Best Freeze Dried Food Guide

Welcome to the Best Freeze-Dried Food Guide, your go-to resource for all things freeze-dried meals! We are here to help you navigate the world of freeze-dried food and make informed decisions about the best options available in the market today. Our goal is to provide comprehensive and unbiased been-there-done-that information, catering to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, campers, hikers, and preppers who are seeking freeze-dried meal solutions.

When it comes to fueling your body with both nutritious and calorie-dense meals while outdoors and in the field, freeze-dried food emerges as the probable solution. We’re not saying goodbye to the days of hunting, fishing, or foraging for a complete meal solution. Foraging is always an option.

Whether you are a car camper, day hiker, long-distance backpacker, or someone who enjoys activities like kayaking, canoeing, or biking that might take you far from civilization for days on end, freeze-dried meals are your ideal food source. After a long day, freeze-dried meals come to the rescue, providing convenience and nutrition in a single easy-to-prepare package.

We’re all-around campers and hikers at the Best Freeze-Dried Food Guide website. So we recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to outdoor eating.

Sure, a campfire grilled ribeye steak with a big foil-wrapped baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream would be nice, but it’s not always an option.

Neither is a mess of freshly caught and cleaned fish.

It doesn’t always happen that way.

Sometimes the power goes out; weather happens, maybe nature has other ideas, or our publicly elected officials decide something not in our collective best interest.

So here are the broad categories of how we look at things, sort of a whose-who:

• Backpacking and hiking: where weight is a primary concern since we’ll be carrying everything on our backs. These trips can be short overnighters or much longer treks.
• Camping: we have the means to keep a limited supply of perishable food items, such as in an ice-filled cooler. Weight is not the primary concern, as we are camping by car, canoe, or have some other means of transporting our gear. Chances are we can periodically resupply.
• Emergency preparedness: if an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm, or other disaster strikes our community, we might not have convenient access to food, water, and electricity for days or even weeks. By taking some time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family.

The Best Freeze-Dried Camping Food

Freeze-dried camping food can be an option for campers for several reasons.

Logistics, we’re assuming that campers will have at a minimum, an ice-filled cooler for storing a limited amount of perishables food items. With this flexibility, we can easily supplement freeze-dried food options with a wide array of family other favorites, including traditional camping staples such as butter, eggs, bacon, and so on.

Firstly, freeze-dried meals are lightweight and compact, making them easy to pack and store during camping trips.

Secondly, freeze-dried camping food offers convenience. These meals are easy to prepare, usually requiring only hot water to reconstitute.

Furthermore, freeze-dried camping food has a long shelf life, allowing campers to stock up and be prepared for last-minute or extended camping trips.

Another significant advantage of freeze-dried camping food is its nutritional value. Despite the preservation process, freeze-dried meals retain a high level of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Lastly, freeze-dried camping food offers up a variety of flavors and meal options. Campers can enjoy flavorful and satisfying meals supplemented by what you might have in your cooler or other canned goods you might have on hand. Don’t forget to bring the can opener!

Freeze-dried camping food can be an option for campers due to its lightweight nature, convenience, long shelf life, nutritional value, and variety of flavors. It allows campers to enjoy delicious and nourishing meals without compromising space, time, or taste while enhancing the overall camping experience.

The Best Freeze-Dried Hiking Food

Freeze-dried hiking food is the preferred option here for several reasons.

Logistics are considerably more challenging for extended backpacking trips. Overnighters, and weekend trips, not so much. Resupply may not be an easy option for those longer trips.

Firstly, freeze-dried meal pouches are incredibly lightweight, making them easy to carry during long hikes or backpacking trips without adding significant weight to your pack.

Secondly, they have a long shelf life, allowing you to stock up and be prepared for extended outings or last-minute invites from friends.

Additionally, freeze-dried hiking food retains its nutritional value as the freeze-drying process preserves the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals present in the ingredients.

Lastly, freeze-dried hiking meals are quick and easy to prepare, requiring only hot water to rehydrate, making them convenient for on-the-go meals in the field.

With its convenience, lightweight nature, long shelf life, and nutritional value, freeze-dried hiking food is the preferred choice for hikers and backpackers.

The Best Freeze-Dried Emergency Food

Freeze-dried food is an ideal solution for emergency preparedness for all the same reasons why campers, hikers, and backpackers rely on it.

We’re not concerned about end-of-the-world scenarios here. The Red Cross and FEMA suggest, in their publication titled “Food and Water in an Emergency,” that you maintain at least a two-week food supply in the event of an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm, or other disasters that could strike your community. Freeze-dried food is an easy no-brainer of a choice, allowing you to augment what you already might have in your kitchen pantry.

