HORMEL COMPLEATS Protein Variety Pack Microwave Trays (Pack of 5)

Shelf stable. Delicious. Ready in about a minute. Lightweight and easy for a senior or a child to carry and it usually fills them up. I have a microwave that when you hit the round dial it adds 30 seconds each time. All I have to do is tell my mom to vent it and to hit the dial 2x and she gets a nice hot meal that she loves and I don’t have to worry about her trying to push numbers into a microwave. These meals could be a little bit bigger and the price could be like it used to be…. Not this high, but these are the times we are living in and we just have to try to deal with it. Most of their dinners she loves and they have a nice selection; more than what is on Amazon. A few she doesn’t care for as much, so you just figure that out as you go along. I much prefer her eating this to Cheetos and cookies all day, which she would eat instead if she was “allowed” to.

I’d love to buy these quick meals because they taste great their packaged well and they never leave me disappointed, this is a must try.

Good. No issues. As expected (have had them before). These are not culinary feasts. It is simple, convenient food. They're not great, but they work as emergency food, for super quick meals, to stock the pantry in these questionable times. If you're picky, then its best to try one before loading up. If you have a huge appetite, then plan to eat more than one, or plan to stretch your meal with other food items. This can provide the "variety" aspect to rice and beans, if you know what I mean.Easy to find in stores, so you likely know what the typical cost per tray is. I was able to buy these on sale, which made it a better deal than what can be found in store. I don't buy these often as it doesn't entirely suit my taste, but they are convenient, shelf stable, and can be eaten hot or cold in a pinch. Basically I buy it for adding to my pantry for emergency use options. Or I am simply hungry and dont want to cook anything. I have some family members who love this stuff. So it comes down to own personal preference. Also nice way to stock the pantry as food prices and such climb. I figure add a variety and I can always add to it (more rice, more noodle, more vegetables, etc).Not huge portions by any means. But I imagine works well for those with light appetites (seniors, maybe those that are ill, or simply those with naturally tiny appetites)Main thing to know is that it arrived in a branded box, well sealed, each tray and package were intact, each having a far off "best by" date (purchased Nov 2022, with dates into 2023 and 2024). But that doesnt matter to me as that is simply a guaranteed freshness date and not a safety date. Still nice to know that these have dates well into the future. Glad to have them in my pantry.

Thought these would be good for a quick something to eat. Not really. It is a very small portion package but the taste is really the point. Way to mushy for me. The Spaghetti is good. I would purchase it but not anything with the mashed potatoes in it. High sodium content.

i love these meals that are a snap to pop in microwave and are a great balance of nutrition

I purchased these to use for dinner at Disneyland and Sea World. They have a lot of sodium in them, but they don’t have to be refrigerated and are ready to eat, by peeling off the plastic lid. I did have to bring my own plastic utensils and napkins. I also had fruits, nuts, vegetables, string cheese, etc. to carry around with us, to supplement these.I was unable to heat them in the park at Disney, so we ate them room temperature. They had been stored in the lockers, inside the park, during the day so when we were finally hungry enough to stop and eat, these worked perfectly. They don’t look quite as good as the picture on the package, but as far as a quick, easy meal, they were great. All meal prices in the park are high and I had to feed a group of 7. When people are hungry they don’t complain as much.The day we went to Sea World we left them in the car with other food. At lunchtime I put them on the dashboard of the car, on top of the sunshade, in the sunshine. They were pretty warm by the time we stopped for dinner. Once again food prices are very high in the park, which made these look like a bargain.Are these better heated in a microwave? Absolutely. Would I buy these to replace regular meals? No way. Will I buy these again to eat room temperature when traveling in a car for over 5 hours though areas of the country that only has rest stops along the side of the road? Definitely. If I do end up doing more road trips, I might get a heated lunch box to heat these in.

This product definitely should not be on the same shelf as edible food. I'm surprised that Amazon would consider selling it for human consumption. Shame on you Amazon. Shame on you for taking my money for this crap. This product isn't even good for the compost pile. It's easy to prepare. Peel back one corner to vent. Pop it into the microwave for 90 seconds (and believe me that this does not improve the taste at all). The picture on the carton is deceiving. It's false advertising as far as I'm concerned. The actual picture of product should be a photo of a steamy pile of dog doo doo. After taking the first bite, my tongue burned from the over abundance of sodium. As I began to attempt to chew the substance (roast beef is what the creator calls it) it quickly filled my mouth with the sensation of the driest saw dust possible. Needless to say I did not swallow it. This has got to be the worst product on the planet. I disposed of the "roast beef" and tried to salvage part of the meal. The "mashed potatoes & gravy" .......how in the hell can anyone screw up mashed potatoes and gravy? Hormel figured it out. This is the nastiest product I've ever allowed to touch my lips. This crap is worse than the grubs and worms I consumed in survival training.