Outdoor foodie and hiking nutritionist Jess taste tested and reviewed three meals and a side dish from little-known Tassie brand, Alps & Amici, discovering it’s possible to enjoy restaurant-quality dining in the bush.
I’m of the mindset that everything tastes better when it’s eaten outdoors. It’s a combination of being more present and aware of what I’m eating, but also generally being exhausted and more appreciative of sustenance than when I’m consuming food simply because of the time on my watch.
Read more: Hiking Changed the Way I Appreciate Food
But when it comes to food made for the outdoors there are huge differences in nutritional quality and taste. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to taste test and review as many options as I can to figure out for myself (and for you!) what the best options are.
Taste is important, but so are nutrition, price, and convenience
Why am I the right person to do this review?
I’m the right person to review these meals from Alps & Amici because I’ve sampled and reviewed a wide range of their competitor’s meals in the past six to twelve months. From Camper’s Pantry, to On Track Meals, Back Country and Strive Meals, Radix Nutrition, and Offgrid, I’ve got plenty of experience rating meals for the outdoors.
Outside of writing for We Are Explorers, I’m also known as the Hiker’s Nutritionist, and I spend countless hours every week taste-testing and evaluating food for the outdoors. And I’m not shy about sharing what I really think.
No doubt daydreaming about lunch
What is Alps & Amici?
Alps & Amici is a grocery store that’s been an integral part of the East Launceston community in Tasmania since 2010. Owners Dan and Sally are passionate about working with local producers and bridging the gap between them and their customers in a homely, old-fashioned, but lovely kind of way.
As well as stocking gourmet groceries, Alps & Amici provides delicious meals, sides, and desserts – many available in value meal boxes for locals to collect. These got so popular among Explorers who wanted to take them on overnight hikes, that the freeze-dried range became a viable product line.
It’s really refreshing to see a range of food for the outdoors emerge so organically. The freeze-dried meals are the same quality as those prepared for the meal boxes and offer hikers the chance to experience a gourmet meal in the middle of bloody nowhere.
How These Meals Have Been Reviewed
When it comes to taste I rate each meal, snack, and drink based on taste, texture, aroma, and aftertaste, giving a final flavour score out of 5 (0 = awful, 5 = amazing). Wherever possible I get multiple people to try each meal and collect their feedback too.
Macronutrient info is listed per serving which means you’ll get the listed amount of nutrients, like proteins and carbohydrates, if you finish the meal.
Each meal was tested by two people to account for different tastes and preferences (this is the Moroccan Vegetable Tagine!)
Preparation & Cooking
Every packet has the same directions, which keeps it really simple when you’re tired after a long day on the trail. Open the meal pouch, add 250ml of boiling water, stir (important or you’ll get dry lumps at the bottom!), reseal, then let stand for ten minutes before digging in.
If it’s a cold day then popping the meal pouch inside a beanie or wrapping it with a jacket to insulate it will help get the best result. I tested these meals during summer so I didn’t give that a go, but it’s what Alps & Amici recommend so I’m willing to bet it’s a good tip.
One gripe I have with prepping these meals is that the serving size information on the packaging isn’t easy to read. It’s buried in the nutritional panel. Many of the meals are actually a two-person serve, so double-check that detail before you stock up for a solo mission. The packaging size also varies a fair bit – the Freeze Dried Moroccan Vegetable Tagine packet is a good 50% larger than the other two meals I tested.
Lastly, the packaging also doesn’t give any indication about whether the meal needs an accompaniment like pasta or rice, or if the meal is hot or spicy.
Alps & Amici Hiking Food Reviewed & Compared
Freeze Dried Chicken & Spinach Curry
RRP: $23.50
Packed weight: 100g
Flavour: 4/5
Protein/Fats/Carbs/Energy: 19.8g / 16.2g / 3g / 1011kJ
Sodium: 315mg
Complete meal: No, needs an accompaniment
Serves: 2
Ingredients: Nichols Chicken, onion, spices, coconut cream, spinach, salt, pepper, oil
They are some seriously generously sized chicken chunks!
Nutrition
The Freeze Dried Chicken and Spinach Curry from Alps and Amici is particularly well-suited for hikers looking to support muscle repair and recovery after a challenging day. With 19.8g of protein per serve, sourced very specifically from local supplier Nichols Chicken, it stands out as an awesome choice for recovery and energy.
The 16.2g of fats, from the coconut cream and oil, provide a steady source of energy, but note that these take more energy for the body to digest, so for hiking (when you need a lot of energy) higher carbohydrates are typically preferred if you’re choosing between the two.
You could easily take some bread along to enjoy with this to further boost your calorie intake
The low carbohydrate content of just 3g is unlikely to provide enough quick energy for glycogen replenishment after high-intensity activity. However, this meal is designed to be eaten with a high carbohydrate accompaniment, like pasta or rice. If done so it’s a damn near ideal meal for the trail.
Finally, the ingredient list is so clean – every ingredient is a basic, well-known food – and it’s dairy-free and gluten-free, meaning that it’s suitable for people with dietary restrictions too.
