Valley Food Storage Reviews In 2022 [Updated]

To start with, what are the Valley food storage reviews?

All of Valley Food Storage’s products have an average rating of 4.9/5 stars.

Valley Food Storage will fulfill their promises of providing clean, straightforward emergency food along with top-notch customer service, thousands of people have prepared themselves and their families with our services.

For more information, continue reading.

Users Reviews Of Valley Food Storage

• Beyond all expectations, the food is delicious. However, since the expiration date is not listed on the packaging, you are essentially forced to estimate. You still have to give the meal a good 15-min simmer, so in case of an electric blackout, I don’t know…
• My basement has housed my Valley Food Storage supplies for the past three years. When we finally cooked some chicken, it was fantastic! Gonna order more
• I can’t really comment on the shelf life of the food yet, but it’s generally good. For the time being, in my opinion, the price is out of line with the product’s value.
• To test it out, my neighbor made me some traditional chili using the package that she had purchased. After seeing how miserable it appeared in the bag, I couldn’t believe how tasty it was! For rainy days, my husband and I are storing the 3-month supply in the basement.
• Damn!They were completely free samples, in my opinion. I didn’t read that anywhere, but it turns out I have a shipping to pay.

Pros & Cons Of Valley Food Storage

that must be met for a successful refund, depending on what you want to return.

PROS

• High-quality packaging (mylar bags)
• Excellent taste
• Natural and recognizable ingredients only
• Nitrogen flushed bags rather than vacuum sealed
• Sturdy seal
• 25-year guarantee of shelf life
• No GMO, MSG, trans fats, preservatives…
• Huge assortments of non-food emergency items
• Gluten and dairy-free options
• Free trial

CONS

• Semi-deceptive free shipping add
• Only 30-day refund policy

Key Criteria Of Valley Food Storage

Let’s find out if Valley Food’s meals live up to their promises.

Range Of Meals

7 options for breakfast and 12 options for lunch or dinner make up Valley Food Storage’s full menu. There is no guarantee that you will receive all of these options or your preferred meals because each bucket contains 6 breakfast bags and 10 entree bags. Order modifications can be requested by emailing the company before placing your order or by including details in the order’s notes section, but during periods of high demand, you might only receive what is offered.

There are the typical dishes you’re used to seeing if you’ve tested freeze-dried food, such as pasta primavera, mac and cheese, tomato soup, and different kinds of oatmeal and cereal, but there are also uncommon dishes that you might not find elsewhere. Two of the main dishes that caught my eye were the mango habanero chili and the Irish cheddar potato soup, and I adore the idea of having buttermilk pancakes for breakfast or dessert.

An option for a hearty breakfast is the only thing that seems to be lacking.

The food kits also include one pack of protein (meat, dairy or peanut butter), a pack of fruit and a pack of vegetables per bucket, making them more of a complete kit than companies who only provide meals.

Quality And Taste

Some of the best foods available include the breakfasts and entrées. While they may not meet your home cooking standards and aren’t haute cuisine, they do a respectable job for food that’s meant to last 25 years.

To appeal to a wide range of tastes, some businesses purposefully make their food fairly bland. Valley Food Storage, thankfully, does not operate in this manner. Their cheese and cream dishes have a good flavor and texture, and their chilis have some spice but aren’t overly hot. The Irish cheddar potato soup, a perennial favorite of testers, deserves special mention.

In terms of taste, they’re not quite as good as Mountain House, but they’re still a respectable (and less expensive) runner-up.

The main selling point of Valley Food Storage is that none of its products contain MSG, artificial flavors, or hydrogenated oils; instead, they are made from “real” quality ingredients. When you look at the back of the packets, the meals live up to these claims, proving that you can have long-life food without adding lots of chemicals!

Instead of actual meat chunks, the “meat” meals contain chicken or beef broth, but you can top them off with beef, sausage, or chicken from your protein pack. Some of the meals, like the wild risotto, could have benefited from having more vegetables.

For a supplement to the meals and some sweet snacks, I’d suggest getting their fruit and vegetable bucket.

Ease Of Cooking

You must add the ingredients from the pack to boiling water and simmer the meals. Valley Foods advises simmering for 3 to 5 minutes for the majority of breakfast dishes and entrées, but there are a few exceptions.

In comparison to other freeze-dried meals, the Wild Risotto and Enchilada Beans and Rice both take 20 to 23 minutes to cook. If you run out of fuel, this could become a problem.

