Food Wars: Who Makes the Best Dehydrated Chicken Alfredo for Backpacking?

On our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, we decided to compare the various brands of dehydrated meals marketed to backpackers. We hoped to determine which companies produced the best-tasting meals and whether some of the more expensive offerings were worth the additional cost. We're passing our findings along to you, in hopes that they will improve your future backpacking experiences! We did not receive anything of value from any of the companies involved in the tests, so you can trust our observations to be objective.

How were the tests conducted?

We conducted our taste tests in the field. We made our best efforts to adhere to the manufacturer's instructions when preparing meals (i.e. we didn't adjust the amount of water specified by the manufacturer nor the amount of time suggested for rehydration). In the few instances where we did deviate from the instructions, we will disclose the circumstances. We both tried each product, made notes about our observations on flavor and texture, and rated each on a scale of 1 mylar pouch (worst) to 5 mylar pouches (best).


Image from: Backpackerspantry.com

Who makes the best dehydrated chicken alfredo for backpacking?

While individual preferences may vary, our favorite chicken alfredo option for backpacking was Backpacker's Pantry Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken.

Which options did we test?

In addition the to the Backpacker's Pantry offering, we sampled the Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta.

Why did we choose Backpacker's Pantry Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken as our winner?

A "2 serving" pouch of Backpacker's Pantry Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken weighs in at 6.7 ounces (190 grams). A pouch provides 720 calories and 44 grams of protein. To prepare the meal, you will need 2 cups (480mL) of water and 15-20 minutes.

This decision primarily came down to flavor, as the Peak Refuel option actually swept the basic statistical categories. The Backpacker's Pantry Fettuccini Alredo had a light, but creamy, sauce and the roasted red pepper lent some additional flavor. There was also more pasta in this option, and the pasta, itself, had a better flavor and texture than its rival. 


Image from: Peakrefuel.com

Is Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta a good choice for a backpacking meal?

Peak Refuel Chicken Alfredo Pasta's "2 serving" pouch is actually lighter (4.97 oz/140.8 grams) than the Backpacker's Pantry offering and provides slightly more nutrition (870 calories and 53 grams of protein). And it only takes 10 minutes to prepare.

Our decision was more about the positive qualities of the Backpacker's Pantry option than the negative qualities of the Peak Refuel product, but we would have preferred a slightly creamier sauce and noted that the cheese balls did not necessarily rehydrate as evenly as desired.     

We hope you find the "Food Wars" series to be valuable when meal planning for your next backpacking trip! If there is additional information you would like to see included in future installments, please let us know in the comments section.   

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