Itacate  Aventura Arroz con Leche

Great flavor, but just a little too sweet. This would make a great dessert or snack on the trail, but I’d be careful about making it a main meal. If you’ve never used a backpacking meal before be careful too because these pouches can be a little hot. I highly recommend this for anyone craving something sweet on the trail or needing a boost to their energy or calories.

We took these car camping on Lopez Island last weekend to try them out. I like to take my my backpacking meals for a low stakes test run before going out into the woods; long-lasting, sufficient calories are so important on multiple day trips, I want to make sure I know what to expect from my meals beforehand! Instructions were easy to follow and prep time was pretty standard. I got two of these: The Arroz Con Leche and the Charge-Up Chilaquiles. ACL took 15 minutes to prep (normal), CUC was only five! Super fast and easy. Both tasted great IMO. Like not even “great for a backpacking meal” but pretty dang great just in general. Very flavorful and good texture. Both kept me feeling full for hours with sustained energy. Great product, 10/10 would buy again.

There is a lot to like about this product. First, the taste is quite good and does match what the description shares. The taste of strawberries come through for sure. Second, the texture is pretty nice. I cooked this at about 2,200 feet above sea level, and - while there were just a few harder "chunks" - it cooked throughout pretty evenly and was not too over/under done. The bag itself stands up pretty well; I did not fear that it was going to tip over with hot water inside. Also, while I didn't swing the bag around like a fool, the zipper top seemed secure enough. The word of caution and ancillary note I have sort of tie together. This product is marketed as either a breakfast or a desert. I get why - it has 20 grams of added sugar. It is sweet for sure, but does manage not to be "overly" sweet, at least to me. That said, I had it as a dessert after dinner and would not go that route again. I'd have this for breakfast every time, allowing me time to burn off those extra sugars. Overall, I'm pleased with the product.

We liked the taste and the texture. It is sweet and should be eaten as such. We added a bit of banana and some almonds and it fed two for breakfast. Personally I would like a bit less sugar but that’s just me.

I’m not huge on the rice pudding genre usually so I was surprised at how tasty this was. Snowfall changed my plans to try this out on a long day hike, but it was a warming treat after a morning out on the trail. It took about 18 minutes of soaking for me at 7,000 ft to fully hydrate- make sure to stir halfway, I thought it wasn’t going to saturate all the water but it ended up a good consistency. It was a little sweet for me, I think it might benefit from a little more acidity to balance, but after a more rigorous hike I probably wouldn’t notice! I appreciated the chia seed for added nutrition and use of coconut milk to keep it plant based.

This makes for a good camping dessert that's not a candy bar. It's lightly strawberry and cinnamon flavored, sweet but not overly so. I shared with my husband, he enjoyed it more than me, he said 5 out of 5 stars would buy again.

I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review. Now here is a tasty way of starting your day on the trail! I am usually not too much into experimenting with new breakfasts... an upset stomach can quickly ruin an otherwise perfect hike or camping trip... but the freeze-dried rice pudding from Itacate is a winner in my book. Light and compact to carry, a small amount of hot water (and a seemingly endless 15 minutes) is all there is between you and a delicious warm breakfast. At a time where most processed food is over sugared and excessively sweet, this Arroz con Leche successfully strikes a fine balance between flaverful and sweet. It also packs enough calories to keep me going for half a day, breaking trail in the snow, without feeling overly full or getting hungry within an hour.

This was a most yummy and refreshing breakfast. It was on the sweeter side but that is a bonus in the woods. The chia seeds gave me a little to munch on through the day because they were stuck in my teeth. Instructions were easy and the pouch held up perfectly. It was a little hard to rip open. Not sure I like the extra bulk for trash. I also tried the Charge-Up Chilaquiles, but the tortilla bits got a little mushy and were hard to get down. But good energy to start the day! Good for probably a weekend trip, not sure I would carry long-distance hike due to trash and bulk.

I enjoyed this for breakfast, it's essentially rice pudding, so definitely on the sweeter side, but would be perfect for heading out backpacking this summer. It cooked completely, no hard rice chunks, and was yummy.

This is a great breakfast to have when outdoors. Its delicious and a good amount. Would definitely recommend! Plus it does not have dairy!