Ready Hour (RH) Food Trial — 2 Week — Member 2
Start weight: 199lbs
End weight: 193lbs
First off, let me say that I am not the first doing this trial as my good friend and business partner has completed a two week food trial ahead of me. If you have read his post then you will notice I added items to the menu (corn, broccoli, and vitamins). This is to observe potential benefits of adding additional vegetables and vitamins in the daily diet. I have broken my packages into individual servings (pain in the royal rump) yet it was worth it as I did not have to eat a full pack (4-10 servings) of food in 2 days. This allowed me to combine meals, which made for variety and a mix of flavors.
Below I will list my daily food intake. Daily calories are on the attached spreadsheet.
Day 1:
– Breakfast:
— 4 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 1tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 1 Serving of Pancakes
— 1 Serving of Peanut Butter Powder
Notes: The milk tasted awesome in the coffee and I will use it on a daily bases whether during this trial or in my day-to-day (it is also cheaper than any creamer I could find when shopping locally). The pancake mix; provided satiety, great flavor and constancy to store bought brands. I used the Peanut Butter as a topping on the pancake since I am not using butter or syrup.
– Lunch:
— 1 Serving of Home style Potato Soup
— 2 Serving of Long Grain White Rice
— 1 Serving Rice Pudding
Notes: I combined the soup and the rice together for a heartier creamy meal. It could have used a little salt, but other than that it was good. The rice pudding had awesome flavor and was a nice treat.
– Dinner
— 1.125 Serving Chili Mac (Had a short when Morgan and I split the items to make a 2 week
— 1 Serving South West Rice
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
— 1 Serving Orange Energy Drink
Notes: I combined the Chili Mac, Corn and rice for a thick rich meal. It tasted amazing and was very filling. The Orange Energy Drink is a little too sweet for my taste, so I watered it down adding about 32oz of water.
Day 2:
– Breakfast:
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 1tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Serving of Pancakes
— 2 Serving of Peanut Butter Powder
Notes: Nothing new to note.
– Lunch
— 1.125 Serving Chili Mac (Had a short when Morgan and I split the items to make a 2 week
— 1 Serving South West Rice
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
— 1 Serving Orange Energy Drink
Notes: The meal was prepared last night with the Dinner meal as I knew I would not have time due to a family hike. The food tasted as good, if not better than last nights dinner. It was thick and filling.
– FOOD experiment — Chocolate Pudding, Peanut Butter, Honey Wheat Bread, and Maple Grove Oatmeal balls:
— 2 Servings of the Maple Grove Oatmeal (1 cup)
— 1 Servings of the Chocolate Pudding mix (1/3 cup)
— 1 Servings of the Peanut Butter mix (¼ cup)
— 1 Servings of the Honey Wheat Bread (1/3 cup)
— 2/3 cup Water
—- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Combine all ingredients with the water in a bowl and mix thoroughly, Prepare cookie sheet (greased or Parchment paper), Spoon out individual balls on to sheets and bake for 11-15 mins. This made about 21 balls for me to snack on and supplement my calories. My rough math said that each ball was about 43 calories.
– Dinner
— 2 Servings Creamy Stroganoff
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 1 Serving Honey Wheat Bread
Note: Separating the items with Powder seasoning is a little harder than I expected, but I found if you separate the Noodles/Rice (if possible) from the seasoning, you can divide them up a little easier. I had to do this with the Stroganoff. After cooking I mixed the Broccoli with the noodles to give a little more substance to the dinner. The creamy mushroom sauce on the Stroganoff had a great flavor and complimented the noodles. I used the bread to clean the bowl, a great way to get all the sauce for 100% calorie intake.
– Snacks
— 2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Day 3:
— 2 Servings Maple Grove Oatmeal
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 4 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2.25tsp Whey Powder Milk
Note: The Oatmeal is impressive; it had great flavor and texture. This is my first day taking the Vitamins, and I did not notice any changes to my energy levels at this point.
– Lunch
— 2 Servings Creamy Chicken Flavored Rice
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: The Creamy Chicken Flavored Rice and Broccoli mix tasted great even after reheating. It was a little thicker today than last night when I meal prepped my lunch, but that had no affect on the taste or heartiness of the meal.
– Dinner
— 2 Servings Spaghetti
— 1 Serving Mashed Potatoes
— 1 Serving Honey Wheat Bread
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: The Spaghetti had thick, hearty, and tasty sauce that accompanied the noodles to eat either at the table or while out in the field. The ease of not having to cook the sauce and noodles separately made this meal convenient to prepare. The mashed potatoes were fast to make, a great side if you forget to prepare one. They were thick and filling with no need for salt or gravy. However, I did use some of the spaghetti sauce as a topping.
