More and more people are becoming aware of the need to prepare themselves and their families in case of emergencies.

With everything from earthquakes to hurricanes to terrorist attacks to pandemics threatening us, it just makes sense to have a store of emergency preparedness supplies on hand.

One of the most important things you can do to prepare is to ensure you have a cache of survival foods on hand. But many people get confused as to what options they have.

You want something that is edible, tastes good, will keep for years (so you don’t have to keep replacing it) and has all the vitamins and nutrients you need from your food.

One very popular option with urban survivalists is freeze dried foods.

What are freeze dried foods?

Freeze drying is a process where food is cooked and then flash frozen. After it’s been flash frozen, it is brought to a lower temperature to help evaporate any ice and as much of the food’s moisture as possible.

The food is then placed in a sealed moisture and oxygen-proof package to help ensure freshness when it is opened.

Once water (hot or cold) is replaced in food that is freeze dried, the food regains it’s original flavor, aroma, texture and appearance.

This also has the benefit of tasting good – unlike many of the space-man type of prepackaged survival foods that have been sold for years. And if you have a family, getting them to eat food is going to be a challenge if the food doesn’t taste good.

Why Freeze Dried Food?

With foods that are freeze dried you keep the freshness, color and aroma, as well as maintaining both a long shelf-life and reduced weight (because of the removal of water).

Food that is freeze dried also gives you advantages over frozen food, dehydrated food or canned goods.

Foods that use the freeze dried method do not require lower temperatures for storage, don’t lose there freshness over time as easily as canned goods, and they maintain their flavor and texture over dehydrated foods.

Another benefit to freeze drying food is that it’s lighter than traditional canned goods or even MRE’s (meals ready to eat). This means you can easily transport it in a backpack or boogie bag if you need to evacuate your home in a hurry.

What Options Do You Have For Long Term Food Storage?

You can get Freeze Dried emergency food in a variety of packages. Many companies offer several weeks of food up to a year’s worth of food. You can get food for 1 person or even up to 10 people. Most packages are easily stackable and have at least a shelf life of 10+ years.

You also want to look for packages that are easily storable somewhere. The last thing you want to do is have all this food laying out in your basement for your visitors to see. (Guess who’s door they’ll be knocking on at the first sign of emergency).

Because of this, several emergency food companies offer their freeze dried meals in space saving containers you can place under your bed or off in an inconspicuous corner of your basement.

So those are some advantages of using freeze dried foods for long term emergency food storage. They taste good, preserve their freshness and last a long time. Plus they’re light if you need to carry several weeks worth of meals with you and many packages can be stored so they don’t attract attention from nosy neighbours.

Author Bio: Want more options? See Freeze Dried Food for more suggestions and tips on survival food. Or visit Food Insurance for freeze dried foods with a 25 year shelf life.

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: freeze dried food,survival food,storage,emergency