Everyone knows that preparing emergency food for natural disasters and SHTF scenarios makes sense, but sometimes, it’s unclear how to begin prepping. Should you grow a garden and preserve your harvest? Should you go to Walmart and buy everything on the shelves?
Or what about professionally pre-made food storage products? Are survival food kits worth it?
To help you decide if survivalist food kits are a worthwhile investment, we will discuss their pros and cons. We’ll also share some reminders for storing and maintaining survival food, and then we’ll share what we think about its value. So keep reading to find out more.
Pros of Survival Food Kits
There are a lot of positive points for survival food kits. In particular, survival food kits are great because of their bombproof packaging, the convenience of use, variety, and super long shelf life—all of which contribute to a greater peace of mind.
Bombproof Packaging
Survival food kits come in super robust, food-grade, protective packaging. In most cases, the food itself comes sealed in mylar bags, and then the mylar bags are packed tightly into food buckets.
The mylar bags keep the food compact and fresh, and the food buckets offer portability; plus, they’re stackable and resealable.
The bombproof packaging of survival food kits doesn’t only keep the food fresh for longer—the packaging also protects the food from insects, vermin, UV exposure, water, and other elements that can spoil food prematurely.
Survival Foods Require Little to No Cooking Preparation
The food within survival food kits is either freeze-dried or dehydrated. Both processes remove the moisture content within the food while sealing in the food’s original nutritional content and flavor.
Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods are incredibly convenient to prepare. In most cases, all you have to do is add boiling water. That means that if you have the supplies to heat water, you can have delicious food without grocery shopping, washing, cutting, mixing, or cooking.
Varietal Menu Options
Modern freeze-drying and dehydrating methods are much better than they were just 10 or 20 years ago. This means we are able to preserve a wider array of food products. Now you can enjoy some of your favorite household meals, even during an emergency or survival situation.
As we all know, eating good food does a lot for not only making your bodies feel nourished; it can also boost your morale and raise your spirits.
Survival Food Has A Super Long Shelf Life: 25+ Years
With a super long shelf life, you can enjoy the freedom of investing in survival food kits now, so that you are prepared and can keep your family fed later.
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They Function Like Food Insurance and Give Peace of Mind
When talking about survival food kits, we like to compare them to insurance. Investing in survival food kits in the present day is like paying insurance premiums (except a lot more affordable). Let us explain.
By making payments now and building a stockpile of survival food, you are essentially investing in a food insurance plan that will take care of you and your family when something goes wrong in the future.
Like auto, home, or health insurance, investing in “food insurance” gives you peace of mind, because you know you’re doing the right thing by preparing for the worst-case scenario.
Cons of Survival Food Kits
Like with everything in life, there are some cons related to survival food kits as well. It’ll be up to you to decide if they outweigh the pros we just mentioned.
Survival Food Kits Can Be Expensive
Bulk-buying certain foods is a super-effective strategy for prepping emergency food. When compared to buying items in bulk, survival food kits can be more expensive.
However, it’s important to remember that with well-made survival food kits, you get what you pay for; in other words, the extra cost is justifiable when you look at what you get with the final product.
They May Contain Unhealthy Additives
Processed foods that are common amongst food preppers are notorious for containing unhealthy additives, particularly food preservatives. For example, most canned meat contains sodium nitrate, a sodium-based food preservative linked to specific health conditions when consumed in excess.
Unfortunately, some survival food kits also contain unhealthy additives—but luckily, not all. Remember to look at what’s included in the buckets you’re buying, as well as the ingredients and nutritional facts on the back of the packaging to inform yourself of what you’re buying.
What you are looking for are simple, non-GMO ingredients that you can easily read and pronounce.
Food Kits Can Be Monotonous
If you’re not careful when looking into the menu choices of certain brands, you may end up with weeks’ worth of mac ‘n’ cheese, and that’s no fun. Don’t get us wrong—we love mac ‘n’ cheese like the rest of you—just not for every single meal.
To avoid the potential monotony that comes with survival food kits, look for brands that offer a wide variety of menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition, you can make DIY MREs to expand your menu options.
Best Practices for Using Survival Food Kits
After you start building your stockpile of survival food kits, you’ll need to maintain them. Here are a few reminders for getting the most out of your investment:
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Storing your survival food in cool, dry, and dark places is critical.
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We recommend supplementing survival food kits with fresh or dried fruits and vegetables whenever possible.
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As your cache of survival food grows, rotating your supply and using older items first will become necessary.
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It may be a while until you have to eat your food, so before you do, we recommend smelling for off odors and checking for mold or insect infestations. We doubt you’ll have any issues, though.
Final Thoughts: Survival Food Kits Are Worth It
Despite some drawbacks, investing in a supply of survival food kits is absolutely worth it.
We encourage you to research, compare options, and find the best survival food kit for your needs. An excellent place to start is with Valley Food Storage, as there are absolutely no fillers or artificial additives here—just wholesome, nutritious survival food.
By preparing survival food for your household, you can have peace of mind that if disaster strikes, you will be ready. Visit our website to check out the family survival kits we have in stock. And for additional resources on prepping, like a list of the best prepper books, visit our blog.
Frequently Asked Questions About Survival Food
How Long Does Survivalist Food Last?
How long survivalist food lasts will depend on how it's made and packaged, as well as how it’s stored. For example, our professionally prepared and packaged survival food will last upwards of 25 years, and that’s no exaggeration.
What Are the Best Ways to Store Survival Foods?
The best way to store survival foods is in a cool, dark, and dry area that does not experience extreme temperature fluctuations. For best results, remember to keep your food neatly labeled, organized, and off the floor.
How Can You Tell if Survivalist Food Is Still Safe to Eat?
Deciding if survivalist food is still safe depends predominantly on your sight and smell; but before you look at the food, double-check the date and package seal of the product. If you’re within the best-by timeframe and the pack is sealed, you’re probably okay. Otherwise, red flags include mold, bitter taste or smell, swollen or leaking packages, and insect infestation.
