My Favorite THRIVE Food Products

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Sometimes it seems I get the same questions in waves.  Right now, the most popular question I seem to be getting is:

“What are your favorite THRIVE foods?”

Even those familiar with food storage are often unfamiliar with THRIVE foods.  But I’ve been using them since July 2010 and I definitely have my favorites.  So, I thought for today’s “Product Highlight” post, I would highlight my answer to that question.

Help me out!

Many of you readers having been using THRIVE nearly as long as I have.  I’d love to have your opinions in the comments as well for the many, many readers that are completely new to THRIVE.  The more opinions, the better!  So, comment away!  Or if you have a question about a specific THRIVE food, leave a comment as well.  I’ve tried them all and would be happy to answer your question!

 

My Favorite THRIVE Foods:

 

Fruits:

Freeze Dried Fuji Apple Slices

I love snacking on these!  I love apples in general, but these are so easy and simple to carry with me anywhere.  They are just sweet enough and just chewy enough.  Nothing like dehydrated apples…so much better!

Freeze Dried Grapes

No, not raisins.  These are freeze dried, not dehydrated!  So. Much. Cooler!  They are simply incredible!  They are extremely sweet (but no added sugar, just 100% grapes).  They are like a hard, but then chewy candy with all the healthy goodness of a fresh grape.  You have to try them!  My kids eat them like crazy.  So much better than fruit snacks.

Freeze Dried Peach Slices

These come in two different types and what you get depends on when it was canned (THRIVE Life (formerly Shelf Reliance) uses different supplier depending on the time of year so they can ensure that only freshly picked produce is freeze dried).  So, you my get a can with big, puffy, super sweet peaches that almost melt in your mouth.  Or, you may get a can with smaller, more tart peaches that make a fabulous pie filling.  Either way, these are a great buy.  I can eat almost an entire #10 can (especially of the sweeter ones) in just a day or two.

Freeze Dried Pineapple Chunks

These are a favorite at home parties when people get to taste lots of different items.  People are shocked at how close they taste to fresh pineapple.  It is amazing.  We eat these both dry and hydrated often!  They make a fabulous addition to smoothies.

Freeze Dried Strawberries

Strawberries come whole or sliced and I like them both for different reason.  It is fun to do things like chocolate dipped strawerries with the whole ones.  The sliced are a fabulous snack (I’m on a mission to end fruit snack consumption!), and they both work really well for sauces like jams, jellies, ice cream toppings or in smoothies.

 

Veggies:

 

Freeze Dried Asparagus

This is a relatively new THRIVE item and when THRIVE Life (formerly Shelf Reliance) announced it, I giggled I was so excited!  We love asparagus at

our house and eat a lot of it, but it can get expensive, especially when it isn’t in season.  And I plan to add some to the garden, but it will take years before we get any.  This is an incredible and very versatile product!

Freeze Dried Sweet Corn

This was the first THRIVE food my kids and I tried.  My kids said “It looks ugly,” but ate it anyway and then they asked “Is this candy?”  It is super sweet and addictive.  Again, another fabulous anti-fruit snack snack right out of the can.

Freeze Dried Red or Green Bell Peppers

These are sliced real bell peppers!  You can hydrate them and use them in fajitas.  I love them dry and snack on them regularly.  They work well in soups, stews, omelets and more.

Tomato Powder

This product is on my top 5 list.  It is AMAZING.  You can use it to make so many things: Tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato paste, tomato soup, Ketchup, BBQ sauce….learn all there is to know about it here: Product Highlight: Tomato Powder

Freeze Dried Zucchini

These come sliced and cut in quarters.  They are big chunks.  They are fabulous in soups and stews.  Once hydrated they are great in stir fry or as a side all on their own.

 

Grains:

 

10 Grain Pancake Mix

This just add water pancake mix has a fabulous flavor and TEN GRAINS packed into it!  Once cooked up, the pancakes are barely darker than something like Krusteaz, but so much healthier.  My kids have no idea and my husband and I love them!  Learn more about them here: Product Highlight: Pancake Mix

Quinoa

It is as easy to cook as rice, but contains a whole lot more nutritional punch. Its balanced set of essential amino acids make it a complete protein source. It also provides fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Plus, it is gluten free and can be eaten by those with Celiac disease. Wow!  Amazing.  Learn more about it here: Product Highlight: Quinoa

Hard White Wheat

I have a wheat grinder, so I grind my own 100 wheat flour from this wheat and use it in almost all my baking.  It adds heath and fiber to our family’s diet w/o affecting the taste of our baked goods (as opposed to red wheat).  LOVE White Wheat.  Learn more about it here: Red Wheat vs White Wheat

Dairy:

 

Freeze Dried Cheese

Have I told you I’m a cheese addict?  So are my kids.  My husband doesn’t really like it, but the rest of the five of us LIVE on it.  We would all go through withdrawals if we couldn’t get cheese.  This stuff is the real deal: 100% real shredded cheese.  Hydrate it and it works (and melts) just like real cheese.  Learn more here: Product Highlight: Freeze Dried Cheese.

Instant Milk

I use this every day.  I am a milk snob. I drink a LOT of milk and I’m pretty picky about how it tastes. Because of all this, I was a THRIVE Life (formerly Shelf Reliance) consultant for  almost 6 months before I could bring myself to taste the instant milk, but once I did, I was sold.  I cannot say enough good about it.  I love having dry milk to mix up at a moments notice. When we go on vacation last month, I put a gallon of water in the fridge and when we got back I just throw in some powder and we have instant COLD milk! I didn’t have to run to the grocery store. I don’t ever run to the store for milk.  Learn more about it here: Product Highlight: Dry Milk

 

Meats / Beans:

 

Instant Beans

This is another that makes my top 5 list.  Using instant beans saves much time, energy and water (helpful everyday, but three essentials in an emergency).  I stock a LOT of these.  Learn more about them here: Product Highlight: Instant Beans

Freeze Dried Chopped Chicken

There is not enough good that can be said about not having to deal with raw chicken.  I do it.  I do.  But it is not my favorite thing to do: in fact it is one of my least favorite.  Trimming it (while trying not to gag), then baking it and shredding it.  It takes so much time.  I love being able to just throw some chicken into a soup or sauce and be done with it.  Tastes just like fresh!

Freeze Dried Chicken Slices

These are big enough slices to be used in fajitas!  They are full slices of chicken!  Don’t need slices that big, but want something larger than the chopped chicken?  When dry, you can easily just snap these in half and in half again for great sized chicken chunks!

Eggs: Whole, Scrambled and Whites

The whole powdered are amazing in backing.  The scrambled taste like fresh and the whites can be use to make a meringue.  Yet all are 100% eggs!  Need I say more?  Learn more here: Product Highlight: Whole Egg Powder and here: Scrambled Egg mix vs Whole Egg powder.

Freeze Dried Ham Dices

I snack on them right out of the can.  They are wonderful in omelets, soups, casseroles and quiches.  Only drawback is there 2 week opened shelf life.  But I’ve solved that by storing them in the freezer once opened and have had no issues.  It is wonderful to have pre-chopped ham on hand!

Freeze Dried Sausage Crumbles

Another meat I eat strait out of the can.  Also fabulous in omelets, soups, casseroles and quiches, but I use it most often to make a quick spaghetti!

 

Other:

 

Simply Peach Drink

This stuff is addicting: It is really tasty.  As an added bonus, it has no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners (no high fructose corn syrup etc.).  It is made fruit real fruit powder, citric acid and fruit and vegetable juice for color.  It has the same amount of sugar and vitamin C you find in 100% juice at the grocery store, but in addition, it has Vitamin A,  Vitamin D, Niacin, Folate, Biotin, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and Zinc! I drink at least a glass a day.  Learn more about all the THRIVE Drink Mixes here: Product Highlight: THRIVE Drink Mixes

Fudge Brownies

Confession:  Brownie batter (not brownies) is my weakness.  I love brownie batter.  But before THRIVE brownies, I always had to make an entire batch just to get a few tablespoons of batter.  Then I would cook up the brownies, but they would go uneaten.  Now?  I just spoon out a few tablespoons of batter, add some water and enjoy!  No laughing allowed!

 

Any questions?  Or how about you, what are your favorites?