A Week Living Off Rations

[Frnc]

No cheese would be tough for me too. There are actually long life foods that have cheese in. You can get packet mac and cheese. I ran it thru GPT...

Instant / Quick Meals with Cheese (Shelf-Stable)
1. Mac & Cheese Cups or Packets (Shelf-Stable)

Brands like Kraft, Velveeta, Annie’s.

Often use cheese powder or shelf-stable cheese sauce.

Last 12–24 months unopened.

Just add water (sometimes microwave needed).

2. Shelf-Stable Ravioli or Pasta Meals

Chef Boyardee Ravioli or Lasagna.

Contains cheese in the filling.

Canned → lasts 1–2 years.

3. MRE Cheese Tortellini, Mac & Cheese, etc.

Military-style “Meals Ready to Eat.”

Contain actual cheese sauces but are retort-pouched.

Shelf life 3–5 years.

No refrigeration, no cooking needed (optional heater).

4. Boxed Au Gratin/Scalloped Potatoes

Contain cheese powder.

Shelf life 1–2 years.

Requires stove or hot water.

5. Instant Risotto or Pasta with Cheese

Shelf-stable packets like:

Knorr Pasta Sides (e.g., Four Cheese Pasta)

Lipton Noodles

Shelf life 12–18 months.

6. Freeze-Dried Meals with Cheese

Backpacking/camping meals (e.g., Mountain House, Backpacker’s Pantry).

Options like:

Mac and Cheese

Chili Mac

Cheese & Bacon Breakfast Scramble

Shelf life 20–30 years.

Add hot water; very long-lasting.

7. Canned Cheese Sauces

Nacho cheese cans (Rosarita, Rico’s).

Shelf life 1–2 years.

Combine with pasta, rice, or chips.

8. Shelf-Stable Cheese Spreads

Processed cheese spreads (e.g., Velveeta bricks, Easy Cheese).

Not “instant meals” on their own but great add-ins.

Last 6–12 months unopened.

[Frnc]

Individual packets of backpacking meals only have 5-7 years life. 30 is for the sealed FYP tins, which I assume contain packets. I have one actually. It might be cheesy.

Or how about these....

Batchelors Pasta n Sauce Mac’n’Cheese
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/pro ... e-macaroni

Batchelors Pasta 'n' Sauce, Cheese & Broccoli 99g
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/pro ... ccoli-123g

[jennyjj01]

Just a thought but if you are eating just your rations as you call them and are aiming to lose weight ( not in itself a bad thi

It will be tricky, but I'll try to include my daily weigh ins in my log. Over the course of a week. My weight ebbs and flows by easily 3lb in a week, anyway.

If you want to lose weight you need to count every calorie and stick to an amount that will lose you weight, eg 1,600 a day. It took me a few months to lose 30 pound or so.
Easiest way is an app. I still use Nutracheck's calorie counter. All my meals are in it, so it doesn't take long.

Losing 30lb over any period of time is super impressive. Well done. I aspire to lose about 10lb over 3 months.
I've estimated the latest couple of weeks daily calorie intake at less than 1400 a day and I've lost nothing measurable. Using food nutrition labels for the numbers. I've also stopped drinking alcohol for two weeks. I figure 1000kCal a day will be just about tolerable.

[Frnc]

Heinz Macaroni Cheese tinned, £2.00

[Frnc]

Just a thought but if you are eating just your rations as you call them and are aiming to lose weight ( not in itself a bad thi

It will be tricky, but I'll try to include my daily weigh ins in my log. Over the course of a week. My weight ebbs and flows by easily 3lb in a week, anyway.

If you want to lose weight you need to count every calorie and stick to an amount that will lose you weight, eg 1,600 a day. It took me a few months to lose 30 pound or so.
Easiest way is an app. I still use Nutracheck's calorie counter. All my meals are in it, so it doesn't take long.

Losing 30lb over any period of time is super impressive. Well done. I aspire to lose about 10lb over 3 months.
I've estimated the latest couple of weeks daily calorie intake at less than 1400 a day and I've lost nothing measurable. Using food nutrition labels for the numbers. I've also stopped drinking alcohol for two weeks. I figure 1000kCal a day will be just about tolerable.

1,000 is low. Surprised you've not lost weight on 1400. Admittedly my 1600 included whisky. Two weeks isn't a long time though. Make sure you weigh same time each day and take the average reading for a week. Keep a note of progress. I had mine plotted on a graph.

[jennyjj01]

Heinz Macaroni Cheese tinned, £2.00

Desperate times call for desperate measures
I'll give it a try, though macaroni cheese has never been a craving. I suppose, for a post cheddar world, I might need to have a fall back. Cheese sauce is definitely something to research.
https://www.asda.com/groceries/search/cheese%20sauce here I come.

For the essence of cheese I have tried powdered parmesan, but it's a poor substitute.

For now, all I have is a couple of kilo in the freezer.

[grenfell]

On the subject of losing weight my sister in law is currently trying and has joined a local weighwatchers type of group. She came round yesterday to tell us she'd been the person who'd lost the most , 3 1/2 LBS , and as a result she had been rewarded with two tins of mackerel in oil which seems a strange reward but anyway we've benefited because she doesn't like it...

[jennyjj01]

On the subject of losing weight my sister in law is currently trying and has joined a local weighwatchers type of group. She came round yesterday to tell us she'd been the person who'd lost the most , 3 1/2 LBS , and as a result she had been rewarded with two tins of mackerel in oil which seems a strange reward but anyway we've benefited because she doesn't like it...

Chuckle.
I thought you were going to say 'rewarded with a packet of bourbons'
I don't think the folks at that group quite grasp the psychology of such a reward system. I'd be praying not to win again next week.

[Frnc]

Tinned mackerel reminds me of my rock climbing days, because it was ring pull, which wasn't common back then. Is very healthy. So are sardines, which are even more gross. But you can mash them up and mix them with other stuff. Personally, now, I buy tins of tuna for the prep cupboard, which I do eat and rotate.

Cheese sauce, yes. You can buy bags of it on ebay I think. I dunno about the tins, but I'm gonna try some of the packet mac and cheese.

[grenfell]

When I'm left to my own devices and have to cook for myself I'll quite often start by browning onions and then adding other stuff. The tins of mackerel or sardines in oil are great for that just emptied into the pot with the onions , chuck in some tomatoes and boiled rice and I'm happy . My wife doesn't cook that way...