You’ll need a frying pan, oil, or butter to cook the pancakes. If you prefer instant, cook-in-the-bag meals, this might turn you off. I am a pancake fiend, but I’m willing to trade a little inconvenience for a breakfast that restores some sense of normalcy!

Vegetarian And Gluten-free Food Options?

If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, Valley Food Storage is pretty good. With at least three breakfast options and three entree options listed under each of these, their regular meals include soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian options.

The most restrictive diet for entree options is dairy-free; however, there is a larger selection of gluten-free and soy-free meals. Still, compared to many other businesses, the selection is not bad.

The protein bites’ minimal processing and lack of gluten is a good thing because the seasoning on freeze-dried meat occasionally contains wheat products.

When you use the website’s filter to find vegetarian meals, it displays meals that contain chicken or beef broth as an ingredient, which is an oddity worth noting. It’s a little strange that these broths might not contain any meat product when you look closely at the detailed ingredients list. Even though they are technically vegetarian, your options will be more limited if you don’t want to eat food that tastes like meat.

While Valley Food does not specifically offer gluten-free or vegetarian buckets, it might be possible to modify your order to accommodate special dietary needs.

How Healthy Are They?

Food from Valley Food Storage is highly commended for being minimally processed and containing few additives. Knowing the names of all the ingredients in your food gives you peace of mind.

The fact that the long-term kits’ kit page instead only contains links to individual product pages for the products they contain is a minor quibble with their website. It is simpler to compare different products thanks to a nutrition page that is tucked away in the footer and compiles data for meals and bulk food.

Let’s examine the components of these meals in more detail.

Carbohydrates And Sugar

As is customary for these types of meals, the majority of the main meals are made with a carbohydrate base like rice, pasta, or potatoes.

Half of the main dishes contain sugar inadvertently, but some dishes with higher sugar content, like the mango habanero chili and sweet and sour rice, also have sugars naturally present in the fruit. Even though some of the meals contain a lot of sugar, you can easily tell because the list of ingredients is so short. No high-fructose corn syrup in this place!

Protein

Because no meat or meat substitutes are used, all of the meals are low in protein. Each supply bucket includes a protein pack, but since they only have about 7 to 10 servings, there isn’t enough to eat every day.

Diced chicken, which has nearly 80g of protein per serving, is the most protein-dense option available. Just 5g and 7g of protein, respectively, are contained in each serving of the vegetarian protein options’ peanut butter and cheese, respectively.

Protein not only keeps muscles in place and supports other bodily processes, but it also makes you feel fuller longer. To supplement the protein found in the long-term food kits, we would definitely advise purchasing some bags of the supplement.

Sodium

However, a few stand out above the rest. Most of the entrees have a fair amount of salt in them. There are a whopping 1210 mg of sodium in one serving of enchilada beans and rice, which is 53% of the daily recommended limit. This wouldn’t be a problem if you were only eating one serving, but most people will find that two servings will be sufficient for a satisfying meal.

Nevertheless, a few of the meals are less salty, so you could make up for this by alternating the beans and rice throughout the day with dishes like wild risotto or sweet-and-sour Asian rice, both of which have significantly lower sodium contents.

Vitamins And Minerals

Although the relevant vitamins and minerals are listed on the ingredient labels, the meals typically do not contain enough of them to meet your recommended daily allowance. Particularly, considering how frequently they are fortified, the breakfasts don’t contain as much calcium or other nutrients as I’d anticipate.

Your intake of calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamin D will be significantly increased if you include servings of milk and freeze-dried meat in your meals.

Shelf Life

No matter the size of the pack, all emergency food produced by Valley Food has a 25-year shelf life. While you might be enticed to look at less expensive options for freeze-dried fruit, vegetables, or milk, keep in mind that the majority of packs you buy in the grocery store will only have a shelf life of one to two years.

Food is packaged in sturdy Mylar bags with a food-safe oxygen absorber. If you have to open and reseal the bag over a few days, this absorbs any oxygen that becomes trapped inside and is worth replacing. Make sure it doesn’t get into your mac and cheese, though!

To provide additional protection from water, chemicals, and pests, the bags are stuffed into sturdy, rectangular, 5.3-gallon buckets.

