Over the years, I’ve purchased “survival” food from a dozen or so different companies, and believe me, they are not all created equal. In a couple of cases, the food was so bad that even I, a pretty damn good cook, couldn’t salvage it. The food storage world has also changed a lot recently, with one major player shutting down in 2025, and readers asking me constantly: so what do I buy now? If you’re weighing options like Augason Farms vs. Mountain House, or just trying to figure out who’s actually worth your money, keep reading. I’ll give you the good, the bad, and the ones I’d skip entirely.
This article updated with new and current information and details, April 2026.
Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases without any increase in price to you.
In this article
- Smart Rules for Buying Food Storage (No Matter the Company)
- The Food Storage Companies I Recommend Right Now
- Auguson Farms vs. Mountain House
- Mountain House
- Augason Farms
- Other Food Storage Companies That Deserve A Mention
- How to Avoid Making an Expensive Mistake
- FAQ
- Related Freeze-Dried Food Content
- Get your FREE freeze-dried food primer now!
- Final Thoughts
Smart Rules for Buying Food Storage (No Matter the Company)
If you’re going to invest money in freeze-dried and dehydrated food, then it’s worth taking time to research, read, compare, and taste first.
Start small. Every company sells larger bulk sizes, and the per-unit price is tempting. Resist it until you’ve actually tasted the product. Most companies offer smaller cans, pouches, or variety samplers — start there. I’ve got cans of things in my own pantry that I bought in bulk before trying, and they’re still sitting there years later. Learn from my mistakes.
Read the ingredients. If you or someone in your family needs to avoid high sodium, gluten, soy, or common allergens, don’t assume anything. Read the label on every product before ordering. Sodium levels in particular can be surprisingly high in freeze-dried meals, which matters a lot if you’re managing blood pressure or feeding older family members long-term.
Think variety. Stocking up on five cases of the same chicken and rice meal sounds efficient until you’re eating it for the third week in a row. Build in variety from the start with different proteins, different vegetables, different flavors. Your family’s morale during a stressful situation depends on it more than you might think.
Buy both individual ingredients and meals. Individual ingredients, like an assortment of fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins supply what you need to make a never-ending list of recipes. Perfect for recipes your family already knows and loves, and you can use those ingredients to make your own “instant” meals in a jar. Meals that come in pouches where you only need to add hot water also have their place for convenience and a speedy meal when you need one.
Look for sales and promotions. Many companies offer discounts on bulk purchases, special packaes, and other sales during the year. Sign up for their emails and/or follow them on social media to get a heads-up.
Cost per serving counts. Don’t focus on the total price tag. Compare price per serving as well as calories per serving to get a better idea of the real value.
The Food Storage Companies I Recommend Right Now
No beating around the bush. Here are the companies worth your time and money. None of them are perfect, and I’ll tell you exactly where each one shines and where it falls short. The one rule that applies to all of them: taste test before you stock up. Buy small, try it, then commit.
The 3 food storage companies used most often by #Survival Mom. #FoodStorage #Prepping #EmergencyPreparedness Share on XAs we discuss these companies, I’ll let you know how they stack up against each other in food quality and also:
- Most helpful website and resources
- An auto-ship option (very handy if you want to buy a little at a time on a regular basis)
- Consistently high quality
- Variety of products.
Since Mountain House and Augason Farms are the two best-known companies, let’s first see how they stack up against each other.
Auguson Farms vs. Mountain House
Which is the best food storage company? Share on X
Mountain House
Mountain House has been around since the late 1960s and has earned its reputation. Their freeze-dried entrees are widely available — you’ll find them at REI, Walmart, and Amazon — and their quality is generally consistent. We’ve tried several of their meals, and most are genuinely good. That said, not every flavor is a winner. Their beef stew, for example, was barely edible in my kitchen.
The bigger limitation is their format. Mountain House is built around just-add-water pouches and cans, which is great for emergencies and camping but gives you less flexibility for everyday cooking. If you want individual ingredients to build meals from scratch, this isn’t really their thing.
Best for: Emergency grab-and-go, camping, short-term supply.
Bottom line: Reliable, but always taste test first.
Augason Farms
Augason Farms is one of the most accessible food storage brands out there. You can find their products on Amazon, at Walmart, and sometimes at Sam’s Club. The prices are generally lower than other brands, which is appealing when you’re stocking up on a budget.
Here’s my honest take though: the quality is unpredictable. Some products are perfectly fine. Others are a hard pass. We bought their peanut flour and couldn’t eat it.