– Snacks
— 1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball for a snack
Day 4:
– Breakfast
— 5 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 4tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Serving Strawberry Cream of Wheat
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: Ensure you cook the Cream of Wheat as directed. I however, did not and payed for it in taste and textured. I tried to make the Cream of Wheat like Oatmeal and that was a bad idea. I did finish the breakfast, but it tasted like strawberry flavored cornmeal.
– Lunch
— 2 Servings Mac & Cheese
— 1 Serving Long Grain Rice
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: The Mac & Cheese was good, but not like true homemade Mac & Cheese. I would eat this meal as a side and not my main course. I would recommend that you use this to accompany the Protein meals from RH or real meat if you have the choice. The rice by itself required salt, but I did not use any as there was none readily available.
– Dinner
— 2 Servings Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 1 Serving Honey Wheat Bread
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: The Pilaf had big flavor as was highly filling and the bread was great to dip in the pilaf and use as a spoon. The Broccoli is done right as it is crispy and flavorful.
Day 5:
– Breakfast
— 1 Serving Oatmeal
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 4 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 3tsp Whey Powder Milk
Note: Oatmeal was as good as before, but 1 serving is not enough to hold me over until lunch. Ensure you have snacks available if you only eat 1 serving.
– Lunch
— 1 Serving Creamy Alfredo Pasta
— 1 Serving Creamy Chicken Flavored Rice
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: I combined and cooked the Pasta and Rice together, which tasted yummy.
– Dinner
— 1 Serving Cheesy Broccoli Rice Soup
— 1 Serving Long Grain White Rice
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: I mixed the Long Grain White Rice with the Cheesy Broccoli Rice Soup as I am not a fan of soup. I wanted the meal to be thicker and it is easier to eat. The soup mixed with the rice was thick, satisfying. I may mix the soup with some of the other rice meals, as I think they would enhance the meal.
-Snack
— 2 Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Day 6:
– Breakfast
— 2 Serving Oatmeal
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 4 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 3tsp Whey Powder Milk
Note: Oatmeal was as good as before.
– Lunch
— 1 Serving Cheesy Broccoli Rice Soup
— 1 Serving Long Grain Rice
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: The meal reheated as well as you would expect soup with rice in it and it tasted as good as the night prior.
– Dinner
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 1.5 Servings Buttermilk Pancakes with .5 Chocolate Pudding powder added
— 2 Servings Peanut Butter Powder
Note: I mixed the pudding with the Pancake mix prior to the cooking process and didn’t need to add more than 2 tablespoons extra water to the mix. The pancakes cook normally with no need to cook extra time.
– Snack
— 2 Servings Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
— .5 Serving Honey Wheat Bread
Note: Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls were moist and filling for a snack to hold me over before dinner. I would make these again in the event of long term food shortage or power outage. The bread is good even 3-4 days later.
Day 7:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 1.5 Servings Buttermilk Pancakes with .5 Chocolate Pudding powder added
— 2 Servings Peanut Butter Powder
Note: I rolled the pancakes around the Peanut Butter, making a kind of Peanut Butter roll-up. I then let them warm up to room temp without using any heat sources, as these pancakes were made the night prior. These items were a swell breakfast for my 5-6 mile hike with the family.
– Lunch
— 1 Servings Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— 1 Servings Creamy Chicken Flavored Rice
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: These 2 items mixed together made a filling meal and made for a satisfying post hike meal.
– Dinner
— 2 Servings Spaghetti
— 2 Servings Southwest Rice
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: If you haven’t noticed there is a theme here, I mixed my meals together as I like to experiment with food flavors and textures as these meal might get boring by themselves. The sauce from the spaghetti and the spices from the southwest rice complimented each other well.
Day 8:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Servings Buttermilk Pancakes
Note: My notes on the pancakes and milk stand as before
– Lunch
— 1 Serving of Home style Potato Soup
— .375 Servings Creamy Chicken Flavored Rice
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
Note: Mixing these two meals together made for a comforting, creamy lunch. This meal warmed well as I cooked the meal the night prior. The Corn was easy to make as you just need to measure out the serving size and add hot water.
