When it comes to surviving in an emergency, luxuries aren’t something that is typically prioritized. If you’re surviving out in the woods, chances are you won’t be whipping up your favorite recipes. Instead, you will be using whatever you can get your hands on.
That doesn’t mean that survival food can’t be tasty, however, and many companies are trying to make food good for extreme situations that is also great to eat.
In the past, we have looked at some essential emergency items you want to have. This review will focus on how to make a survival situation a bit more pleasant with some delicious and practical survival meals. We will look at some products that will help you decide which is the best-tasting survival food brand that is right for you.
What Is The Best Tasting Survival Food?
If you were to ask ten different people what their favorite food is, you would most likely get ten different answers. The same is true when it comes to emergency food. That makes answering the question of what is the best-tasting survival food a difficult one, as it can be completely subjective.
Instead of answering the question for you, we will show you the merits of the products we have chosen so that you can decide which ones sound like they would be best suited to your tastes and preferences.
Contents
Best Tasting Survival Food Companies
In the next section, we will look at some of the top prepper food companies on the market. These will include products from the following companies:
Best Tasting Survival Food Kits
Nutrient Survival – Emergency Food Kits
Prepare yourself for anything with the Black Scout Survival 10-Day Emergency Food Supply. When it comes to readiness, Nutrient Survival has your back. Whether you need to stay put or hit the road, this comprehensive kit has you covered.
With a total of 115 servings, you’ll enjoy 10 days of peak performance. Packed with 14,180 nutrient-dense calories and 843 grams of protein, the four Daily Action Packs include the best-selling Hearty Lasagna, Hearty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Creamy Chocolate Shake, and Peanut Butter Bar-Meals. Additionally, you’ll receive a month’s supply of Immune Boost and Vitamin Coffee, along with a sampler of our other popular entrees such as Homestyle Scramble, Triple Cheese Mac, and Southwest Medley.
As a bonus, this kit comes in a heavy-duty 5-gallon storage bucket, which can be repurposed for water storage, prepping, or keeping your supplies dry.
Ensure your survival with the 14-Day Emergency Food Kit, which provides you with 120 nutrient-packed servings. This kit offers enough sustenance to last you for a minimum of 14 days or to feed a family of 4 for 3 days. Indulge in our top sellers, including Triple Cheese Mac, Southwestern Medley, Homestyle Scramble, Hearty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Chocolate Grain Crunch, and Powdered Vitamin Milk. The kit includes six stackable #10 cans for easy storage, quick preparation, and a balanced supply of all 40 essential nutrients that boost immunity, build muscle, and sustain energy.
Fuel your resilience with 20,340 nutrient-packed calories.
ReadyWise – 120 Serving Mixed Emergency Food Bucket
Reading the list of meals included with the ReadyWise 120 Serving Mixed Emergency Food Bucket, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were looking at the menu of a fancy restaurant.
The folks at ReadyWise have endeavored to create a selection of survival foods that will not only keep you going through the harshest circumstances but also taste great.
The bucket contains a whopping 120 entree servings, each contained within a specialized pouch. These meals are kept safe in a large, durable bucket that makes storage and transportation easy. ReadyWise claims that the food will be good for 25 years, so you don’t need to worry about it spoiling.
There are too many items to mention, but some highlights include cheesy lasagna, savory stroganoff, loaded baked potato casserole, and teriyaki rice. Reading just that small selection is enough to make your mouth water, and there are plenty more delicious options we couldn’t even mention!
One thing to keep in mind is that each entree has either wheat or milk, so people with allergies to either should bear that in mind.
The bucket will cost $399, which we think is well worth it given the quantity and quality of food included. Shipping will also be free within the Continental US.
Survival Fresh – Jumbo Canned Mixed Meats
Meat lovers will definitely want to pay attention to the next product we have to tell you about. The description page for the Survival Fresh Jumbo Canned Mixed Meats is quick to admit that on paper, the concept of canned meats sounds a bit unusual.
Once you start reading, the prospect becomes a lot more appealing. One case has an impressive selection of different meats. These include:
- 3 cans of beef
- 3 cans of chicken
- 2 cans of pork
- 2 cans of turkey
- 2 cans of ground beef hamburger
This selection will surely please even the most discerning carnivores, and the variety creates a lot of options. Survival Fresh assures us that none of the meat is freeze-dried, and is instead cooked in the can to retain the juices and flavor.