Their soup mixes have left me unimpressed more than once, and I’m near-genius level when it comes to tweaking any food to make it amazing. When Augason Farms is good, it’s good, but you won’t know until you try it, which brings me back to that golden rule: taste test first.
A product I’ve heard very good things about is the gluten-free Black Bean Burger Mix. One of our Survival Mom writers found it at her local Walmart and says it’s a very versatile mix.
While it can be formed into patties for burgers, it can also be used as a taco or burrito filling or a crumble for a taco salad or nachos. She does like to add more seasonings to it and says that those who like spicy foods will probably find it bland without the addition of some heat. It makes a good base for a variety of meals and would be a good addition to my Macho Mexican Rice.
Best for: Budget-conscious preppers, bulk staples, products you’ve already sampled and liked.
Bottom line: Mixed bag. Buy small before you buy big.
Other Food Storage Companies That Deserve A Mention
Honeyville
Honeyville has been around since 1951 and is probably best known for their baking mixes and bulk grains. Their flat rate shipping is still $8.99 for your entire order anywhere in the contiguous U.S., which sounds great, but factor in that delivery can take 4–12 days depending on where you live. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, it’s worth checking Amazon first, since Honeyville products are available there and may ship faster for free.
Their retail stores are long gone, so online is your only option now. The $8.99 flat rate does make it easier to stock up on heavier items like 50-pound bags of grain without shipping sticker shock, and that’s where Honeyville has a genuine advantage. Their baking mixes for things like cornbread and brownies are solid, and their grain selection is good if that’s what you’re after.
Where I’d pump the brakes: their focus seems to be drifting more toward bulk ingredients and private label manufacturing than toward the everyday prepper. If you’re looking for a wide variety of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, and meats, this isn’t really their strength anymore.
They do sell freeze-dried meats under their Ranchers Cut line — beef dices, ground beef, chicken, turkey, and sausage crumbles. One important heads-up though: once you open a can, the meat needs to be refrigerated and used within a month, or within just one week if left unrefrigerated. That’s a much shorter window than most other brands, so factor that into your planning before stocking up.
Best for: Bulk grains, baking mixes, heavier staples where flat rate shipping saves you money.
Bottom line: Useful for specific purchases, not a one-stop shop, and think twice before stocking up on their meats.
Rainy Day Foods
Rainy Day Foods is still going strong. They’ve been in the food storage business for over 30 years and now carry more than 250 products, including freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, grains, and emergency supplies. They’re a small, privately owned operation out of Montpelier, Idaho, and when you call them, an actual person answers the phone. That counts for something.
The website can still feel a little overwhelming for newcomers. If you don’t already know what adzuki beans or 7-grain mix are, you might find yourself down a rabbit hole fast. Best to go in with a shopping list rather than just browsing. However, they have monthly specials, and you can download their price list — helpful for comparison shopping with a similar company, like Azure Standard.
Most products come in #10 cans or buckets, which is a downside if you want to sample before committing. That said, their pricing tends to be competitive, and they’re worth checking for bulk grains and staples. Shipping varies depending on order size and location. They use UPS, FedEx, USPS, and freight depending on what you order, so check shipping costs carefully before finalizing a large purchase.
When I first purchased from Rainy Day Foods, it was with a neighborhood group, and we all shared the shipping cost.
Rainy Day carries Ova Easy eggs, a highly rated egg mixture (contains only eggs), at a much lower price than Amazon, but not much freeze-dried meat.
Best for: Experienced preppers who know what they want, bulk grains and staples.
Bottom line: Good quality and selection, but not the most beginner-friendly experience.
Azure Standard
Azure Standard carries a huge variety of products, and you’ll have fun browsing through their website. If you’re looking for organic, these are your people!
For the purposes of this article and company comparison, Azure Standard is a great choice for bulk foods. Not only do they sell many certified organic products, but most come in several sizes. This is perfect if you want to try out a particular food before buying it in bulk.
I did a quick price check on white navy beans: Rainy Day Foods currently lists a 25 lb. bag at around $54. Azure Standard’s pricing fluctuates, so check their site for the current comparison, but in my experience they’ve consistently come in lower on bulk staples like this.
Legacy Foods
Legacy Foods has been around for a while and has built a solid reputation, particularly for value. They position themselves as the lowest cost per pound in the emergency food market, and their own comparison chart backs that up pretty convincingly against competitors like Wise Company and ReadyWise. (I don’t recommend either of those, by the way.)
Here’s what stands out about them: their serving sizes are larger than most competitors, they claim an average of nearly 400 calories per serving. This is well above the industry norm. They’re non-GMO, offer gluten-free options, use both nitrogen-flushed mylar pouches and oxygen absorbers, and ship free to the 48 contiguous states within 2–5 business days. That’s faster than most of their competitors.
