Expedition Foods Asian Noodles review
Expedition Foods Asian Noodles with Chicken (800 kcal pouch)
By Tom Calder
A calorie-dense freeze-dried pouch made in the UK: 800 kcal, eaten from the pouch with hot water, or cold water if you can wait longer. Its up-to-five-year shelf life is far shorter than tinned long-term rations, so it suits stock you rotate rather than decades in the loft.
- Best for
- Backpackers and short-horizon home stores who want a high-calorie pouch made in the UK.
- Skip it if
- You want a set-and-forget 25-year emergency store
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Made in the UK
- High-energy 800kcal and 1000kcal options pack a lot of calories into a light pouch, useful when you need warmth and energy fast
- Cook in the pouch with just hot water: minimal fuss and no washing up
Worth knowing
- Up-to-five-year shelf life is much shorter than 25-year tinned emergency rations, so you must rotate stock
- Per-meal cost adds up quickly when building a large multi-week store
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Our review
Expedition Foods' Asian Noodles with Chicken and Mixed Vegetables is a freeze-dried meal in its own pouch. The 800 kcal size is one generous serving that rehydrates with 320ml of hot water in about five minutes, keeps for up to five years, and suits a store you eat through and replace rather than one you forget about.
What is in the pouch
Expedition Foods lists egg noodles, chicken, peppers, green beans, sweetcorn, onion, rapeseed oil, red chilli paste and garlic, with egg and wheat as the declared allergens. The meal comes in three energy sizes: 450 kcal (92g dry, 230ml of water), 800 kcal (164g dry, 184g including the pouch, 504g once made up, 320ml of water) and 1000 kcal (205g dry, 500ml of water). The maker publishes calories but, on its product page, no full nutrition table, so check the pack if you are tracking protein or salt. The 800 kcal size is a lot for one sitting for a child or a smaller adult, and can be shared between two with a slice of bread, which stretches a small store further.
How you make it
Open the pouch, take out the oxygen absorber sachet, pour in hot water slowly to the fill line, stir well, reseal and wait five minutes. The maker says cold water also works, only more slowly, which matters if you have water but no way to heat it. You eat from the pouch, so there is nothing to wash up, which matters when water is limited, though a long spoon helps. For a power cut, a small gas stove or kettle used outdoors is enough; our cooking without power guide covers safe options.
Shelf life and rotation
Expedition Foods gives up to five years. That is plenty for a grab bag or a cupboard shelf you rotate, but it is not the 25-year horizon of buckets made for long-term storage. The practical approach is to buy a handful, write the best-before date on the front in marker, and eat the oldest on a camping trip or a busy weeknight each year before replacing them. Best-before dates are about quality, not safety; GOV.UK explains the difference in its labelling guidance, and our use-by vs best-before guide puts it simply.
How it compares
On the emergency food page, the Firepot and Summit to Eat pouches sit around 600 kcal, so this 800 kcal size gives more energy per meal for similar bulk. Wayfayrer's ready-to-eat pouches need no water at all, which suits a kit where water is the scarce thing, but they are heavier and keep for three years. The ReadyWise 120-serving bucket is the opposite choice: lower calories per serving, a 25-year shelf life and far less cost per meal, built to be stored and left alone.
Our verdict
A satisfying, high-energy single meal for a grab bag, a car kit or a walking trip, and an easy way to add hot food to a short-term store. Skip it if you want a cupboard you can fill once and forget for decades, or if anyone in the house cannot eat egg or wheat; look at the long-life buckets or a different recipe. Our how much food to store guide helps work out how many to keep.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Expedition Foods: Asian Noodles with Chicken and Mixed Vegetables; GOV.UK: best before and use-by dates.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want a set-and-forget 25-year emergency store; for that, choose a long-life tinned range (including Expedition Foods' own Survivor Foods tins) and keep these pouches for camping and short-term kit you'll actually eat and replace.
Key specs
| Shelf life | 5 yrs |
| Servings | 1 |
| Calories | 800 kcal |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for An up-to-25-year store: about six days for one adult
Best for About a week of mixed meals in a bag you can carry
Best for A week of UK-made pouch meals you rotate
in stock when checkedQuestions
How long does Expedition Foods' Asian Noodles with Chicken last?
Expedition Foods gives a shelf life of up to five years. Check the best-before date on the pouch and rotate them into normal meals before they reach it.
How much water does the 800 kcal pouch need?
320ml. The 450 kcal size needs 230ml and the 1000 kcal size 500ml, according to the maker.
Can I make it with cold water?
Yes. Expedition Foods says cold water works but takes longer than hot. Hot water gives the five-minute rehydration time and a warm meal.
What allergens does it contain?
Egg and wheat, both in the noodles, according to the maker's ingredient list. Check the pack, as recipes can change.
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