Food for Emergency Preparedness

In the middle of May I wrote a post about an upcoming product I was going to review from eFoodsDirect. This company sells an assortment of dehydrated foods that are a great complement to an emergency preparedness kit.

I have to admit that I was skeptical about the food products offered. When I think of food that you have to rehydrate, my mind automatically thinks, "bland" and "nasty." To my surprise, the food is anything but bland and nasty. For this review, I received the Cheesy Chicken & Rice, Tortilla Soup and Creamy Potato Soup, which all have an expiration date in the year 2027.

The first thing that I noticed about the products is that I have to cut through the cooking instructions to open the package. (I recommend placing the instructions a little lower on the package.) The food is simple to cook, and I didn't feel the need to add any extra seasonings to it, like salt. When you're making the potato soup, be careful because the soup can unexpectedly boil over if the burner is too hot. To make the rice dish, I simply placed the contents of the package into my rice cooker and let the cooker do its thing. I think the 5 cups of water, however, was a bit much because the rice came out mushy (but still tasty).

eFoodsDirect advocates using their products in case you find yourself with little income and needing backup food. I, however, cannot make the same recommendation because of the cost of the food. If you are worried about being short on cash and feeding your family, there are less expensive ways to make the same types of products (but their shelf-life won't be as long). The rice dish, for example, is basically rice, powdered chicken bullion, dehydrated vegetables and powdered cheese (like for macs-n-cheese). You can purchase these items inexpensively at a supermarket that allows you to purchase bulk foods by the pound.

I do, however, think that the products offered by eFoodsDirect is great for an emergency disaster kit and for a camping trip. During a disaster, you never know if the food in your pantry is going to be edible or if supermarkets will be open. Because the eFoodsDirect products are sealed so well, you don't have to worry about water damage. The eFoodsDirect catalog that came with my products also sells everything that you need to cook your food--a portable stove (minus the propane tank), pots, water purifiers and so on.

You can learn more about eFoodsDirect here. When shopping, using discount codes "Food40" (40 percent off a five-day supply of food) or "Food50" (50 percent off a seven-day supply of food).