I do the ramen thing too...you can toss just about anything in and it's good, including beef jerkey. As far as vegetarian, I like to bring un-cut fresh vegetables with me. Carrots, potatoes,squash, sprouts, etc. They can all be eaten raw, cooked by themselves, or added to something else. In their un-cut state, they last a few days. Cut up finely, they'll cook in about the same time the ramen does.