We’re relatively new to preparedness and have never wanted to be that family with 10 years of freeze dried foods taking up 3 rooms of their house. We want to be self-sustaining, but do realize that it isn’t realistic now. Having a few months of freeze dried foods would be really smart, just in case. We’ve eyeballed the food at local camping and supply stores, but either snickered that it had to be terrible or gasped at the huge expense.
However, when we found a Wise Company Entrée Only Grab and Go Food Kit, we thought it would be a great time to put a box aside and try it out if we wanted. The kit will provide two entrees for 4 adults for one week and costs $80. Considering it’s hard to feed a family of four for $80 a week we thought we would give it a go.
One weekend evening when we were all home, and no one wanted to cook, the thought grabbed us – let’s try out that food! It was easy enough to do – Put some boiling water in each envelope (after you removed the O2 package), sealed for 10-15 min while it rehydrates and warms is all it takes.
The only problem is that the food didn’t rehydrate at the same pace, so some took a good 20 min to be ready. No big deal, but it left us constantly guessing if it was going to be ready or not. Then we split up the servings so that everyone could have a taste.
Chili Mac – maybe because I’m from Texas and used to some good tex-mex, even in a chili mac, this was neither chili nor mac. In fact, there really wasn’t much of a taste at all except a vague tomato taste. I know that not everyone likes spicy, but ‘flavor’ would’ve been good.
(Read our review of the Mountain House Chili Mac here)
Pasta Alfredo & Chicken – was SUPER salty and overly powdered alfredo tasting and goopy, but The Sidekick, who doesn’t like most food, ate it all without complaint, it can’t be that bad. This probably could have used a little extra water to make the sauce not quite so thick.
Lasagna – I didn’t get a chance to eat this, so this is reviewed by Boy Wonder and Dad in Shining Armor. A step up from canned spaghettios was the general consensus.
We tried a few of the other flavors and came upon the same thought – there really was no distinguishable flavor. They were pretty bland, very salty, and not something we’d WANT to eat everyday. I don’t know if the flavors of the meals were for the generic person who doesn’t like highly spiced foods, or if there is a reason that in stressful times, having flavor in your food is a bad thing? Here are the flavors we tried: Chili Mac, Lasagna, Chicken Alfredo, and a Beef Stroganoff kind of meal. I think we’re definitely going to have to give Mountain House a try.
Read our review of Mountain House freeze dried food here:
I Tried It For You! A Review of Mountain House Freeze-Dried Foods
Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.
She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what's coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.
Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).
Her preparedness skills go beyond just being "ready", she's ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she's feeding her family, she's a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.
Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.
Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.
She's been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.
I bought this and tried several meals. I concur with the poster. However, my review would much more critical. I found all of the meals tried were horrible. In a stressful situation, one needs real comfort g6ood, not cardboard!
I tried the stroganoff and it was so bad even after adding sour cream that I had to throw it away. Gooey and no flavor. All their stuff is lousy and over priced. Do not waste $$ on it.