How Tasty Can It Be?

Having never tried freeze dried before this review, I had no idea what to expect and zero expectations. Can it really be as easy as adding water and heat?

Before receiving my Entree Bucket, I decided to browse the Valley Food Storage website to get a better idea of what to expect. The first line to catch my eye was “clean and nutritious… no fillers & no junk.” As a label hawk, I really appreciated that long term food storage was a possibility without a lot of ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce. Not knowing what to expect, opening the bucket was exciting. The food arrived quickly, and in a sealed food bucket. Inside of the bucket were individual Mylar bags containing 5 servings of the labeled meal. When the first meal I picked up was Mango Habanero Chili, I knew I was going to really enjoy this.

valley food storage preparation review

Mango Habanero Chili

I knew this was likely to be my favorite. I enjoy chili, and really anything with a mango/habanero flavor combo.

The breakdown:

  • Quick an easy preparation. It took me roughly 7 minutes from ripped bag to prepared.
  • The taste. Wow! I did not realize that it was possible to preserve flavor like that during the freeze dry process. The mango gives the chili a nice sweet flavor, and the habanero swings back in and reminds you that you’re eating chili. The chili very proudly stands on its own in terms of flavor. I did not feel the need to add anything to this chili when eating it.
  • 13g of Dietary Fiber (46% of your daily value) in one serving.
  • Very filling. The chili stands very well on it’s own and is quite filling per serving. When testing, I had this meal for lunch and felt full, but lean enough to go about my day.

The Mango Habanero Chili is an easy favorite at my house. I would buy a bucket of just Mango Habanero Chili if it was an option.

valley food storage mango habanero chili

Enchilada Beans and Rice

A close tie for second favorite meal from this bucket. Beans and rice are likely to be a staple in any person’s meal plan, and provide a filling entree in a pinch.

The breakdown:

  • Easy prep, although a bit longer of a cooking time than meals like the chili. It took me about 25 minutes or so some ripping the bag to the bowl.
  • Nice taste. The rice and beans alone have a really good red enchilada sauce flavor.
  • Versatile in that they are filling on their own, but would also pair well with another prep.
  • High in protein as well as fiber.
  • Extremely reasonable on carbohydrates when you consider that rice is involved.

Meals like the enchilada beans and rice are a flavorful option during a time of need and would likely pair well with the Valley Food Storage chorizo that I’ve had my eye on. I would not be disappointed at all to open another Valley Food Storage bucket and find this entree.

Sweet & Sour Asian Rice

Like the Enchilada Beans and Rice, this Asian rice provides a filling staple to any person’s meal plan. The great thing about the Asian styled rice is that it adds variety of flavor during a crisis when your options might otherwise be slim.

The breakdown:

  • To get the rice good and tender, it does take a bit of time, but the preparation is otherwise quite simple.
  • Extremely flavorful and enjoyable taste.
  • For my own usage, I would pair this rice with a canned chicken or other freeze dried meat option from Valley Food Storage.Eat it on it’s own, or make it yours and add your favorite meat and veggies. Regardless, this entree will offer a nice change of pace, even in your most dire of situations.

Fettuccine Alfredo

The breakdown:

  • Another quick and easy preparation at around 7 minutes, this was a good bit shorter to prepare than the entrees that include rice.
  • Much like the rice, this entree would pair well with your favorite protein and veggie options.
  • Even the pickiest of eaters can enjoy a Fettuccine Alfredo, and this is not to be underrated when preparing a crisis meal plan.

The Fettuccine Alfredo is a great standard option and worth a consideration in your meal prepping.

freeze dried food

Conclusion

When looking at long term food from a place like Valley Food Storage, take the time to consider your needs and goals for the food. I find that these entrees offer a nice level of versatility and utility when gaming out a crisis meal plan. The bottom line is that Valley Food Storage offers what I believe to be a quality product at a reasonable price.

Interested in buying your own bucket? Click here.

Disclaimer: I’m not a nutritionist and I didn’t even sleep a Holiday Inn last night. My comments on the nutritional values are based on my own perception of needs. Do you research when considering what’s right for your situation.

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