Flavour
This meal was very watery in the packet and I was worried it was going to be more akin to soup than a curry, but it thickened up quickly and was the perfect consistency. I paired it with some pasta, but reckon it would be ideal with rice or Debs potato, which would absorb the sauce beautifully.
It feels like way too much water when you first pour it in, but it works perfectly
It smells enticing and aromatic, and somehow green (guess that’s the spinach!). The chicken was soft and tender, literally falling apart in my mouth. It’s mildly spicy to start, but by the time I finished my serve my mouth was burning. If you’re sensitive to spice, this isn’t your meal.
It tastes healthy, the chicken is fresh, and while slightly creamy, it packs in a lot of punch from the many herbs and spices. It’s really warming and would be divine on a cold day.
Key takeaway: It might look like soup, but this is a delicious curry that won’t disappoint.
Freeze Dried Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
RRP: $22
Packed weight: 100g
Flavour: 4/5
Protein/Fats/Carbs/Energy: 5.33g / 2.85g / 18.4g / 574.5kJ
Sodium: 675mg
Complete meal: No, needs an accompaniment
Serves: 2
Ingredients: Carrot, onion, potato, celery, chickpeas, garlic, tomato, salt, pepper, vegetable stock, oil, lemon juice, spices
This was incredibly fragrant, even before the water was added
Nutrition
With 18.4g of carbohydrates per serve, the Freeze Dried Moroccan Vegetable Tagine is pretty light on in providing energy. This makes sense because it’s recommended to be consumed with rice or pasta to boost its versatility for the trail.
The sodium content, at 675mg, strikes a reasonable balance for electrolyte replenishment without being excessive. Including nutrient-dense ingredients like chickpeas and a mix of vegetables contributes to fibre and micronutrient intake, ensuring that you feel full after your meal. The low fat content (2.85g) makes it an easily digestible choice for hikers who prefer lighter meals, and the absence of gluten and dairy broadens its appeal to those with dietary restrictions.
Cannot emphasise enough how well-rehydrated the chickpeas are
However, the hugely low protein content (only 5.33g per serve) means that this meal isn’t ideal for recovery, and isn’t as suitable for the trail as others on this list. It’s a better choice for people craving variety who are happy to add in an extra high protein bar (ideally 15g+ protein) for dessert to ensure they meet their recovery needs, or better yet, bring along some dehydrated chicken to add to the meal itself. If you’re on a plant-based diet, taking along a serve of protein powder is another option to boost the value of this meal break.
Flavour
Ooft as someone who doesn’t handle chilli, a spice warning on this one wouldn’t have gone astray! If you like spice, you’ll love it, but if you struggle, well, your mouth will be burning from the first bite.
The meal itself smells nice, but it’s hard to pin down a single flavour – it’s a very full aroma, with a spicy vegetable vibe. It’s not bad, but I wouldn’t call it enticing. The flavour is tomato-heavy, but like the aroma, is full-bodied and tastes homemade and healthy. It was hard to get a sense of the full flavour as my taste buds were thoroughly preoccupied with the volcanic spice they were dealing with.
The texture is quite mushy overall but there’s great crunch from the whole chickpeas and carrot chunks which have rehydrated perfectly. I found it too hot and unpleasant to eat this without an accompaniment, but once I added in some of the Alps & Amici pasta (60% pasta, 40% sauce), it was divine. The pasta immediately tempered the intensity of the sauce and it was really well balanced.
Key takeaway: I’d swear this wasn’t a rehydrated meal, it tastes that fresh. But a spice warning on the packaging is needed!
Freeze Dried Mushroom Risotto
RRP: $23.50
Packed weight: 100g
Flavour: 5/5
Protein/Fats/Carbs/Energy: 9.6g / 25.2g / 49.2g / 1956kJ
Sodium: 1230mg
Complete meal: Yes!
Serves: 1
Ingredients: Rice, onion, mushroom, vegetable stock (cauliflower, carrot, mushroom, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, water, parsley, rosemary, salt, pepper, bay leaves), EVOO, sour cream, butter, truffle oil, lemon zest, parmesan, herbs (basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano, sage, parsley, garlic, rosemary)
Plenty of mushrooms visible in the dry mix
Nutrition
With 49.2g of carbohydrates per 100g, the Freeze Dried Mushroom Risotto meal provides a solid energy boost, ideal for refuelling glycogen stores after a day on the trail. The inclusion of high-quality ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, truffle oil, and butter contributes to the 25.2g of fats, offering long-lasting energy and promoting feelings of fullness.
The 9.6g of protein, from the parmesan and sour cream, supports muscle recovery, although it falls short for those requiring higher protein intake post-hike (20g is better). The sodium content, at 1230mg, is notably high but can be advantageous for endurance hikers needing to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat.
Note that this is particularly sticky compared to the other meals
For hikers chasing the best nutrient density and variety, the inclusion of herbs and vegetable stock adds valuable micronutrients (not to be underestimated!). Finally, the absence of substantial protein sources like legumes or meat limits its recovery potential for more intense activity.