Some of the pack sizes are quite large for a single person, which is a drawback. The breakfasts are 10-serving packs, but the majority of the entrees come in 5-serving packs, so you’ll be eating the same thing for several days. Your food should remain safe to eat for a while if you reuse the oxygen absorber and the Mylar bags, which are resealable.

Cost And Value For Money

The meals themselves are difficult to estimate because the long-term food kits include a variety of meals and snacks. The premium kits, which contain about 1,667 calories daily, are broken down into servings and days as follows:

• One-month premium kit – $1.33 per serving ($13.30 per day)
• Three-month premium kit – $1.25 per serving ($12.50 per day)
• Six-month premium kit – $1.17 per serving ($11.66 per day)
• One-year premium kit – $1.11 per serving ($11.11 per day)

One of the least expensive sources of emergency food and possibly the best source overall in terms of taste, quality, and cost is Valley Food Storage. We advise you to spend a little extra money to add fruit and vegetable buckets and protein packs to your supplies, unless you’re on a very tight budget.

Availability

There are a few specialized websites that sell survival meals, and occasionally you can find Valley Food meals in more upscale retailers like Amazon.

There is a 30-day return policy (which is shorter than that of many other businesses), but you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping fees for returned items.

Most orders are shipped out within five business days, but delivery takes much longer during times of high demand.

For the most part, Valley Farm’s website prominently displays this information, in contrast to some other businesses, along with any efforts they are making to speed up shipping.

Customer Service And Incentives

Valley Food offers free samples (pay $9.95 postage) and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you accumulate points through their Valley Rewards program, you receive discounts on purchases.

Their customer service has received mixed reviews. Even though they have a lot of satisfied customers, they also appear to occasionally have problems delivering orders on time (although this is occasionally the responsibility of the shipping company rather than the supplier). See more about Winia Refrigerator Review

Don’t wait to place an order until a disaster occurs.

How To Use The Food?

Without needing to rehydrate, freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, and meats can be consumed right out of the package, or they can be combined to create other dishes. (The meat chunks have finished cooking.)

Fruit’s sweetness is enhanced by freeze drying. It tastes better than candy, as my brother has stated. Once a package of freeze dried fruit is opened, it doesn’t tend to last long around here.

The majority of the time, we simply add freeze-dried ingredients right into soups, stews, and casseroles. We don’t worry about exact measurements because they rehydrate while cooking.

The entrees and breakfasts taste best when cooked and rehydrated. Here’s an example of cooking instructions for the white bean and lime chili:

1. 1 cup of water should come to a boil. Stir well after adding 1/3 cup of mix to boiling water.
2. Boil for 2 minutes and lower heat to a simmer. Occasionally stir to prevent sticking.
3. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until beans are to liking. Enjoy it after it cools.

It is comparatively simple. Making freeze-dried food is possible if you know how to boil water. We usually allow a little more time for cooking for all the liquid to absorb.

What Does Valley Food Storage Sell?

While many emergency food companies have expanded to sell equipment and other survival supplies, Valley Food Storage focuses exclusively on food and water. They don’t have a lot of gear or other “stuff” in their catalog, but you can find options for water storage, which is important along with your food supplies, and heirloom seeds.

All of their options are freeze-dried, making them light, compact, and easily reconstitutable. Food that has been freeze-dried retains its texture and flavor, and after being rehydrated, it is actually quite difficult to tell it apart from fresh food that hasn’t been freeze-dried.

The best part is that it’s all rated to store for at least 25 years, meaning you’ll have it on hand tomorrow or a decade from now.

Valley Food Storage Meals

When purchasing emergency food, most people choose prepared meals, largely because it is challenging to prepare meals from scratch in a crisis. In a short-term emergency, you’ll want simple, “just add water” recipes to feed your family while you handle the situation at hand.

Providing you have some basic cooking skills, you can research specific ingredients in a longer-term emergency.

Beginning with all of Valley Food Storage’s prepared meals, I tasted them all and found that they were all tasty and simple to prepare. The meals are not “instant,” as they do require some cooking.” They are first simmered in a pot with water added, usually for 10 to 15 minutes.

(I’d highly recommend Nutrient Survival if you’re looking for “instant” meals. I’ve also written a thorough review of Nutrient Survival so you can see all of their meals.)

Valley Food Storage Mango habanero Chili

Valley Food Storage has kept its current menu while also adding a number of new meal options over the last two to three years. At this point, you’ll get a wide selection if you order a bulk meal kit bucket.

