Please say someone has tested it so I don’t have to…

[Acunningruse]

… tinned meat 🤢
Tins of stewing steak, with tinned potatoes seem the obvious choice for protein (we have a camping stove), but the thought of it (throwback to a childhood raised on meat paste sandwiches) makes me feel ill.

has anyone tested any brands? Any better or worse than others? Or give it a miss and rely on beans and lentils for protein?

The M&S chilli is good

The M&S stewed steak is actually nice, just add a bit of extra seasoning. I’ve used it with tinned potatoes and baked beans added as a camping meal and really enjoyed it

Sainsburys stewed steak is elite and by far the best one out there.

the only problem is when you go to Sainsburys there is none in the shelf most of the time as it is sold out

The canning process is brilliant for meat - it's pressure cooking, basically. Which will mean that the meat is very tender.

I bought Aldi chicken tikka in a tin for a camping trip and it was actually pretty nice.

M&S

One piece of advice I’ve been given is don’t store anything you don’t like. If the lights go out for a few days it’ll be miserable enough without having to eat stuff that makes you feel sick!

There are loads of other options - a few tins of chilli or curry? Maybe not what you would eat every day but a bit more palatable. We’ve got plenty of beans and lentils and some pot noodle type meals. Tuna for quick protein to stir into a pasta pot. Frozen grated cheese would keep for a bit even if the freezer stops working. Eggs are quick and easy to cook on a camping stove. And peanut butter and crackers would work too for a no cook snack.

I thought you were going to suggest eating dog food … tinned meat is all generally fine. If you’re hungry you’ll be grateful you’re not eating dogs food. Or the dog. 🐕

Not entirely serious, but it has reminded me that there is something quite comforting about packet stuffing, and it keeps well, is easy to make and is tasty. Not particularly nutritious, but you can’t have everything ;)

The verdict on tinned chicken wasn’t exactly positive…

This. No objective reason at all why canned meat should be unpalatable. Some of the options are decent quality and don't need preservatives like chilled food.

Alva mackerel fillets in brine from Tesco are delicious. I asked AI to suggest me a no cook shelf stable ingredients meal with it and had a delicious salad with Aldi black beans and a dressing made from a bit of the bean water with olive oil, oregano and a Mexican lime/chilli/salt spice I like called Tajin. That’s what I had in my cupboard. I cheated and added some rocket we had in the fridge but that wasn’t essential

That sounds lovely, @bellinisurgeDH and I would definitely enjoy that. It’s trying to think of things DC (both have SEN) would eat- trying to replicate familiar meals. Thanks for the tip re M&S ans Sainsburys stewed steak i will look out for those.

My little sis and I used to adore an M&S tinned chicken curry when we were students. Back before micro meals became so ubiquitous

Ive used aldi tinned stew for pies when I ran out of actual meat and time. All the pies got wonderful comments. I added Worcester sauce and seasoning.

Just remembered this is some people's daily diet due to the ridiculous prices on fresh meat these days, I mean heaven forbid youd have to taste it yourself. Maybe see if Harrods or Ocado have a luxury emergency kit.

And dog food can be used in an emergency situation BTW.

Aldi and Asda value beef mince and onion is greasy and very small bits.

(Tested)

Store stuff they eat already.

Test them on stuff. If you hey don't like it a couple of times don't bother, try something else.

With DC who have SEN, it might help to do a trial run: cook one store-cupboard dinner on the camping stove on an ordinary evening, so it feels familiar rather than new if the power does go. Then rotate, using the tins in normal meals and replacing them, so you learn what actually gets eaten and nothing goes out of date. Pasta with a jar of their usual sauce, cereal with UHT milk, crackers and fruit pouches can be closer to everyday meals than tinned meat. Do check where your stove can be used safely too, as most need plenty of ventilation.

For no-cook no-chill protein options, consider corned beef.

PPs suggested trial runs, to normalise the camping stove and SHTF foodstuffs. This is an excellent idea. It means that you aren't trying to adapt to new processes in a crisis and your kids aren't also trying to adapt to new foods and cooking processes in a crisis, so you aren't facing the double challenge of having to adapt your cooking whilst simultaniously managing distressed children.

Could put a bit of curry powder in it?

I saw a nutrition thing on either Insta or Tiktok recently that was analysing all the canned meats according to their nutritional content and Tesco canned stewing steak and mince came out streets ahead of the other supermarket brands in terms of the percentage and quality of meat in them.