This also means that you simply need to heat the food before eating, but it can also be eaten straight from the can if you’re in an emergency without food heating capabilities.
One thing to consider is that you’ll have to be a bit more careful with how you store these cans than you had to with the ReadyWise product we looked at. Survival Fresh claims the food will be good for at least 5 years but can be stored for up to 25 years under the right conditions.
With all of the cans included, Survival Fresh estimates a total of around 54 meals, which works out to 14 meals each for 4 adults.
There are a few options when it comes to purchasing the collection, and it turns out that the more you buy, the better the value. At the time of writing, the prices are as follows:
- 1 case of 12 cans: $339.97
- 3 cases: $956.22 (save $75)
- 5 cases: $1572.47 (save $150)
- 10 cases: $2974.97 (save $500)
People who want to make sure they have some hearty meat options in their survival arsenal will definitely want to consider this selection, as we feel the quality offered for the prices quoted is fantastic.
4 Patriots – Emergency Food Kits
The company 4 Patriots offers an impressive range of not only emergency food but also other survival tools. For now, we will be focusing on their range of emergency food kits which also happen to contain some of the best-tasting survival meals.
They feature a huge array of these different kits, so for now we will focus on the first product on the list, the Family Survival Essentials Bundle. You can look through the different options, but one constant is the food itself, while the accessories offered may vary.
Much like with the first product we looked at by ReadyWise, the meals are contained in specialized packages designed to keep them fresh for the long term.
The menu again sounds impressive, with tasty mac and cheese, pancakes, stew, and even pudding, among many other options. 4 Patriots also outline that the process for cooking the meals is super simple, needing only water and a pot to boil it.
This is still worth keeping in mind, as even though it’s easy to prepare, you do need access to heat and water. Unlike the Survival Fresh meats, which you could eat from the can in an emergency, you would need some extra supplies to make the most of these survival foods.
Luckily, 4 Patriots offers many different packages with accessories. In the past, we have covered how cyber attacks can impact power grids and some accessories you want to have in such a case. The Family Survival Essentials Bundle contains solar-powered battery banks and even some water filters, making it a great package that can also help you be prepared in this scenario. This bundle retails for $349, but it’s one of many on offer.
Some other bundles include pots and pans, while others focus on food, so you have lots of options depending on what you need. Much like the other products, their food packs also have a 25-year shelf life, making them a great-tasting, long-term solution.
Legacy Food Storage: 120-Serving Emergency Food Bucket
The products we will look at from Legacy Food Storage follow a similar style to the products we have seen from many of the other companies on this list. Once again, we have a large bucket filled with pouches containing ready-to-make meals.
Looking at the list of foods available is again an enticing prospect. Their Entree 120 Serving Premium Food Bucket focuses on 120 dinner and lunch options, once again contained in pouches designed for longevity.
Options like pasta Alfredo, creamy a la King and Cheese, and broccoli bake are offered, among many others. One thing that Legacy Food Storage seems to have a leg up on is that they do offer customization.
For example, they offer both vegetarian and gluten-free options, which are always great to see. Many of the products do contain milk as a default, however, so lactose-intolerant customers should be aware of that.
This 120-piece lunch and dinner collection is priced at $449 with free shipping in the Continental US. If you want an even more varied selection, they also offer a 120-meal option that contains breakfast foods such as oatmeal and pancakes.
This 120 Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Bucket is a great option for even more meals covered in an emergency. Much like many of our other featured products, both of these packs boast a shelf life of up to 25 years.
Best Tasting Freeze Dried Survival Food
Backpacker’s Pantry: Freeze Dried Meals
Next, we will look at 3 freeze-dried meal options from the company Backpacker’s Pantry. While there are three different meals on show here, they all follow the same idea. Each pouch contains 2 servings, and all you need is hot water and 15 minutes to prepare the meal.
Unlike some of the previous products, here they advertise a shelf life of 10 years as opposed to the norm of 25 that we’ve seen before. The three meals we chose to show off include a delicious Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken. Next, we have their three-cheese mac and cheese dish.
It’s worth noting that both of these meals include milk, wheat, and gluten. The final product we chose, risotto with chicken, is a great option for people with gluten intolerances, but it does contain milk and soy.
