Every survival adventurist understands that in order to survive the great outdoors, one must know how to replenish the energy spent on his or her long day on the trail. In short, a good meal is what your body needs to replace all the energy that you have lost. Some of the best survival food types you can easily bring along are the freeze-dried foods.
Freeze dried food is a shelf- stable, easy to carry supplemental food. Whether your plan is to go on a survival adventure for just a few days or even longer, these types of preserved foods are great and practical to bring along. Freeze-dried foods are also packed with calories and proteins that the body needs in order to recover for the next day’s adventure.
Before we list down the best freeze-dried foods in the market today, let us first discuss how we can choose the best freeze-dried foods that we can bring in our great survival adventures.
Related: Where To Find High Quality Survival Foods
How to Choose the Best Freeze Dried Foods
Taste
It’s a simple fact that if you don’t like your food, you’re not going to eat it. Remember, just because you’re exhausted from hiking doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste. Today, there are plenty of freeze-dried foods that you can choose from that will suit your taste. So, before you get on the trail, sample some and choose the ones you like best.
Calories
According to Mayo Clinic, a person weighing 160 pounds can burn up to 438 calories per hour hiking, while backpackers can burn as much as 511 calories per hour on the trail. This means that if you’re hiking or backpacking for let’s say about 4-5 hours then you will surely lose an enormous amount of calories. So, you must choose a freeze-dried meal that is packed with enough calories to replace those that you have lost.
Sodium
Like all preserved foods, most freeze-dried meals are high in sodium or salt which helps keep the food fresh and also adds flavor. But always remember that too much sodium in your diet is not healthy. It can raise your blood pressure and put you at risk of a heart attack or stroke. This is the main reason why the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends consuming less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Most freeze-dried foods exceed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s sodium consumption recommendation.
Therefore, be conscious of how much sodium you’re eating in each serving of your freeze-dried meals. Strike a balance by alternating high-sodium freeze-dried foods with lower sodium ones.
Protein
Protein helps your muscle fibers repair themselves which can help you recover much faster. Recovery time is very vital in order for you to get up and hike day after day. So look for high protein freeze-dried foods that can help you to continue on your survival adventure journey.
Related: The Best Long-Lasting Protein Sources for a Crisis
Below is our list of the 10 best freeze-dried foods that you can bring with you when going on an adventure.
The 10 Best Freeze Dried Foods for Your Adventure Needs
You can get all of these freeze-dried foods from Amazon.com.
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Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 2.5
CALORIES PER SERVING: 260
SODIUM: 800 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good
- Noodles have nice texture and consistency
- Easy to unpack
CONS:
- High in sodium
- Beef takes a while to rehydrate
- Single serving size is too small
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Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 2.5
CALORIES PER SERVING: 230
SODIUM: 780 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good
- Well-seasoned
- Easy to unpack
CONS:
- High in sodium
- Watery and noodles take a while to cook
- Single serving size is too small
Related: How To Repackage Foods in Mylar Bags With Oxygen Absorbers For Long Term Survival
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Maryjanesfarm Organic Shepherds Meat Pie
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 1.5
CALORIES PER SERVING: 250
SODIUM PER SERVING: 780 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good; well-seasoned; very thick consistency
- Easy to unpack
CONS:
- Expensive
- High in sodium with a slight aftertaste
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Good To-Go Thai Curry
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 2
CALORIES PER SERVING: 380
SODIUM: 500 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good and rice has a nice texture
- Well-seasoned
- Lower in sodium
- Lots of vegetables and gluten-free
CONS:
- Expensive
- Single serving size is too small
- Takes a long time to cook
5. Paleo Meals To Go Summit Savory Chicken
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 1
CALORIES PER SERVING: 300
SODIUM PER SERVING: 140 – 730 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good; has nice texture and consistency
- Separate salt packet for control over the level of sodium in the meal
- High in protein, paleo, gluten-free ,and very filling
CONS:
- Expensive
- Not flavorful enough
- Short shelf life
Related: 12 Long Shelf Life Foods You Should Know About
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Backpacker’s Pantry Pad Thai Veggie
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 2
CALORIES PER SERVING: 460
SODIUM PER SERVING: 480 milligrams
PROS:
- Inexpensive
- High in protein
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
CONS:
- Single serving size is too small; a little bland and watery
- Noodles don’t always cook through
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Harmony House Backpacking Kit
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 70
CALORIES PER SERVING: 5 – 104
SODIUM PER SERVING: 0 – 38 milligrams
PROS:
- Kit includes lots of servings; recipes are included and lots of options for variety
- Low in sodium
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Cooks quickly
CONS:
- Meals must be assembled
- Meals must be cooked in a pot or bag
- Ingredients require soaking before cooking
- Needs additional spices
Related: This Really Happens if You Eat a Bucket of Survival Food
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Good To-Go Classic Marinara with Penne
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 2
CALORIES PER SERVING: 460
SODIUM PER SERVING: 360 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good; noodles have nice texture and consistency
- Lower in sodium
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
CONS:
- Expensive
- Single serving size is too small
- Takes a long time to cook
- Noodles do not always re-hydrate properly
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Backpacker’s Pantry Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 2
CALORIES PER SERVING: 300
SODIUM PER SERVING: 1;160 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good
- Inexpensive
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
CONS:
- Very high in sodium
- Single serving size is too small
- A little bland
- Takes a long time to cook and texture is slightly off
- Beans don’t always cook through
- Watery
Related: 50 Days of ‘Survival’ Calories with Rice and Beans
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Paleo Meals To-Go Canyon Chicken Chili
BEST FOR Hiking and Backpacking
SERVINGS: 1
CALORIES PER SERVING: 310
SODIUM PER SERVING: 380 milligrams
PROS:
- Tastes good
- Has nice texture and consistency
- High in protein
- Low in sodium
- Paleo
- Gluten-free
CONS:
- Expensive
- Short shelf life