Their product line has also expanded beyond just-add-water meals. They now sell bulk individual ingredients — freeze-dried meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy — which gives them more flexibility than they used to have. That’s a notable improvement from a few years ago when they were primarily a packaged meal company.
The one thing I’d still say: their strength is in the complete meal packages, not scratch cooking ingredients. If building a pantry of individual freeze-dried components is your goal, companies like Augason Farms or Mountain House may give you more variety in that category. But if you want a solid grab-and-go supply at a competitive price point, Legacy is worth a serious look.
Best for: Budget-conscious preppers who want complete meal packages, families building a grab-and-go supply.
Bottom line: Strong value, larger servings, and faster shipping than most. Order a sample pack before committing to a large purchase.
Thrivalist
With the loss of Thrive Life in 2025, a number of companies have attempted to step in and take their place. Thrivalist seems to be one of the more promising.
They offer monthly bundle specials, and you’ll see a wide variety of fruits and veggies as well as dairy and meats. I like that they have #10 cans of parboiled rice (a favorite of mine for food storage and everyday cooking) and cornmeal.
Best for: Former Thrive Life customers looking for something similar with food choices and free shipping over $99, a growing recipe database, buy direct from the company or through a consultant. Only a few foods come in smaller Pantry can size.
Bottom line: The most promising Thrive Life alternative on the market right now, with good early reviews and a similar philosophy of individual ingredients over pre-made meals. That said, they’re still relatively new and growing. Delivery times can run 7–20 business days during busy periods. Order their sample pack first and see how the quality holds up before committing to a larger purchase.
How to Avoid Making an Expensive Mistake
Before making a large purchase of this food, even if you’re in a huge panic and think that time is running out, please don’t buy anything you aren’t familiar with and may not actually use. Here are my 15 Food Storage Commandments to help you lay a good foundation.
Mistake #1: Buying unfamiliar foods
I have four or five cans of fava beans. To my knowledge, I’ve never eaten a fava bean but read somewhere they should be in my food storage! You don’t want to store food items you don’t know if you like because it takes up space you could use for other supplies and food you’ll actually eat!
Mistake #2: Buying too much wheat
Another mistake I’ve made is to buy far more wheat and less rice. Rice is in many ways more versatile. It’s also advantageous for families dealing with gluten issues. On the upside, I have loads of wheat to barter with, and now I’ve started to look for 50-pound bags of rice that I can repackage.
TIP: If you buy food in large quantities, you’ll probably have to repackage it for the longest shelf life.
Mistake #3: Buying the large #10 cans of food
Another mistake I made early on was buying all my food in gallon-size #10 cans. Once opened, the food inside will be affected by humidity, oxygen, and light, and its flavor and color will deteriorate. I wised up after a while and now buy mostly the smaller, #2.5 cans. This tutorial will help you decide which can size is best for you and your family.
Whichever companies you choose, start by buying small quantities. This is a very, very good way to check the quality, taste, and versatility of a food. Many foods from Azure Standard come in three or four different sizes. Honeyville and Rainy Day tend to use #10 cans and buckets, and Thrivalist offers a small selection of Pantry Cans, which holds about one-fourth the amount as a #10 can.
As the old adage states: There’s a first time for everything. And lucky you! If this is your first time placing an order, you can benefit from what I learned my first time. Head on over and read my tips for placing your first survival food order.
FAQ
Shelf life can vary (usually 25+ years) depending on packaging and storage conditions. Verify the company’s claims and how they achieve long shelf life (e.g., oxygen absorbers, nitrogen flushing).
Don’t just focus on the total price tag. Compare the price per serving to get a better idea of the real value.
There isn’t one single answer anymore, and honestly that’s okay. For individual freeze-dried ingredients closest to what Thrive Life offered, Thrivalist is the most promising replacement right now. For budget-friendly bulk purchases, Augason Farms is widely available but buy small first. I’m not a fan of some of their foods. For reliable just-add-water meals, Mountain House is a solid choice. Most serious preppers end up buying from more than one company anyway.
Order a sample pack before you commit to anything larger. If the company doesn’t offer samples or smaller sizes, that’s worth noting. Read independent reviews, not just testimonials on the company’s own website. And check the ingredients list. Sodium levels, fillers, and artificial additives vary a lot between brands.
Both have a place in a well-rounded pantry. Freeze-dried food has a much longer shelf life, retains more nutrients, and is lighter and easier to store and carry should you need to evacuate in an emergency. Canned goods are cheaper and more familiar. I wouldn’t choose one over the other. I’d do both. Use canned goods for short-term rotation and freeze-dried for your longer-term supply.
Buying in bulk before tasting. I’ve done it myself — ended up with cases of food my family wouldn’t touch. Start with the smallest size available, cook an actual meal with it, and see how it goes over at the dinner table. If your kids won’t eat it on a regular Tuesday, they definitely won’t eat it during a stressful emergency.
Second biggest mistake, storing it in hot temperatures, which quickly deteriorates the food.
Related Freeze-Dried Food Content
- 9 Tips for Placing Your First Freeze-dried Food Order
- Fast & Healthy Meals in Jars
- Freeze-Dried Chicken for Your Emergency Pantry & Everyday Meals
Get your FREE freeze-dried food primer now!
Final Thoughts
One thing I want to be clear about: this food isn’t just for emergencies. I use freeze-dried ingredients in my kitchen regularly, like berries in baked oatmeal, corn in chowder, freeze-dried cheese when I’ve run out of the fresh stuff. The best food storage is the kind you’re actually rotating and using, not the kind sitting in a closet for 25 years untouched.
The food storage landscape looks different than it did even a year ago. Thrive Life is gone, new companies are stepping up, and the options can feel overwhelming. But the fundamentals haven’t changed: buy what your family will actually eat, start small before you commit to bulk, and taste test everything before stocking up.
No single company on this list is perfect for every family. Your budget, your dietary needs, your cooking style, and how you plan to use the food all matter. Use this article as a starting point, not a final answer. Order samples, try the food in a real meal, and then decide.
And when you find something your family loves, stock up.
Let me know what products you like to use and how you use them!
Thrive is my favorite by far, mainly because the vast majority of their freeze-dried foods do not have MSG nor trans-fats. The others do. I will not pollute my body with those health-killing additives.
I don’t see anywhere where you mentioned the shelf life of these companies foods.
The shelf life will vary from food to food and company to company. The best thing to do is go to the product description for specific foods and check the shelf life both for the unopened cans and then the shelf life once they’re open.
I use Mountain House it is the only one you can find in local stores. I like it. Trying to find one that does organic.
Ready Made Resources sells Numanna and they are organic
Be sure to taste test them first. I had pretty mixed results with their foods — some were okay, some were not good at all.
Most of the Thrive food to my knowledge is organic but not certified We have about 6 – 12 products that are organics that are certified. Check out the product descriptions and they will tell all about each one. Right now we have amaranth, quinoa, hard white wheat, spelt, raspberries, and peas that are certified. Let me know if you would like to order something.
Agree with your article except not ALL companies use the same sources. I know for a fact that Thrive Life doesn’t repackage their foods with their own label. They have their own growers and work very closely with them to ensure the highest quality possible. Yes, I am also a consultant for them. But I have compared their foods with other brands and there is no question they are superior. I would never buy from anyone else, even if I wasn’t a consultant.
Not sure if it was mentioned but my Chinese friend goes to the local Asian market and gets like 100 lbs of rice at a time. The cost savings between a western store and an Asian market can be huge. Just an fyi.
Our family only eats organics and vegetarian so I end up buying a lot of bulk organic foods and using mylar bags, 5 gallon buckets and oxygen absorbers to store things myself. But I love the idea of storing food that you just add water to, that will make a tasty ready to eat meal.
I found this company: http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/Food
I ordered a large sample pack and I am loving it. It is really tasty and easy to make. I found a website that has these products really cheap in bulk so I can store them in my buckets with the mylar and oxygen absorbers, but here is where I need an experts help. If these foods have spices in them and things like raisins in them are they going to last 20 to 30 years (even if I store them correctly)? I want to rotate and eat some of our food storage, but I want some that is just stored that I don’t mess with. But my worst nightmare is opening food in an emergency years down the road only to find out that it is rotten.
You are my favorite food storage expert so I am hoping to get your opinion.
Best thing about Thrive is you can setup a monthly delivery and just change what you want shipped to you without having to drive to town to get it.
I have a few things from other sources but my main stock is Augason Farms. I can order it from Amazon or Walmart.com, (both offer free shipping) the quality and selection is good, and it seems to be less expensive than most others…. which is important if you are trying to be prepared on the cheap.
Much of the stuff is cheap enough to use in everyday meals.
Really surprised you didnt talk more about Legacy. As you say, there is a good chance most of the food actually comes from the same place, and a majority is likely packaged the same with different labels.. With that in mind, wouldn’t it make sense to go with the company that provides the best calories per dollar? As you mentioned, the Legacy food is VERY tasty, and when you look at the calories/$ Legacy is heads and shoulders above the others when purchasing online. here is a quick comparison page: http://www.preparewise.com/best-value-food-storage.html/
just sayin’
Nothing for or against, Legacy, Wayne. I much prefer individual ingredients to the just-add-water meals, which is what Legacy sells. Those meals are okay for emergencies but long-term, ingredients are much, much better for stocking up.