Logistics, for emergency preparedness, logistics is a mixed bag of problems or solutions. Localized events may be easier to work around such as a neighborhood power outage. You may have the option to get leave the area for a short time, to grab a bite to eat, and return later for example. More widespread events could be a different matter. You’ll be competing for the same resources as everyone else affected. So it might be best to stay home if that is an option.

Freeze-dried food can be an option for emergencies because of its numerous advantages and benefits.

Firstly, freeze-dried food has an exceptionally long shelf life, often ranging from 20 to 30 years or even more. This extended shelf life makes it an ideal choice for emergency preparedness, ensuring that the food remains safe to consume for an extended period without refrigeration or special storage conditions.

Secondly, freeze-dried emergency food is lightweight and compact, allowing for easy storage and transportation. During emergencies, space and mobility can be limited, and freeze-dried meals provide a practical solution by taking up minimal space and being lightweight, making them easily portable in emergency kits, vehicles, or bug-out bags.

Another significant advantage of freeze-dried food for emergencies is its simplicity and ease of preparation. Most freeze-dried meals only require the addition of hot water to rehydrate. This convenience is particularly valuable during emergency situations when resources, time, and cooking facilities may be limited or unavailable.

Freeze-dried emergency food also retains its nutritional value despite the dehydration process. The freeze-drying technique preserves the food’s essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, ensuring that individuals have access to well-balanced and nourishing food even in crisis situations.

Furthermore, freeze-dried emergency food offers a wide range of meal options to accommodate different dietary needs and preferences. Whether it’s vegetarian, gluten-free, or specific calorie requirements, there are freeze-dried meals available to meet various dietary restrictions, ensuring that everyone’s nutritional needs are met during emergencies.

Lastly, freeze-dried emergency food provides peace of mind. Knowing that you have a reliable and sustainable source of food in emergencies can alleviate stress and anxiety. It allows individuals and families to focus on other aspects of survival and recovery, knowing that their basic nutritional needs are taken care of.

So, freeze-dried food could be the preferred option for emergencies due to its long shelf life, lightweight and compact nature, ease of preparation, nutritional value, versatility, and sense of security when traditional food sources may be limited or unavailable.

How Is Freeze-Dried Food Made

The process of freeze-dried food sets it apart in terms of its unique preservation qualities. With virtually no moisture content, freeze-dried food can be stored for an incredibly long time, even up to several decades.

• Raw or cooked foods are frozen to somewhere between -30 and -50 °F / -34 and -45 °C.
• Once frozen, the food is then placed into a vacuum.
• The food is gradually warmed, and the water becomes vapor and evaporates. The crux of the process is sublimation, by which frozen water transforms directly into a gas form (water vapor) without an intervening liquid phase.
• It’s a process (more formally known as lyophilization) which removes water from a product that’s been frozen and subject to a vacuum environment.
• With just about all of the water content removed (a higher percentage than conventional dehydrated food), freeze-dried foods are incredibly lightweight and packable.

The Benefits of Freeze-Dried Food

Freeze-dried food offers numerous benefits that have made it the preferred method of preservation for those who prioritize taste, nutrition, and convenience. Here are some of the advantages of freeze-dried food:

• Nutrition Preservation: Freeze-drying allows for the preservation of whole foods while retaining their nutrients. This method closely resembles fresh food, ensuring that you receive all the benefits of a healthy, whole-food diet even when you’re on the trail.
• Portability: The water content in foods like fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains adds weight, making them less portable and highly perishable. Freeze-drying removes the water, significantly reducing the overall weight.
• Shelf-Life: When you’re on the trail or in the field, you don’t want to worry about food spoilage or ingredients expiring. Freeze-dried meals have an extended shelf life due to moisture removal and airtight packaging. They can last several years on a shelf, ready to eat when needed.
• Appearance & Texture: Unlike other preservation methods like dehydration, freeze-drying preserves the appearance and texture of the ingredients. Once rehydrated, freeze-dried foods closely resemble their fresh counterparts in taste and appearance.

Freeze-dried food offers the benefits of nutrition preservation, portability, extended shelf life, and maintaining the original appearance and texture of the ingredients. These advantages make freeze-dried food an excellent choice for folks seeking convenient, nutritious, and long-lasting meals while on the go.