You can select options ranging from a compact 72-hour kit to a comprehensive one-year food supply because each meal bucket is rated by calories and servings.

They currently have over a dozen various savory dinner dishes to keep things interesting:

• Chicken A La King
• Irish Pub Cheddar Potato Soup
• Sweet and Sour Asian Rice
• White Bean and Lime Chili
• Italian Wild Risotto
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Pasta Primavera
• Mango Habanero Chili
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Mac and Cheese
• Enchilada Beans and Rice

When there is a lot of demand, which, let’s face it, has been every day since March 2020, specific meal types are frequently sold out. Instead of getting a lot of the same type of meals, you’re better off getting a bulk meal kit bucket with a variety of meals.

Valley Food Storage Meals. As seen clockwise from top left: Sweet and Sour Asian Rice, Irish Pub Cheddar Potato Soup, Enchilada Beans and Rice, and White Bean Lime Chili

Additionally, they provide a variety of breakfast choices, such as:

• Apple Oatmeal
• Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
• Multi-Grain Cereal
• Strawberry Cream of Wheat
• Strawberry Oatmeal
• Apple Cream of Wheat
• Granola
• Granola with Blueberries
• Granola with Strawberries

They have a great breakfast selection, and although this mama is all about a bowl of chili, my kids can’t get enough of the strawberry oatmeal. To each his own, but I’m confident that in an emergency, we’ll all have something we like.

Additionally, they offer freeze-dried milk and whole eggs that can be used in baking or prepared separately.

Freeze-dried Fruit

They have incredible freeze-dried fruit, and even though I know the majority of you are probably interested in prepared meals, I must mention it. In actuality, it was this that first piqued my interest in writing about food for survival. The Valley Food Storage freeze-dried strawberries I tried were some of the best I’d ever eaten. My kids devoured the few that I had left before my daughter asked if she could give some of them to her as a birthday present. They were that good.

Since then, I’ve ordered more and conducted blind taste tests with my incredibly enthusiastic kids, who are always happy to review freeze-dried fruit to assist mama with her work.

Valley Food Storage consistently produces the highest-quality freeze-dried fruit, whether it is used in emergency food kits or simply the snack aisles of supermarkets.

Options can change depending on the time of year, but typically include:

• Apples
• Blackberries
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Strawberries

The pineapple, peaches, and strawberries are particular favorites with my kids. While I’m all about home canning peaches and pineapple for the off-season, my son will specifically request “crunchy pineapple” and enjoys snacking on the freeze-dried fruit without rehydrating it.

The freeze-dried banana is something that I really enjoy. In stark contrast to the crunchy banana chips we were raised on, it has a really distinctive flavor that almost tastes like creamy banana pudding. Undoubtedly a real treat.

Freeze Dried Vegetables

Similar to fruit, the selection of freeze-dried vegetables varies slightly depending on what is in stock but typically consists of:

• Broccoli
• Peas
• Potato
• Bell Pepper
• Sweet Corn

All of the freeze-dried vegetables can be rehydrated and used as a side dish or added to recipes (soups, stir-fries, chili, etc.). You’re better off buying a bulk variety pack of freeze-dried vegetables from Valley Food Storage rather than a single vegetable because it runs out frequently, just like with the meal kits.

Valley Food Storage offers freeze-dried vegetables. Front to Back: Broccoli, Corn and Green Beans

Freeze Dried Meat

While “dried” meat-like jerky won’t ever rehydrate to its original form (or quality), freeze-dried meat basically rehydrates to the same consistency as fresh meat. It’s truly amazing how long meat can last on a pantry shelf—up to 25 years—before you have to do anything more than add water to it before eating it for dinner.

When you include freeze-dried meat in your prepared pantry, you can make nutrient-dense, high-protein meals without having to rely on electricity for freezers, which can be a game-changer. One of the best freeze-dried foods to have on hand in case of emergency is this one.

In times of high demand, Valley Food Storage only stocks a variety of buckets of meat, or “carnivore buckets,” because they stock what is currently available.” Pouches of numerous different proteins are contained there.

Additionally, if they are available, you may occasionally come across particular buckets and pouches, such as:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Sausage

Despite the fact that we keep a lot of flour, pasta, and grains in 5-gallon buckets with gamma-seal lids, they simply lack the nutrition (or the protein-rich filling power) of meat. One of the most helpful single ingredients can be used to boost the protein content (and add flavor) of other shelf-stable stored foods, and nothing spices up pasta or homemade soup like a bit of meat.