Quite a few of us have had much experience over the years with the “basic four” and subsequent more varied storage-for-putting-together-meals-from-ingredients approach. Unfortunately, it really becomes a bother and a drag after awhile. Storage, for many, is specifically for emergencies anyway, so what is wrong with just-add-water stuff? Besides, in an emergency, not having to fool around with extensive meal preparation would reduce stress. So of the just-add-water producers, who has good serving sizes, adequate calories, and decent nutritional coverage?
Yeah, the basic 4 gets to be tiresome, to say the least. I don’t have anything against hot water meals and, in fact, have a video series in which I include them as a category. Over a long period of time, eating the same meals week after week isn’t ideal and the ingredients necessary for these meals to come together quickly in hot water and have a long shelf life aren’t the best. Truly long-term survival, months or longer, will be more pleasant with better nutrition by making more meals from scratch but the hot water meals are okay for those times when it’s either that or starve. 🙂
Do you accommodate affiliate marketers?
For what products, Judy? For Thrive Life, there’s an excellent program where you can get commissions and a discount on your own purchases. Here’s the link with more details, https://survivalmom.thrivelife.com/becomeconsultant/
Why not have both. Most people don’t prepare food from scratch at home everyday they use some mixes and some just add water items plus ingredients that they can be inventive with.
I am biased towards Augason Farms, but they offer both and have a good selection of Grab and Go kits and #10 Cans that are just add water.
Also keep in mind that one of the challenges in an emergency is stress management and for many people preparing a meal is just that a form of distraction, relaxation or even a stress reducer.
I just read an article about Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, both of them wash the dishes each day at there home. It is a time of relaxation and a way for them to clear there thoughts by doing a mundane task.
I hope this helps.
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Emergency Essentials fan. I discovered them some years back, and like my favorite grocery store, I’m not interested in changing. Like you, I prefer ingredients over pre-made meals. Whatever supplier someone chooses, I recommend that new buyers opt for the smaller cans that most of them sell now. Like was said in the article, it’s terrible when you wind up with massive cans of something that you’re not sure you’ll ever use. The smaller cans cost more per ounce, but if you hate it, you haven’t lost much.
Great column, just a couple of quick clarifications:
* Mountain House is made by Oregon Freeze Dry, and AlpineAire is made by Katadyn (the water filter folks). MH is fully cooked before freeze drying, while AA is a mixture of predominantly dehydrated ingredients with some freeze dried ingredients included. Two different companies with two different processes, and some would say two different levels of results.
* When oxygen absorbers are used correctly, they are more effective than nitrogen flushing. MH moved from nitrogen flushing to O2 absorbers a number of years ago for this reason. That said, it’s easy to make mistakes with both methods if you don’t have your process control down cold (something that 3rd party testing has shown on a couple of occasions, most recently last week)
Thanks for your blog and your work in helping people to prepare!
Thanks for taking the time to leave these comments! My information about the relationship between Mountain House and Alpine Aire was from a couple of individuals who owned a food storage company, and I will have to tell them it’s incorrect!
I wanted to respond to your comment about nitrogen flushing. From my conversations with food storage company owners and my own research, removing oxygen and then replacing it with nitrogen is highly effective.
https://thesurvivalmom.com/food-storage-packaging/
Yes, I was just going to mention maryjanesfarm! I bought a few packets of their ready made meals, and found them to be really good, but the key for me is ORGANIC with NO toxic ingredients like MSG, soy, TSP, HFCS, or a list of hundreds of other ingredients that are NOT healthy and are found in almost EVERY other food storage company, including those mentioned here.
After Reading everybody’s comments I’m really confused on what kind of food storage to buy. I have never tasted these types of foods before, and don’t know the first thing on how you are to prepare the food. So how do I know what to buy and from whom should I buy From, should I try smalls amounts of food from different companies? I don’t know how to get started, can you help me with more info? Thank You!
Marsha, I recommend starting with any of the 3 companies that I discuss in this article. If you live near Sam’s Club or Winco, stop by and see what foods they have from Augason Farms. You won’t have to order those online, although Augason Farms has an extensive website with lots of products and monthly sales. If you don’t mind ordering online, also check out Thrive Life. Some of their products come in small pouches, which is perfect for sampling. Ready Reserve Foods are all dehydrated, packaged very plainly with no fancy frills. Their prices on some products might be better than the other two companies. As far as what foods to buy, try some vegetables and fruit first and choose the varieties that you and your family eat often. If you buy freeze dried corn, you can use it in soups, stews, chili in place of frozen or canned corn. If your family loves strawberries, you can use freeze dried strawberries in smoothies, desserts, on ice cream, etc. Always start with the foods you already use, so you can be assured that you aren’t wasting money.
