Australian Hiker

Rating

Radix Basil Pesto Meal-Ultra 800 Review

When I tried the Radix Basil Pesto Ultra 800 Meal I didn’t have high expectations given I found the Radix Nutrition Basil Pesto (400 Range) to be a bit on the bland side. If I’m honest, this meal is even more bland – its not bad, it just lacks spice. Given most people aren’t into spicey food the majority of hikers are unlikely to be upset by this option.

The Radix Basil Pesto Ultra 800 Meal is part of the newly released ‘Ultra Meals v9.0’ which is a new range on the market. This range provides all the nutritional requirements (802 calories) in a 30% physically smaller package than the original 600 calorie meal range. This seems to be a theme for outdoor meals at the moment with the quality improving year on year and the package sizing getting smaller and smaller while still maintaining calories and taste.

The packaging, like the rest of the Radix Ultra 800 product range, is an attractive grey silver colouring that jumps out at you from the shelves. The packaging size was the thing I really noticed about this meal option; it is really compact and this small sizing is going to help with saving space in your pack for those extended trips.

While there aren’t any nuts in this meal, Radix advises it is made in a factory that processes nuts so keep this in mind if you have nut allergies. On the plus side, this meal is plant-based and gluten free which helps make it more accessible if that’s you.

Meal size wise, I’m a big eater and at 802 calories and on big days when I’m feeling really hungry, this meal would be ideal but when we taste tested this meal we split it between two and still felt full. Sodium wise it has 848 mg of sodium and while this is more than others in the range, the salt is hard to pick and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t salt to their meals.

The rehydration recommendation is five minutes after the addition of 190 ml of hot water and while the amount of water was spot on, I left this meal to rehydrate for seven minutes to get a better consistency (for me).

Texture wise like other Radix Nutrition meals there is some crunch and texture which I love. Given that smell, taste and texture all play a part in the enjoyment of a meal, this offering from Radix hits the spot on the texture at least.

Like other meals in this new range the base now opens out and sits flat which allows more stability while waiting for the meal to rehydrate.

The packaging contains all the relevant nutritional and ingredient information you need. The ingredients, apart from protein isolate, are very recognisable with Radix mainly using ‘real’ ingredients.

Price wise this meal sells at AUD $16.90 RRP and is comparable to other brands of the same size, even more so when you look at the quality of what you get – all in a tiny package. Freeze dried meals as a generalisation aren’t cheap but the time you save making your own meals at home as well as on-trail preparation, its well worth the cost.

While this meal was warming and very filling we found we could share this meal between two without any problem.

While I would be happy to eat this meal on-trail, I prefer something with a bit more spice.

The Facts

• 802 calories – that’s heaps!
• 31.3 grams protein
• 53.5 grams fat
• 44.9 grams carbohydrates
• 13 grams fibre

This is a plant based meal.

We Like

• Great texture just like all the other Radix meals
• Plant-based (vegetarian) for those who are into that but its great for vegetarians and non vegetarians alike
• Gluten free
• Freeze dried. This takes much of the weight out of the meal and helps to limit the weight in your pack
• Very small package which helps reduce the bulk in your pack
• Like other hiking meals, the bottom of the packet opens out to a broad base

We Don't Like

• The main negative of any commercially prepared dehydrated or freeze dried food is the cost. It really comes down to whether you have the time to make your own and if you can achieve the same flavour
• If you share this meal between two people then it comes out at approximately $8.45 per person
• Made in a factory that produces other meals that contain nuts so be careful if you have a nut allergy
• We found this meal to be a bit bland taste wise

Best Uses

• Great option for a quick, filling and easy lunch or dinner

Buy One

You can purchase the Radix Smokey BBQ Meal-Ultra 800 from Radix Australia, Snowys, or from Wild Earth

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

PLEASE NOTE: As a special offer Radix Australia is offering a 10% discount on meal purchases (information correct as at 4 January 2025). This discount will be applied at the checkout when you make your purchase via the Radix Australia link above and use the code AUSTRALIANHIKER

Other Versions

Radix Nutrition produces a wide variety of meal options in varying portion sizes

Investment

AUD $16.90 RRP

Radix Basil Pesto Ultra-800 as purchased from the store

Radix Basil Pesto Ultra-800 Meal nutrition and ingredient panel

Radix Basil Pesto Ultra-800 Meal base opened out

Radix Basil Pesto Ultra-800 Meal dry in the bag still to add water

Radix Basil Pesto Ultra-800 Meal rehydrated and ready to eat

Disclaimer

This review was done with product provided by Radix Nutrition

Last updated

4 January 2025

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