Flavour
The Mushroom Risotto smelled warm, creamy, aromatic, and enticing. It’s the kind of smell that’d draw you into the kitchen, or in this case, around the tiny portable camp stove. As a caveat, I’m not remotely a fan of mushrooms so I wasn’t particularly looking forward to this meal and was pleasantly surprised when it smelt so damn good.
The texture was soft and varied, mushy but in that yummy risotto way. There was a variety of different mushrooms, and some were chopped, others whole. It wasn’t remotely watery and I’d swear it’d come straight off a stove top if I hadn’t just rehydrated it myself.
These meals are very convenient to eat straight out of the bag, provided you’ve got a long-handled spoon
As for the flavour it was creamy, full-bodied, and only slightly earthy. I can’t stand mushrooms normally but this was heavenly and it was gobbled up and gone far sooner than expected.
Key takeaway: I’d eat this every day of the week – and look forward to it.
Freeze Dried Pasta
RRP: $13.00
Packed weight: 100g
Flavour: 5/5
Protein/Fats/Carbs/Energy: 6.89g / 2.55g / 31.5g / 769.5kJ
Sodium: 690mg
Ingredients: Semolina flour, water, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil
This looked incredibly plastic-like, and I was more than dubious about the flavour to come
Nutrition
The Freeze Dried Pasta is the ideal accompaniment for the Chicken & Spinach Curry and the Moroccan Vegetable Tagine to create more balanced and satisfying hiking meals. With 31.5g of carbohydrates per serving, it provides a quick and efficient energy source, ideal for replenishing glycogen stores after a day of intense activity.
The 690mg of sodium will contribute to electrolyte replenishment, and make it an ideal pairing for meals with lower sodium content like the curry. The low protein, fat, and energy content means it doesn’t offer as much as the other meal options on its own beyond carbohydrate loading. The best way to make this side work for you is by pairing it with protein-rich or fat-dense mains to create a nutritionally balanced meal.
If you wanted to increase the energy it provides, you could take an extra sachet of extra virgin olive oil to add to it without impacting your pack weight too much. Overall it’s a handy side dish to have in your kit to give a smaller meal an energy boost, or to give yourself the energy you need for highly demanding days on the trail.
Flavour
There’s no aroma for this plain pasta – not surprising but worth stating.
On first impression the pasta looks like it’s going to be rubbery and soggy as heck, but it’s surprisingly firm (that’ll be the semolina flour) and buttery soft (thank you extra virgin olive oil).
The pasta is a beautiful neutral base that’s salted so perfectly that it’s surprisingly delicious to eat on its own. I’d happily whip up a bowl of this to enjoy as a snack, even without a sauce to pair it with.
Delicious!
Key takeaway: Never thought I’d give plain pasta a 5/5 for flavour, but here we are.
Sustainability
Alps & Amici has a demonstrated commitment to supporting local producers, which is a really environmentally friendly approach to production. By sourcing their ingredients locally, not only are they getting incredibly fresh produce, but they’re also reducing transportation emissions.
As a small business, they don’t have a sustainability section on their website, and this wasn’t particularly surprising.
The packaging doesn’t mention anything about being recyclable – I actually used it as my rubbish bag for the rest of my hiking trip as the resealable top on the bags is excellent. I’ve rinsed it and can now use it again in future, either as a garbage bag or as a meal sachet for my own dehydrated mixes.
Price
Alps & Amici meals are in a higher price bracket than the average hiking meal, but based on the excellent nutritional content and flavour, I’d argue that the meals are well worth the expense. It can also be deceptive. The single serve mushroom risotto is $23.50, and well above the average of around $16 per meal.
But if you buy the meals that are suitable for two people, you get much better value. A typical single-serve Alps & Amici meal will set you back $22 + $13 for a side like the pasta. Split between two people, that works out at $17.50 each for dinner. If I’m tossing up between this and a Back Country Meal with a seemingly endless list of ingredients I don’t recognise on the back, I know which one I’d rather pay for!
See how hard it is to find the serving size information! (Hint it’s under the ‘nutritional information’ heading
Final Thoughts
These Alps & Amici meals were a really enjoyable addition to a day outdoors. Aside from the Russian roulette surprise with the spicy tagine, I absolutely loved the flavour of them all. The pasta was the biggest surprise – even plain it was very tasty.
If you like your meals hot and spicy, this is the brand for you. Every single one packs a flavoursome punch and is made with high-quality, natural ingredients to fuel your performance.
In terms of value, for two people you can’t go wrong with these meals. Simple to prepare, minimal clean up, and reliably good food that I wouldn’t send back if I received it in a restaurant. Plus, most meals are only 100g pack weight! If the labelling was improved I’d have nothing negative to say.
More Hiking Food Ideas
- How to Dehydrate Food (for Hiking and Camping)
- 14 Best Foods for Hiking and Backpacking
- Food Is Fuel: A Guide To Healthy Hiking Food
- Why You Should Let Food Lead Your Next Adventure