– Dinner
— 1 Serving Orange Energy Drink
— 1 Serving of Home style Potato Soup
— .375 Servings Creamy Chicken Flavored Rice
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
— 2 Servings Long Grain White Rice
Note: I mixed everything into one pot and cooked all the items together, which I thought would be a great way to make it faster with less cleanup. However, I didn’t cook the meal long enough and the rice was a little crunchy, but still edible. I was certainly full after this meal and wish that I did not make 2 servings of the Long Grain White Rice.
Day 9:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 3 Servings Buttermilk Pancakes with .5 Chocolate Pudding powder added
— 1 Servings Peanut Butter Powder
Note: Mixed the Peanut Butter incorrectly (added to much water), still used it as a drizzle over the pancakes instead of a spread.
– Lunch
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 1 Serving Creamy Stroganoff
— 1 Serving Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Note: Mixing these meals together made a meal that would be great after a long day in the field or on a cold night when you need some comfort food.
– Dinner
— 1 Serving Mac & Cheese
— 1 Serving Long Grain Rice
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
Note: Easy meal to make and enjoyable.
Day 10:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Servings Maple Grove Oatmeal
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Lunch
— 1 Serving Mac & Cheese
— 1 Serving Long Grain Rice
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
Note: The meal kind of turned to mush when it was reheated as I think the rice and noodles just absorbed into each other.
– Dinner
— 1 Serving Cream Alfredo Pasta
— 1 Serving Southwest Rice
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: Meal was mixed together and tasty.
– Desert
— 1 Serving Rice pudding mixed with 1 Serving Chocolate Pudding Powder
Day 11:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Servings Maple Grove Oatmeal
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Lunch
— 1 Serving Cream Alfredo Pasta
— 1 Serving Southwest Rice
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
Note: This meal reheated pretty well.
– Dinner
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— .5 Serving Mashed Potatoes
— 1 Serving Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— .5 Serving Creamy Stroganoff
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
Note: I mixed everything together to make kind of a Cottage style pie with the potatoes
Day 12:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Servings Maple Grove Oatmeal
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Lunch
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— .5 Serving Mashed Potatoes
— 1 Serving Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— .5 Serving Creamy Stroganoff
— .5 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
Note: This Meal reheated well and tasted good.
– Dinner
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 1 Serving Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— 1 Serving Home style Potato Soup
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
— 1 Serving Orange Energy Drink
Note: Nothing new to note.
Day 13:
– Breakfast
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 2 Servings Maple Grove Oatmeal
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Lunch
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 1 Serving Creamy Alfredo Pasta
— 1 Serving Long Grain White Rice
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Dinner
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 1 Serving Southwest Rice
— .5 Serving Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— .5 Serving Mashed Potatoes
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
— 1 Serving Orange Energy Drink
Note: Nothing new to note.
Day 14:
– Breakfast
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 2 Cups coffee (not RH coffee) with 2tsp Whey Powder Milk
— 3 Servings Buttermilk Pancakes with .5 Chocolate Pudding powder added
— 2 Servings Peanut Butter Powder
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Lunch
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 1 Serving Southwest Rice
— .5 Serving Mushroom Rice Pilaf
— .5 Serving Mashed Potatoes
— 1 Serving Freeze Dried Broccoli
Note: Nothing new to note.
– Dinner
— 2 RH Multi Vitamins
— 3 Servings Buttermilk Pancakes with .5 Chocolate Pudding powder added
— 1 Serving Orange Energy Drink
Note: Nothing new to note.
-FOOD experiment – Pancake mix , Peanut Butter Powder, and Chocolate Pudding mix
Chocolate Cake (I was hoping for brownies and got a Cake)
— 8 Servings of the Buttermilk Pancakes (2 2/3 cups)
— 3 Servings of the Peanut Butter mix (3/4 cup)
— 2 Servings of Chocolate Pudding mix (2/3 cup
— 2 1/2 cups Water
—- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Combine all ingredients with the water in a bowl and mix thoroughly, Prepare brownie or cake pan (greased), Pour mix into pan and cook for 25-40 mins depending on depth of pan and mix.
Conclusion:
I had food leftover from this trial as I was not always getting 2000 calories per day. The broccoli and corn broke up the meals by adding color and other flavors to the meals. The RH vitamins were okay, I did not feel that a two week time frame was sufficient to determine their value and need. Overall meals were great and would eat any of the meals as sides or substitutes for my weekly meals. During this two weeks I did not notice a drop in my actives or my overall energy level and I believe this would also be true during a longer period of consumption.
After eating this food for 2 weeks I feel that my family and I could thrive in any event that we may have to face in the future.