How To Prepare Freeze-Dried Food

Preparing and enjoying freeze-dried food is a simple process. Generally, these are the necessary steps to properly rehydrate your freeze-dried meal:

• Begin by reading the cooking instructions provided on the back of your freeze-dried meal package.
• Take a pot and pour the necessary amount of water for rehydration. Place the pot on a camp stove or over a fire and bring the water to a boil.
• Once the water reaches a rolling boil, remove it from the heat source and set it aside.
• Carefully open the freeze-dried meal pouch, ensuring that you only remove the top tear-off strip while keeping the rest of the pouch intact. Most of the freeze-dried food pouches we have tried have a zipper seal below the tear-off strip.
• Remove the oxygen absorber packet.
• Pour the appropriate amount of hot water into the pouch.
• Give everything a good stir to mix. Then, seal or close the pouch and set it aside to rehydrate. This process typically takes somewhere around 7 to 20 minutes, depending on the specific meal. In our experience, freeze-dried meals need an occasional stir to ensure all ingredients are well mixed and in contact with the water.
• After the designated rehydration time, open the pouch and give the contents another good stir to check for complete hydration.
• Once fully hydrated, your freeze-dried meal is ready to be enjoyed.

By following these steps, you can easily prepare and enjoy a hot and satisfying freeze-dried meal anywhere you may be.

How to Buy Freeze Dried Meals

When it comes to selecting freeze-dried meals, there are several factors to consider in order to make the best choice for your needs and preferences. Here are some key considerations we take into account when choosing freeze-dried meals:

Try at Home First

Before relying on a freeze-dried food selection for the first time, try them at home first so you know what to expect. Ideally, use the very same camping and hiking kitchen gear you would use on a trip or out in the field. This is a great way to practice working through the how-to and give you some done-that experience. You’ll also find out what freeze-dried food you and your family might prefer.

Availability

Big box stores and outdoor retailers typically have limited shelf space, so your freeze-dried food selection may be limited to nonexistent. Don’t wait until you’re on the road, buy it before you need it. Amazon has the best selection and availability with the added bonus of reading and reviewing comments made by other consumers like us. We track both the availability and price our favorite brands. Check out our Mountain House price tracker here and our Peak Refuel price tracker here.

Freeze Dried Food Cost

While prices for freeze-dried meals can vary, most tend to fall within a specific range. Snacks and desserts typically range from $4 to $6, while full meals are usually priced between $9 and $15, comparable to a fast-food combo order or a restaurant dish.

Some freeze-dried food manufacturers offer kits where the per-meal price is often lower than when purchased separately. You’ll need to do the math on that one. Amazon does update its prices quite often.

Freeze Dried Food Calories

Considering the calorie content is crucial, as it determines the energy the meal provides. For demanding activities like hiking and backpacking long distances, it’s best to choose freeze-dried meals with at least 600 calories, if not more, per pouch. Optionally, supplement individual freeze-dried meal pouches with food options. You’ll need to experiment here. We provide some suggestions in our reviews.

Freeze Dried Food Nutrition

Apart from calories, it’s essential to consider individual dietary preferences and the balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates in freeze-dried meals to maintain energy levels. Keto and vegetarian freeze-dried meals are becoming more popular and easier to find.

Additionally, maintaining proper electrolyte balance is crucial. While sodium content is often high in these meals, it’s often necessary to replace electrolytes lost during physical activity.
At one time, Mountain House offered a low-sodium line of freeze-dried food. However, they discontinued the product due to low demand.

As you read through Amazon customer comments, some reviewers comment that they add even more salt.

Flavor, Taste, and Texture

If the flavor is not a significant factor for you and you can enjoy any meal, you may not need to focus heavily on this aspect. Ultimately, it’s your personal taste preferences, so feel free to experiment and try out flavors that appeal to you. We recommend trying at home first before relying on something new out on the trail or in the field.

Ease of Preparation

Freeze-dried meals designed for hiking and camping should be easy to prepare, typically requiring nothing more than boiling up some water. Most all the options you’ll find are easy to prepare. However, some meals may require more water or longer rehydration, so read the preparation instructions.

Conclusion

By considering these factors we have talked about here, you can make informed choices when selecting freeze-dried meals that cater to your budget, nutritional needs, taste preferences, and preparation convenience.

We track availability and prices daily. Check out our Mountain House price and availability tracker here and our Peak Refuel price and availability tracker here so you can get the best deal. Here we also link to our freeze-dried product reviews where we prepare, taste test, and share our thoughts on the product. We’ll also show how we doctor them up for more calories or flavor options.

Be sure to check out our list of Mountain House freeze dried meals available on Amazon, where we track the daily price and product availability so you don't have to. We also link to our comprehensive Mountain House freeze dried meal reviews. We track the same for Peak Refuel freeze dried meals on Amazon, don't forget to check it out before you go.