Good To-Go — Restaurant in Kittery

With a constant need to perpetuate our health after four years on the road, we noshed our way through the Good To-Go menu to find out whether its culinary offerings really did give us food for thought.

Initial appraisal Good To-Go meals are calorie-dense, something that's needed after a long or energy-intensive day on the road, or a big hike to a backcountry campsite. When compared to meals offered by similar companies, Good To-Go ones almost always have a higher calorie count per ounce of food. The portions are also made with REAL food, where each meal is hand-made from scratch in small batches. And they're prepared by real cooks, not food scientists. The resultant outcome is a dinner that's more flavourful and better for you, than the traditional “space food in a bag”.

Utilization of Good To-Go For those who live frugally like us, Good To-Go meals work well when supplemented with a small bag of frozen vegetables and a handful of anything cruciferous (dark green veggies). This means we can sometimes get away with only using one packet, which is cheaper and elongates our provisions before having to resupply. When consumed on their own, lunchtimes on the road have become so civilized with one sachet each–incurring zero dirty dishes, two spoons licked clean and the minimal of waste. Moreover, the packets lend themselves beautifully to the Solo stove system using alcohol or twigs as fuel. Simply boil some water, wait 20-minutes and you’re all set to snaffle! Each bag even comes marked with the water fill line. How thoughtful.

Nutrition value Having devoured our way through the entire vegan and vegetarian menus, Good To-Go achieves a gold standard in taste and texture, and platinum in the composition and depth of flavour. Surprisingly coupled to all that, the sachets are packed with nutrition on top; dietary fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, and minerals such as calcium and iron. Calorie-dense means that they’re satisfying more than other dehydrated offerings previously sampled, which congealed into something pretty unpalatable by comparison.

Catering to dietary requirements Incredibly, there are more vegan and vegetarian options than pescatarian ones or otherwise. All are gluten-free, low sodium and what’s more, the dinner options boast a two to four year expiration date. That said, the breakfast choices are still good for a year. Varying international cuisines are in attendance from Mexican, Korean, Thai, Indian and Italian–undeniably, the variety is excellent, no matter what your choice of food label. As low-dairy, largely whole food, plant-based flexitarians, that really is something to shout about from the rooftops.

When space and weight is at a premium The Good To-Good dehydrated offerings are as good as any pre-prepared wet food options, if not better than because they’re lighter. While some on the market are filled with recognizable ingredients, they often require two sachets per person–the sauce and a filler such as quick-cook rice, doubling up on the wet weight and increasing the cost. In the event of a slow-speed “offy” when enthusiasm outweighs skill, or any get-off for that matter—trust me when I say that staying light and tight is infinitely better upon picking up a laden bike.

Conclusion Complete Good To-Go converts, their culinary offerings are just about as honest as pannier food gets. They’re a taste-sensation loaded with nourishment and I wouldn’t be without mine.

PROS Dehydrated, not freeze-dried. Gluten-free. Low in sodium. Handmade by cooks in Maine, USA. Vegan options available. Calorie-dense. No preservatives.

CONS Slightly longer cook time vs freeze-dried meals. Shorter shelf-life versus freeze-dried meals. Once you’ve tried Good To-Go, you may find yourself looking for excuses to be Mother Nature’s backyard, just to...

My experience with Good To-Go meals has been phenomenal. If you've experienced it, there's nothing better than finishing off an ascent or tough section of trail with a hot meal at the end of the day before turning in for the night. Good To-Go meals bring that feeling to the next level.

Gourmet food in the middle of nowhere that's as easy as boiling a few cups of water? Check. Light weight and easily packed? Check. Better than entres at highly rated restaurants that I've experience domestically and abroad? Sold.

We even have them in our pantry now for a quick meal after work when we're tired. My personal favorite is the Thai Curry. Add some fresh protein and you're set! --Stoked on Good...

I am such a huge fan of these meals and they are by far the tastiest dehydrated meals I've eaten; I even take them car camping or on camping road trips sometimes as a treat because they're just that tasty! Even though they take slightly longer to re-hydrate than some competitors the flavors and quality make these well worth the wait. I love the whole-word and recognizable ingredient lists that aren't crazy sodium-full and that me and my fellow campers feel great after eating them. So far (as a vegetarian) my two favorites are the Indian Vegetable Korma and the Classic Marinara with Penne. Love Good To-go meals and will definitely buy...