I do. Not buy the freeze dried meals. I catch my individual ingredients on sale. I started with things I KNEW we would eat. Fruit, peanut butter, rice, spices etc. I use them in my everyday cooking too. Then I expanded to meats and more expensive luxuries like deserts. Doing this and packaging items from the store in mylar …it doesn’t really take long before you have a decent pantry going. Our forefathers had pantry/ larders for lean times. It only seems smart to do.
I’m not a fan of the just-add-water meals myself. You can easily make your own versions, if you want, by combining dry ingredients for specific recipes and storing them in canning jars or other airtight containers.
Germade is Farina, or cream of wheat or Coco wheats. Whatever you grew up with. Your germade might not be exactly the same, but it’s close. One cup of water to 3 tablespoons germade zapped in the microwave or cooked on the stove. Stir frequently and don’t let it boil over. When it’s done, or thick, throw in a handful of chocolate chips and stir to melt. Dash of salt optional. Yum! It’s actually high in iron. Make it with milk instead of water if you want to eat it non chocolatey.
I enjoyed reading your articles. I have used Thrive Life for a number of years, and have made many “almost” MREs with the products as well. I like the quality of their foods as well as their growing practices. Looking forward to more good info….
I’m confused about the Legacy foods comment concerning them not having single ingredient food. I also prefer single ingredient foods to cook with as opposed to the just-add-water meals, which is just one of the reasons I went with Legacy. ALL of what I bought from them are single-ingredient foods. They are also the least expensive per calorie, GMO free, have gluten-free options etc. They were also voted best-tasting on a number of reviews I read.
Elizabeth, the Legacy foods I was provided for a review a couple of years ago were the just-add-water meals and when I did my research, those were the only types of foods that came up. I dug a little deeper and found a few other bulk foods, but in comparison with the other companies, they really have a limited choice. I’m glad you are liking the Legacy brand and that it’s of good quality.
We mill our own grains so I searched for the best prices on grains because they are expensive to ship due to buying in 40 lb buckets. I found that lds.org food storage store, has the best prices on Hard Red Wheat and Hard White Wheat, Oats and other foods and Free shipping in the continental United States. Emergency Essentials has the Soft White Wheat. The free shipping is a huge savings when you are buying cases of wheat.
Actually, I just called them yesterday. I ordered from them a while back and the shipping was $3 per order regardless of the size of the order. No change. Still $3 for shipping. Small selection but a great place to start out preppin’.
What about lds best at what they do
You mentioned dehydrated foods when you were talking about Ready Reserve. I always thought that freeze dried was superior. Are there advantages to dehydrated that I don’t know about?
Commercially dehydrated foods are dried at low temperatures, which preserve most of their nutrients. Ultimately, both freeze dried and dehydrated contain the same percentage of nutrients.
After you answered my question, I looked at Ready Reserve’s website and read their comparison of the two methods. Are there some foods you prefer dehydrated and others you prefer freeze dried?
Which company would be best for both long term storage and used for long distant also called thru hiking requiring a high calorie intake and short and easy prep? Thank you for your answers, Jim
Thrive are good people. In one instance I bought among other things one of the blue stackable water squares and I left it in the shipping box in the storeroom for about 6 months or more. Finally I opened the box to do some organizing and found it had no cap screwed on, I called and explained what I found asking for a cap to be shipped to me and they sent a whole replacement square with a cap. This was above and beyond the call of duty, and for this reason I trust thier food, and beleive they are a honorable rightous people deserving of my patronage as a customer. Not an overwhelming story but it speaks volumes about them.
Lisa,
I thought you might like to see this. One of the only truly GMO ( I have the NON-GMO certificates) Free food storage companies. No partially hydrogenated oils or MSG. Sodium level is always below 30%. You might like to read my blog post “The truth about food storage”. http://familystorehouse.com/blogs/news/19189999-the-truth-about-food-storage
Let me know if you have any questions. Our retail store is open 10AM to 6PM. I would love to talk to you sometime. Jbaum
I found your blog (and some more links to some freeze dried food companies I might be able to buy from in the comments section, so thanks ya’ll!). As for food storage foods, I eat the food as well as store it. The fact is that, being homebound, sometimes those who go shopping for me run into difficulties with weather or sick kids or whatever, and having freeze dried food on hand (that is SUPER easy to make) comes in really handy.
As for companies, I adore Mountain House’s Pasta Primavera (the only vegetarian entree they offer and one that doesn’t contain beans, which I don’t tolerate well). Thrive has nice fruits and veggies, but they offer nothing of worth to a vegetarian in the protien department. All of their TVP is “gluten free”, which many vegetarians avoid like the death plague of ultimate doom, since gluten is a much easier-on-your-system protein substitute than soy, except for the measely 2% of the human population who have a Celiac’s (gluten sensitivity). “Gluten Free” was just a stupid fad bandwagon that Thrive unfortunately jumped on, and that means I have to search elsewhere for meat substitutes. (For those, like myself, who have issues with soy, try Loma Linda / Worthington. Their canned meat substitutes are a bit hit-or-miss but use at least a 50%/50% gluten/soy and some are even ONLY gluten, which is rarely matched in the vegetarian “prepper” world. The Choplets are really good and a staple of my pantry.)
That said, the Mountain House Pasta Primavera is awesome (especially with the previously mentioned Choplets and some Thrive FD asparagus)! I haven’t tried any of the other companies mentioned in this post, but I will have to check them out some time. It’s pretty hard to find tasty vegetarian entrees with as little soy/beans as possible, preferably in easy-to-make packs like Mountain House uses. Nevertheless, special dietary needs have to be considered with food storage, and there simply is no one-stop shop for all your food storage needs if you aren’t 100% normal (and who is?). You have to order samples and try them and make sure you like them and will use them periodically. If you aren’t used to the food, imagine what eating it in a disaster would be like? That’s extra stress no one needs.
Anyway, thanks for the links and info. 🙂
Pamela, you need to be VERY careful in making blanket statements about “gluten-free” being a fad, etc. A person doesn’t have to have Celiac to be gluten intolerant. I’ve had 5 ft. of gut removed because of gluten, and my digestion will never be the same. For you to make such comments is the same as me doubting your soy problems and making fun of you because of it.
I am now very confused. I was watching some videos online from Honeyville which says to use their product within 24-48 hours after opening if left on the counter or within 30 days if refrigerated. Otherwise they say you have to repackage either using a Foodsaver and jars or oxygen absorbers in jars,bags etc.
I have been using Thrive dehydrated foods, including meats, for quite a while now and I thought Thrive said you had a year or two of shelf life after opening.
Can you give me some clarity on this? I seriously don’t want to poison my family.
Thanks so much!
I used to teach food storage classes at Honeyville and asked about that. Those instructions are true, and I’m not sure why they are different from other brands. I use Thrive Life almost exclusively now.
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Is the wheat Emergency Essentials uses non GMO? Harvested without glysophates (round-up)?
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Thanks for finally talking about >The 3 Food Storage Companies I Recommend and Why – Important Update – Survival Mom <Loved it!
How do you feel about Patriot Pantry?
I’ve never purchased food from them.
Dear survival mom!
Thank you for this article. I am just starting the long term thing. I appreciate your insight and experience! My family has many many food allergies so it has been next to impossible to find complete RME’s that my family can actually ingest. I have been reading hiking articles and feel that it would be best to purchase the individual ingredients that we can eat for pantry AND LONGTERM storage and create meals ahead from those to store in mylar pouches for quick emergencies.
Jamie! I am so proud of you for not only starting with your food storage but quickly realizing that you need to customize it for your family! Check out my article on making meals in a jar. You can store them in canning jars or mylar bags, but they will only contain the ingredients you want to add. https://thesurvivalmom.com/fast-healthy-meals-in-a-jar/
Hi Lisa,as a former backpacker, my favorite of just add water is Mountain House. AND at home, I add more meat or whatever I want to it. My very favorite is THRIVE that i discovered at a Trade Show. Those ladies are my reps now. I love being prepared with food for our allergies, tasty food, healthy food, and food with many purposes. It is more expensive coming over the Border – and totally worth it.
I also supplement with a pantry of frozen foods that we eat daily and store up on. We still have not hit the bottom of that with this 2020 Pandemic – although, I did go and get ALL the chocolate by the 3rd month. 🙂 THANK YOU for all the work you have done and sharing your wisdom and knowledge with us.
Can i become a thrive life consultant under you?
Yes, Kelli. Click on any of the Thrive Life links and then “Join Us” at the top of the page. You can check out the different starter kits, but I like the one that is lowest price. Right now it’s $100. LINK: https://www.thrivelife.com/consultant-starterkit Let me know if you have other questions.
