I generally agree with Marko and Randy. However, there is another approach you may want to consider, a sort of hybrid thing. I too tire of MH FD Pro Pack meals. But some of the ingredients are worth incorporating into different concoctions. My favorites are the diced chicken and beef (and I just scored a new one–FD diced ham), and the green beans and peas. These go well with a portion of their mac/cheese or pasta primavera. The buffalo chicken is a favorite of mine, coupled with Idahoan mashed potatoes and FD peas–yum. The FD white rice is the fastest rice on the planet to use in freezer bag cooking. Also, the pasta primavera makes a decent base for a more interesting meal.
The Epicenter.com is having a sale right now on the MH #10 tins, by the way, if you want to stock up. Look at their uncooked pork chops. You just soak them in a baggie for 15 minutes, then season and cook them in a fry pan or on a grill. They are wonderful, lean pork loin chops with no fat. These are a limited production item for a government contract (probably returned as the Cheyenne Mountain underground Federal fortress in Colorado Springs rotates its stock. After 10-15 years, they return their unused products and resupply, but these cans still have a 15-20 year shelf life remaining). I think that TheEpicenter.com is in cahoots with Oregon Freeze Dry (parent of Mountain House), and they are the only place where you can buy these government overstock items. They don't come up very often, but a few years ago I scored a big can of jumbo shrimp. Certain of these products are only sold to the government, under specific contracts. The return of rotated stock is the only way we can get these items. So grab those pork chops while you can.
Another favorite is the wonderful MH chicken breasts, which come with a 2-person package of high calorie mashed potatoes (which I repackage into single servings). Then I'll add a veggie combo like FD zucchini and tomato dices from Packit Gourmet. If I'm feeling high class, I might even make some just-add-water chicken gravy in my Sierra cup. This sort of meal is a bit labor intensive, and it requires a plate and maybe a fork. But man, does it ever taste good.
There are a zillion possible combinations (and spices) one could come up with to alter the taste and control the calories. We just need the right ingredients, and I think Mountain House offers a great variety. So does Packit Gourmet. It's easy to repackage what you want into a vacuum sealed bag, and mine remain shelf stable in my cool basement for several years.
Another approach is to use a dehydrator. Yesterday, I packaged four 15 oz. cans of Stagg Silverado chili. Packaged weight is now 3.4 oz., delivering 520 calories (a whopping 153 cal/oz.). Another favorite of mine is a dehydrated small can of Bush's Best Baked Beans, to which I add 6 small pork sausage links (partially dehydrated)–the portions I made last week came in at 460 calories for 3.1 oz net (148 cal./oz.).
Eating well is good.
