Just like Todd I do not have the "kit" but I do have over 200 cans and maybe 3-4 dozen bags. Please remember the bags have a shorter "best if used by date" than the cans (7.5 years for the bags compared to 25-30 for the cans). The cans are great for storage and they are more "cost effective" than the bags. I however will recommend going and buying a bag of a few flavors and trying them out first to get a feel for them and the taste. FYI 90% of the flavors have ALOT of salt. The exceptions being fruit and veggie sides, blueberry graonla and milk, porkchops- uncooked. I know there are a few others but I can not think of them off the top of my head.

I like to keep a dozen bags in the cars. I have decent GHB that I made (using alot of Dougs lists info) and these meals are great for this purpose. If I happen to work over 18 hours a day and I do not feel like ordering out, I have gone out to the car and grabbed a meal to eat. Also did it once in a traffic jam when I seen lifeflight landing (knew it was going to be a LONG WAIT) a few guys around me were surprised at this concept. Sold 2 bags that evening (even heated their water showing off the stove) but immediately replaced them when I got home.

About the trying deal... just try a little, dont plan on making it thru the meal. and make sure everyone in the family gets to try so you know they are "okay" as can be IF the NEED arises to use them. My daughter loves the mac and cheese when I add some diced up hotdogs or vienna sausages and "hot stuff" IE cholula hot sauce.

Other flavors that have gone over well are chili mac, spaghetti, lasagna, stroganoff, blueberries granola and milk (my favorite more so it is the ONLY flavor that is designed to eat cold), uncooked pork chops and the cooked ground beef and chicken dices. These are great for making almost anything from dutch oven dishes, to casserols, to enchiladas, the sky is the limit.

I luckily live in Utah (prep capital of the states) and we have MANY retailers that sell them local and usually at better prices that can be found online, more so when they do bulk sales... IE buy 6 and save deals. A few guys at work go in on these and but 20-50 and split them up. I do not recommend these of any "extended" periods unless you are hurting (disaster, economy collapse, etc) due to salt and other items. But when needed I am glad to have plenty of food around to included MREs, MH, bulk staples, and well stocked pantries. I keep items at 3 locations (mine and fathers place and the family cabin). Here is what in my place (the med prep point). When you get setup you REALLY need an inventory idea and a "how to cook this stuff easy recipe book".