This is an eye-opener. I had no idea there were so many options for “survival food”. I absolutely agree with you on not buying a large quantity of something until you know you can use it often. I definitely made that mistake before and now we are still trying to use them up.
Some companies are definitely pyramid sales. However, in a company this large, there’s no way they can provide personal help with things like placing orders, deciding which products to buy, helping plan ahead for food storage, tell you which products are best and which aren’t, etc. That’s where independent consultants come in. Base your purchases on things like product quality instead and don’t worry that some lady out there is getting a 10% commission. That’s small-minded.
I am surprised you do not mention the LDS Family Home Storage. They are the original long-term food storage people. I am not LDS but buy all of my food storage from them and rotate use. It was affordable and I know packaged safely.
My Granddaughter is allergic to coconut. I also read where it is advised not eat products with palm oil. I had been ordering #10 cans of fruits and vegetables from various companies. I recently starting purchasing packaged meals. To my surprise one company used coconut oil and palm oil in just about everything that I purchased. I also noticed that the banana chips used palm oil. I marked all of the packages so we knew they were off limits for her. I will not be ordering the packaged meals from them anymore in the future.
My granddaughter is also allergic to coconut and palm oil. I ordered 1 company’s products and noticed almost everything included either 1 or both in their foods. Had to mark every package and can with a large black “X” so she would not eat any of the foods. I had started ordering from other companies as a result.
Please check ingredients before putting in your Prepper Pantry. Could save a loved one’s life.
Hi Everyone, thank you for chiming in over the years and adding even more practical value to this already-super-helpful article!
Firstly, a quick note: I live in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, where most people cook with either palm oil &/or coconut oil. But I have never heard of anyone suffering “allergies” from either oil. I have heard of people having stomach upsets when they had consumed foods cooked with bad santan (coconut milk) though, and some people can’t drink coconut oil “neat”, that’s all.
Now, here are my thots on how I would choose between buying and storing either raw ingredients and/or MREs (meals ready to eat by adding hot water):
1) How good of a cook am I? Really. (I am merely a so-so meals preparer – hahaha…)
2) How long do I think the Emergency period or SHTF situation will last? One to three months may be tolerable. But if it’s going to be for a few years, then it’ll be really “limiting” if I don’t learn to cook & bake (better) with raw ingredients (and farm some).
3) How much budget do I have to buy & stock up on these resources now? (Obviously raw ingredients are cheaper, but ….)
4) Am I sure our family’s “regular, resident cook & baker” (i.e. our Mom!) will stay healthy and be around to continue preparing our meals after SHTF happens?
5) What if I am the regular meals preparer at home, and an accident happens, I am injured, and can longer handle the cutting knife or knead dough like I used to?
6) Are there easy ways for me to add fresh ingredients to my MREs even if I have to eat MREs throughout a SHTF situation? If yes, what are those ingredients, and how am I stocking up (or growing) them now? Really. I mean, trying to start a vegetable garden or rearing chickens after a SHTF event is going to be really tricky – at best. (I have been trying to grow my own spinach, kailan, choysum & butterhead salad this past year, and the results thus far have mostly been “curbing my enthusiasm” for farming my own fresh food.)
7) For instance, I may be okay with whey-based meal replacement beverages (with some chia seeds and cocoa or matcha powder) for brunch regularly. But will the rest of my family be okay with this? Even I crave for some old-fashion fried eggs, bacon, beans and hot coffee every now and then. So how do I prepare for such situations? It’s not just about me and my “fancy ideas of long-term survival”.
8) How much clean, drinkable water do I expect to have during this period? (Raw or fresh ingredients may require more water to prepare.)
Well, I am sure you will have other good thots to build on. Best wishes to Everyone! ~ TJ Lim
Do you know about Heaven’s Harvest long term storage foods?? What about Nutristore??
Thank you for any info on those two companies!!
Nutristore sounds familiar but not Heaven’s Harvest. I’ve never tried products from either company, sorry!
What are you recommending now that Thrive Life is going out of business?
That’s a good question. Thrive Life leaves some pretty big shoes to fill. They were transparent about the sources of their foods, their products and website were user friendly for everyone, not just those into food storage. I’ve used Augason Farms in the past and found their quality to vary from okay to “I won’t buy that again.” Honeyville used to have a large line of freeze-dried foods but that doesn’t seem to be their focus anymore. Emergency Essentials has been around a long time, and I’ll circle back to see what they currently offer. This is a great opportunity for a company to fill, but at the moment, there isn’t one single company I recommend at the moment. People can check out the ones I’ve mentioned here as well as Legacy foods, Food Storage Depot, Valley Food Storage, and others.