By Randy Schroeder

So there I was sitting at the lunch table in the break room, my lunch, again, left at home. As I searched high and low for anything to snack on, I found a colorful box with the wording: “Chef 5 Minute Meals”. Curious and hungry, I decided that this was the lunch for me. While the picture of the chili seemed to look outrageously exaggerated, I decided to venture into the unknown. I really didn’t know what to expect as I began my journey into a product made specifically for camping or survivalists. Actually, this fit the bill since this was an emergency of extreme hunger!

The box was eye catching and the promises, if true, meant I could be eating this fantastic chili in no less than 5 minutes. “No microwave!” The advertisement explained. I looked for directions to show me the way. All you have to do is: open the side, slide your meal out, pour in the salt water pouch on your tray with the heater pad, and set the meal back face down. Once everything’s in place, slide back into your Chef 5 Minute Meal box and simply set and seal.

Something I noticed that is great for when you’re on hikes is how well and sturdy the packaging is. There would be nothing worse than after a day of biking, camping, or hiking, and you find your dinner spilled all over your bug out bag. Not to worry, with Chef 5 Minute Meal, your dinner will be held tightly and true.

Naturally, I was excited to know exactly how my chili would be warmed. I set the clock for only 5 minutes, and behold steam began to come out! I’m no magician, but I surely felt like one. Had this been the 1700s. I’d be running the risk of being put on trial for witchcraft by the Salem Reverend Trask.

Once you remove the meal you’ve selected– this may come to a startling surprise– but the picture on your box matches your results. I’ve come to learn and often expect false advertisement when it comes to your frozen dinners or something you may select from a grocery store or fast food restaurant. Not the case here, my chili came out evenly cooked, warm and ready to eat.

The chili was very filling and the taste was that of any canned chili you would purchase at the store. One thing I noticed was these meals are made without preservatives. Oftentimes, if not all the time, frozen meals, or canned goods are full of preservatives. This is just another point to really drive home when purchasing Chef 5 Minute Meals. No preservatives truly add to its already nutritious value.

Chef 5 Minute Meals are a perfect one-person meal that satisfies your hunger and is ready almost immediately. This goes for an emergency, or for anyone who doesn’t want to cook on a grill while camping, or there isn’t a fire to be had. It even worked in my office. I didn’t even need a tent. I would highly recommend Chef 5 Minute Meals to anyone who is looking for an easy fix for food while camping, hunting, fishing, or just being better prepared for an emergency in the event of not being able to get to a microwave or stove. I give Chef 5 Minute Meals 5 stars.