Freeze-dried meat costs more as the price of fresh meat increases, and it costs much more for just plain freeze-dried meat than it does for pre-packaged freeze-dried meals. Additionally, if you know how to cook, it is more adaptable.

I’ve written a guide on cooking with freeze-dried meat if you’ve never worked with the substance.

Water Storage And Purification

While Valley Food Storage primarily focuses on offering high-quality emergency food (rather than equipment), they do also provide some options for water storage and purification.

Given that we make literally hundreds of canning recipes each year and have a ton of canning jars at home, we water bath can water for preservation.

A 50-gallon drum water storage kit (with water purifier included) will be appreciated by the majority of people looking for options for bulk water storage without having to spend literally dozens (if not hundreds) of mason jars.

Heirloom Seeds

Many people have the misconception that if you have a kit in your back closet and some “survival seeds,” you can grow all the food you need in case of emergency.

For fun, we actually gave it a try. We went on a stay-cation and spent the whole week preparing a new piece of ground for a survival garden. We already grow a sizable portion of our own food and are seasoned gardeners. However, our “survival garden” was an abject failure. (You should read why our actual experience with survival gardening failed; it will open your eyes.)

You cannot grow all of your own food using survival seeds or emergency seed kits in general. They are made to add fresh fruit and vegetables to your carefully planned food supplies. During prolonged emergencies, that helps to boost morale and nutrition.

Even though the heirloom seed kit from Valley Food Storage only comes with 10 different types of seeds, it has everything you’ll need to add to an already fully stocked long-term storage emergency food pantry.

Why People Choose Valley Food Storage?

The packaging may come off as a little too “utilitarian” or basic when viewed from the top. Instead of focusing on bells and whistles, this Valley Food Storage review heavily emphasizes quality. The bags are made of premium mylar, which guards your food against rodents, oxygen, moisture, heat, and light. It is understandable why they can guarantee a shelf life of 25 years. They can also be resealed. All the ingredients listed in the charts will be instantly recognizable to you. What’s more, there are no unwholesome food additives anywhere to be found.

All of the products are made without GMO, hydrogenated oils, preservatives or MSG (Monosodium-Glutamate). All of the flavors in Valley Food Storage come from the food itself because MSG is one of the non-essential amino acids and is frequently used as a flavor intensifier. For lowering production costs, this obviously needs real food without any fillers. In the eyes of every prepper deserving of the name, this screams quality.

Their “menu” offers options that are dairy- and gluten-free for people with special dietary requirements. Actually, dairy isn’t present in almost any of the products. An alternative to vacuum packing is nitrogen flushing of the containers (mylar bags). Nitrogen gas (N2) is used to “force” the oxygen out rather than sucking it out. This method is far superior for a number of reasons:

• The seal is much sturdier
• Prevents food from clumping
• The bag is easier to open
• Delicate foods stay protected since pressurized atmosphere prevents the package from collapsing

To be honest, it doesn’t look all that exciting when you look inside the package; it contains a freeze-dried meal of your choosing. In addition to the powder, you will see a dehydrated sauce (garlic, Worcestershire, dried milk). The flavor, however, is incredible—even after it has been sitting on a shelf gathering dust for a few years.

None of the products are imported or “assembled” outside of the United States. Finally, this section of the Valley Food Storage review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that if you’re on the fence about trying their products (plus the shipping; a big caveat! ), you can get a free sample.).

Where Is Valley Food Storage Located?

Their website provides an Akron, Ohio, address for getting in touch.

Call 800.403.8182 to reach customer service. They have phone support available Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST. You can reach them via email at [email protected] as well.

The End

“According to the Navy Seals, yesterday was the only day that was simple. This review of Valley Food Storage teaches us a lot about that. Stop putting off creating your own reliable long-term water and food supply for tomorrow!

Nearly 12 years have passed since this company started preparing us for the worst. Instead of using fancy packaging and eye-catching stickers, they have established quite a name for themselves through sheer quality. It exists because, to paraphrase “The Purge,” “it just works.” Just keep this one in mind if you ever start to feel discouraged. When Noah began to construct his ark, was it raining?

I want to thank you for reading once more.