When purchasing any of these meals, you have three options. The prices for the different meals are all more or less the same as well. First, you can buy a single pouch of 2 servings for around $17.
Then, you can buy a case that has 6 pouches for around $63. Finally, there is a 5-case, 30 pack option for around $300. It’s also worth noting that there will only be free delivery for orders of $50 and above.
Legacy Food Storage: Freeze Dried Meat And Entrees
We’ve seen some products from Legacy Food Storage earlier in this review, but they also have a wide range of freeze-dried meat products. They have a selection of diced beef and diced chicken that is also stored in state-of-the-art pouches. These meat products have an estimated shelf life of 10–15 years.
Here, you can see the various combinations you can choose from when purchasing their products. Something worth keeping in mind is that these products are best considered as a supplement to other foods, and wouldn’t be recommended on their own.
It would make a great pairing with the emergency food bucket from Legacy Food Storage that we looked at earlier. Or, they have options such as the 79-serving freeze-dried beef and entree bucket for $320. This bucket includes a selection of 5 entrees along with the beef, for a total of 79 servings.
There are other options to consider, but no matter what you choose, you will find the meat options a great additional source of protein.
Augason Farms: Dehydrated Fruit, Vegetables and Meals
Most of the products we have looked at in this review have included ready-made meals, but if you want a bit more control over what you make, then there is a great selection of dehydrated fruits and meals from Augason Farms.
One example would include their freeze-dried sliced strawberries. These dried slices are a tasty snack on their own, but they can also be added to many other meals to add some nutrients and taste.
Or, their cheese blend powder can be a great addition to any survival pack as a way to add some flavor to your meals. These are just two of many examples you can choose from, and they come in different sizes. You can see the full selection here, and you’re sure to find something that suits your tastes.
They also offer full-canned meals, such as the freeze-dried fettuccine Alfredo kit. This can has a serving size of 14 at $35.94. This product boasts a shelf life of up to 25 years and would go really well with their other freeze-dried ingredients.
Mountain House: Freeze Dried Food
The company Mountain House offers a similar selection of products, but they tend to focus on meals rather than ingredients. Here, you can see a selection of meals that cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
For example, their scrambled eggs with bacon pack is a great choice for a healthy, tasty breakfast. Convenience is the name of the game once again, as the meal can be prepared directly in the pouch with just some hot water added.
A single pouch will cost $7.55, and it has a shelf life of up to 30 years. It is also gluten-free, which is always a great feature.
If you’re looking for lunch or dinner, they have products such as their chicken fried rice for $19.49 per pouch. This meal boasts similar benefits to the eggs, such as easy preparation, gluten-free ingredients, and up to 30 years of shelf life. These are just two of many, so be sure to check out their wide selection.
How Long Does Survival Food Last?
As we have seen with these products, the shelf life can vary. A decent shelf life is always prioritized with prepper food, so you can expect anything from 10-30 years, depending on storage.
What Foods Should I Stockpile For Survival?
These products have shown that emergency food can come in surprisingly wide variations. With so many different kinds, you can prioritize choosing foods that appeal to your tastes. Try to have a good combination of different nutrients and proteins to make sure you will be able to stay healthy in an emergency.
Survival situations demand resilience, not just physically but also mentally. The availability of survival food that actually tastes good plays a crucial role in maintaining morale and mental health during prolonged emergencies. Considering that natural disasters have increased by over 20% in the last decade, leading to frequent disruptions in food supply chains, investing in the best-tasting survival food becomes a critical component of comprehensive emergency preparedness. It ensures that individuals and families can face adversity without compromising on the quality of their nutrition.
– Eddie Penney Emergency Prep Expert
How To Store Survival Food
Many of the survival food products we have looked at suggest optimal storage conditions to prolong shelf life. To keep survival food fresh as long as possible, you should try to store it in cool, dark and dry conditions.
Conclusion And Where To Buy Survival Food
In this review, we have seen that just because you are in a survival situation, doesn’t mean you can’t have delicious food to enjoy. We have seen some of the best-tasting emergency food storage here, and as you have seen, there are many companies providing innovative and tasty emergency food products.
To find more, be sure to check out some of the companies we have linked throughout this article. You can buy their products from the companies themselves, or Survivalfrog.com is another trusted website that features many of the best survival food companies. Here is the full list of all the great tasting survival food products mentioned in our list, sorted by price:
