Self-contained meal assembly with steam vent

A self-contained hot meal assembly including:

• a heating bag,
• a resealable opening disposed on one end of said heating bag,
• a base disposed on another end of said heating bag opposite said releasable opening, wherein said base is dimensioned and configured to maintain said heating bag in a substantially upright operative orientation while in use,
• at least one steam vent formed through an upper portion of said heating bag below said resealable opening,
• a heating element comprising a predetermined amount of a reactive composition,
• a food pouch comprising an amount of a food product at least temporarily sealed therein, and
• said heating bag dimensioned and configured to allow said heating element and said food pouch to be operatively positioned therein.

A method for preparing a hot meal for consumption by a user utilizing a self-contained hot meal assembly, said method comprising:

• opening a resealable opening of a heating bag and removing a food pouch therefrom,
• positioning a heating element in a lower portion of the heating bag,
• placing a food pouch containing an amount of a food product at least temporarily sealed therein proximate the heating element in the heating bag,
• adding a predetermined amount of a nonflammable aqueous liquid to the heating bag thereby initiating an exothermic reaction with a reactive composition in the heating element,
• resealing the resealable opening of the heating bag, and
• positioning the heating bag in a substantially upright operative orientation and allowing steam generated by the exothermic reaction to heat an amount of food product in the food pouch.