke hearts, olive oil, lemon (or vinegar), cumin, parsley.

3. Tomato & Black Bean Chili

Ingredients: Black beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder.

4. Sweet Potato & Polenta Stew

Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, polenta, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, basil.

5. Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal

Ingredients: Oats, peanut butter, honey or sugar, powdered milk, dried banana chips, cinnamon.

6. Quinoa & Veggie Stir-Fry

Ingredients: Quinoa, canned mixed vegetables, canned mushrooms, soy sauce, garlic powder, chili flakes.

7. Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce & Black Beans

Ingredients: Pasta, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, black beans, garlic powder, basil, oregano, chili flakes.

8. Bean & Rice Burritos

Ingredients: Pinto beans, rice, corn, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, tortillas.

9. Coconut Chickpea Soup

Ingredients: Chickpeas, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, rice.

10. Polenta with Tomato & Bean Sauce

Ingredients: Polenta, black beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, basil, chili powder.

11. Instant Ramen Stir-Fry

Ingredients: Ramen noodles, soy sauce, canned vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes.

12. Veggie & Rice Stuffed Tortillas

Ingredients: Rice, canned vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, cumin, tortillas.

13. Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, quinoa, canned olives, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, cumin, dried basil.

14. Black Bean & Corn Soup

Ingredients: Black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder.

15. Canned Tuna Salad

Ingredients: Canned tuna, canned corn, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, dried parsley, crackers.

16. Chickpea & Rice Stew

Ingredients: Chickpeas, rice, canned tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin.

17. Spicy Tomato & Bean Soup

Ingredients: Diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, chili powder, garlic powder, soy sauce.

18. Lentil & Rice Pilaf

Ingredients: Lentils, rice, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, soy sauce.

19. Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients: Quinoa, dried parsley, garlic powder, lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, salt, pepper.

20. Instant Mashed Potatoes with Beans

Ingredients: Instant mashed potatoes, canned beans, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, olive oil.

21. Tomato & Cucumber Couscous

Ingredients: Couscous, canned tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper.

22. Dried Fruit & Nut Mix

Ingredients: Dried apricots, raisins, almonds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds.

23. Lentil & Tomato Stew

Ingredients: Lentils, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, cumin, turmeric.

24. Vegetable Stir-Fry with Rice

Ingredients: Rice, canned mixed vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes.

25. Canned Bean Tacos

Ingredients: Canned beans, tortillas, taco seasoning, canned tomatoes, rice.

26. Chickpea Stew with Quinoa

Ingredients: Chickpeas, quinoa, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, cumin.

27. Bean & Corn Salad

Ingredients: Black beans, corn, canned tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, chili powder, cumin.

28. Tomato Rice Soup

Ingredients: Rice, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, cumin.

29. Curried Polenta with Beans

Ingredients: Polenta, black beans, coconut milk, curry powder, garlic powder, cumin.

30. Vegan Chili with Quinoa

Ingredients: Quinoa, canned beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder.

31. Pasta with Olive & Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: Pasta, diced tomatoes, olives, garlic powder, basil, olive oil.

32. Coconut Rice with Chickpeas

Ingredients: Rice, coconut milk, chickpeas, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric.

33. Quinoa & Canned Veggie Soup

Ingredients: Quinoa, canned vegetables, canned tomatoes, garlic powder, cumin.

34. Oats with Dried Fruits

Ingredients: Oats, dried cranberries, raisins, dried apricots, honey or sugar.

35. Rice & Sweet Potato Patties

Ingredients: Rice, sweet potatoes, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder.

36. Spaghetti with Chickpea Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: Pasta, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano, basil.

37. Instant Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients: Instant mashed potatoes, canned mushrooms, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder.

38. Bean & Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients: Quinoa, canned beans, diced tomatoes, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder.

39. Rice Pudding

Ingredients: Rice, powdered milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla (optional).

40. Polenta & Bean Bake

Ingredients: Polenta, canned beans, tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano.

41. Veggie Tacos

Ingredients: Canned vegetables, tortillas, taco seasoning, black beans, rice.

42. Coconut Lentil Stew

Ingredients: Lentils, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin.

43. Sweet Potato & Bean Chili

Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, black beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin.

44. Canned Tomato & Rice Casserole

Ingredients: Rice, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, basil.

45. Coconut Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients: Quinoa, coconut milk, dried fruit, honey, cinnamon.

46. Bean & Rice Casserole

Ingredients: Rice, black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder.

47. Polenta with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients: Polenta, canned mushrooms, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder.

48. Savory Oats

Ingredients: Oats, soy sauce, garlic powder, chili flakes, olive oil, dried mushrooms (optional).

49. Canned Veggie Stir-Fry with Rice

Ingredients: Rice, canned mixed vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, chili flakes.

50. Chickpea & Polenta Bake

Ingredients: Polenta, canned chickpeas, tomato paste, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin.