The Value Proposition: Bulk Foods vs. Freeze Dried MealsGaye Levy, Contributor In my own case, I have over 200 pounds of various beans and legumes and over 300 pounds of rice. I also have lots of chicken and beef bouillon, salt, pepper, chili powder and onion powder for flavorings. These items were inexpensive enough that I will have plenty to share with my less fortunate neighbors who may not have had the money to stock up on food but have skills that I can barter with if the SHTF. Why Bulk Foods Make Sense Buying in bulk simply makes good sense when getting started. There is no real research involved you just go to the store and start making purchases as budget allows. The cost is cheap (I know I keep saying that but it is true) and with some relatively inexpensive Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and buckets, bulk foods are easy to package and store for the long term. Bulk foods do take space, however, and they should be kept cool. Space wise, though, when first getting started you can eliminate the buckets and store the packets of food in nooks and crannies throughout your home or apartment. Heck, even under the bed is a good place to store bulk foods. Beyond Bulk Foods As you study prepping and survival sites on the web, you are going to be bombarded by ads from freeze-dried food suppliers as well as from bloggers such as myself who have products to recommend. This is not necessarily a bad thing since there are a lot of really, really good freeze dried products out there. Furthermore, there are not only freeze dried meals, but also standalone products such a meats, veggies, fruits and my personal favorite, shredded cheese. Using myself as an example, I own a variety of these products from a variety of vendors. I like to cook so I have migrated toward the individual components although I do keep some freeze dried meals on hand as well. Some are quite good. One of my favorites is the Legacy Foods Beans Rice Enchilada meal. Now to be honest, it looks pretty bad before it is re-hydrated. This is pretty typical. But after adding boiling water and letting it sit for awhile, well, I dont think I could have made it tastier had I made it from scratch. Which gets me back to my original question. What is the value proposition when comparing bulk foods of freeze-dried foods? (And by value proposition, I mean the benefits of one versus the other given the difference in cost.) In my mind, a reasonable person would use the following factors to compare the benefits of one type of food to another. These are: Shelf Life, Cost, Storage, Convenience and Taste. I have my own opinions, of course, but I thought it would be interesting to get the opinion of a vendor who lives and breaths this stuff. I chose Buy Emergency Foods for a couple of reasons. First of all, I like their food (such as the beans and rice enchiladas I mentioned above) but also I have gotten to know the CEO and feel that he is a sincere and credible guy. With the assistance of one of his colleagues, Lee Flynn, (who is also a freelance writer an expert in emergency food preparedness and food storage) he provided me with the following response to my quest for an industry opinion on the value and benefit of bulk versus freeze dried foods. The Value Proposition: Bulk Foods vs. Freeze Dried Meals Paper or plastic, gas or electric, debit or creditlife is full of choices. And choosing between bulk foods or freeze-dried mealsto ensure that you get the best overall value while meeting the long term food storage needs of your familycan be daunting. In the interest of making the decision process a little easier, heres a look at some of the pros and cons of both bulk and freeze dried foods. Shelf life Cost Another cost benefit of bulk food ingredients is the ability to stretch items over many different meals. Freeze dried meals, which come in pre-portioned packaging, are only good for one use. Storage Convenience Taste This is especially helpful for those with special diets or allergies. However, it should be noted that when it comes to taste, freeze dried foods have come a long way in terms of the quality of ingredients, and the ability to retain both taste and texture despite years of storage. This makes freeze dried meals an excellent choice for satisfying the varied food and taste preferences of a family in regard to age, special diets, and the nutritional needs of each family member. In addition, storing complete and ready to eat meals that can be quickly preparedas opposed to the bulk ingredients needed to make all your meals from scratchgives you added peace of mind in knowing that you and your family are prepared to face any emergency. And its hard to put a value on that. The Final Word I still endorse a methodical, step by step approach to storing foods for the long term. For some this will mean picking up a few extra bags or cans of food with each trip to the grocery. For others it will mean learning to can the bounty from their gardens, orchards or fishing and hunting expeditions. And yet for others it will be expanding their stored foods to include prepackaged meals and other freeze dried items. Whatever method you choose, keep in mind proper storage procedures (see the The Six Enemies of Food Storage) and, if buying in bulk, learn how to cook those bulk foods now, preferably outdoors on an open fire as well as in your kitchen. When all is said and done, it may not be important whether you stocked up on bulk or pre-packaged foods. Instead, the importance lies in having have done something to insure you will have food if things go awry down the road. Read other articles by Gaye Levy here. Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation! Gaye Levy, also known as the Survival Woman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and has moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. At BackdoorSurvival, Gaye speaks her mind and delivers her message with optimism and grace, regardless of the uncertain times and mayhem swirling around us. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 