I like this Adventure Food Quinoa Al Mexicana meal for its subtle spice level and cayenne pepper bringing a gentle heat.

The nutty quinoa pairs well with the earthy black beans and the sweetness of the sweet potato. The dish has a satisfying blend of flavours. In particular the garlic, cumin and coriander infusion became more aromatic in hot water.

Gemma Palmer’s verdict

Its nutritional balance, subtle flavour, and competitive price make it a good value for money option, provided you have the patience for a slightly longer rehydration time.
Pros
  • affordable
  • flavoursome
Cons
  • long rehydration time
  • watery
Quick specs
Price: £7.50 (available from Base Camp Food)
Weight: 150g
Calories: 600
Calories/100g: 398
Calories/£1: 80
Time to hydrate: 10 minutes
Vegan/vegetarian/dairy free/gluten free? vegan
adventurefood.com

I like this meal for its subtle spice level and cayenne pepper bringing a gentle heat. The texture of this vegan meal is generally pleasing, with a satisfying bite from the sweetcorn and black beans.

Doubling the hydration time to allow the sweet potato pieces to soften helped but the meal was excessively watery with the solid ingredients swimming in liquid like a chunky soup. In fact, it took almost 30 minutes for the liquid to be fully absorbed.

The additional ingredients of potato starch, glucose syrup, salt, modified starch (modified corn starch) didn’t add to the mouth feel or to thicken the sauce aka quinoa stock. While the bright packaging with ingredient images is eye-catching and the visual preparation instructions are clear, the information on the reverse side is printed in a small font.

Additionally, the fill line marker within the bag proved a bit challenging to locate initially – it’s quite small. Otherwise, the bag was easy to keep reopening and sealing. The nutritional profile, delivering 600 calories per serving, offers a good amount of protein and carbohydrates. It was an adequate portion size for me and my taste buds fired with each mouthful.

I even found the meal for £5.99 online, making it the lowest priced option in the review. Its nutritional balance, subtle flavour, and competitive price make it a good value for money option, provided you have the patience for a slightly longer rehydration time.

Testing Conditions

Gemma tested these meals during winter hikes on the chilly, windy Cambridgeshire river trails. She enjoys a hot meal stop in winter and favours plant-based options if available. This review was first published in the September 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors.