CanCricket,

May I suggest a basic staple that can be found at any grocery store for about $1,25? https://www.salewhale.ca/en/flyers/9-11882-2056977/knorr-sidekicks . These don't take up much room and only need to get some water boiling to prep. I don't suggest those have a 20+ year shelf-life (then again, maybe they do) nor that they are nutritiously-whole, but they are probably a good starting point for many people. As a bonus, they're also convenient to have on hand if unexpected company stays on for dinner and you need to whip out a meal. Side kicks with a couple chicken breasts work well!

We own a few different types of buckets as when they go on sale we snatch one up pretty quick. I think if your looking for smaller servings the Healthy Food For Life had the smallest portion size we've seen.
https://www.amazon.com/Food-Health-Emergency-Survival-Supply/dp/B00CGDGZXA

We have other buckets from Costco, etc. and they all have larger serving/portion sizes.

Most of this stuff is just rice and sauce, pasta and sauce or potatoes and sauce. Rice and pasta are already foolishly easy to store. It's meat and veggies you're short of.
Sauce mixes are cheap and easy to find at the grocery store.
I do a lot of Mountain House in #10 cans, like beef stew and veggies or chicken a la king. I take out a scoop and put the lid back on. Add a scoop of veggies (like Thrive) from another can.
They say a couple of months but I just make sure I use up the can in 6 months or so.

You can tailor portions to whatever you like, mix combinations for a change and it's much cheaper.

Perfesser. Do you find Mountain House cheap? I've always found Thrive and Mountain House the most expensive out on the market. The quality is def. top end, but you pay a hefty price for it. Can I ask where you get Mountain House? I might be looking in the wrong spots.

Perfesser, how long do those #10 cans stay good once they're opened, say without refrigeration? And how many servings are in each can? Thanks for the info!

http://www.fcsurplus.ca/shopping/products/272214-mountain-house-10-cans-vegetable-stew-with-beef/
That can of beef stew says 10 servings at $43 for $4.30 per serving - not too bad at all. Just veggies are about $25 a can
I try to use it up in 3 or 4 months but I've had a can of opened corn sit over a winter, still plenty good.
There isn't a huge difference in price between the cheap crap and the best you can buy - I'll spring the little bit extra for Mountain House where you get real meat and the best flavour.

http://www.fcsurplus.ca/shopping/products/c319-survival-rations-and-freeze-dried-food/
They have Soldier Fuel bars too......

Thrive has a good selection of just veggies but it's been a while since I've bought any. I think I got an order from Briden years ago and have been selectively testing one can or another.
They don't seem to have the selection that I see here
http://canada.thrivelife.com/shop

On the other hand I've seen Costco with a "veggie selection pack" of 6 types.
Some things are really nice out of the can - like corn. Others like green beans (yech) just don't re-hydrate well.

I'm quite picky as I try to limit the grains I'm eating. Very hard to make dehydrated meals like that when everything is carb based (cause it's cheap) so mostly I make the best choices I can and stretch it out with extra veggies.
The beef stew has some potatoes.. the chicken a la king has some pasta but I do the best I can.
I don't get stuff like Pasta Primavera or Chili Mac or rice with chicken or Lasagna with meat sauce (although it's really very good tasting - you would never know it came from a can) cause it's mostly carbs and sauce.

Thanks Perfesser, that was really helpful.

I'm like you in that I would prefer meals with real meat and I'm willing to pay a bit more. I think that's why Mountain House Appeals to me. I think I will end up buying some of those cans, if they keep so well. A lot of the large packs I was looking at recommended usage within a week or even a few days. That's just not going to happen when there's only one of me. I think a mixture of meals and veggies will work quite well, along with some MREs that I saw on the Briden site.

I make my own

I opened a #10 can of FD peaches last fall and I've sort of been nibbling at them since. With the humid weather the last few months I see they're becoming leathery rather than crispy. Still taste fine after 8 months opened- just like peaches.

That's good to know. It's interesting, because the company website strongly recommends the food be eaten within 1 - 2 weeks once the can is opened. Good to know that it can last a bit longer.

I too make my own pre-made meals. A combination of freeze dried meats, cheese and butters, my own dehydrated veggies and other pantry ingredients. I only use product that has a very long shelf life (like white flour, sugar etc) and customize to my taste and portions. I do full day meals (breakfast, lunch, supper a dessert and drinks) and vacuum seal all in mylar bags. Then they all go into a 5 gallon bucket. They are more work but i know whats in them and they are items I like to eat. They are great for backpacking, hunting or whatever...

As much as we all love meat, don't be afraid to consider 'vegetarian' options (Although the don't fulfill your meat cravings :/ ). To get your 'complete proteins', you can combine legumes or nuts with a grain. There's tonnes of different combinations, some more palatable than others. Rice and beans, peanut/nut butter on whole wheat toast are some options. I had to take a basic nutrition course for college and it was actually really helpful in trying to plan out healthy meals both for current eating and for storing!