Valley Food Storage meal review

[Admin]

I was recently sent a packet of White Bean & Lime Chili from ValleyFoodStorage.com and was asked to give my opinion on it.

The package they sent was of the 2 serving variety. It looks like they sell 5 serving packages on their website.

The first thing I notice is the Sodium content of 640mg per serving.
This pouch says 2 servings but in reality it's one serving, so you're at 50% of the recommended sodium limit for the day.
230 calories, 45% of Vitamin C, 10% Vitamin A, 15% of Iron, 10% of calcium, and 11g of protein per serving. (all pretty good)

You need to bring the water to a boil in a sauce pan, add the contents of the package and let gently boil for about 15 mins.
Remove it from your heat source and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

I typically don't like pinto beans but I was pleasantly surprised with the taste of this chili. (If you're from Texas, it wasn't me who put the beans in)
I had all three of my boys try it and only my youngest (8yrs) didn't like it, but he doesn't like much.
The older two boys and I both liked it, they wanted it for lunch if I had more.

I haven't done any number crunching to see where their products fall in line with other long term food providers.
That being said I will probably try a few more of their small packages to see if the taste consistency is there.
I like a lot of variety in my food stores so I tend to buy from a handful of companies that sell good products
at competitive prices.

 

[Bill Katt]

Thanks for the review. I've never heard of this company.

 

[alphawolf]

Thans for the review, but damn that allot of sodium. I guess if its this or starvation I would pick this.

Do they use the sodium as a preservative in these kind of meals?

 

[FPrice]

Thans for the review, but damn that allot of sodium. I guess if its this or starvation I would pick this.

Do they use the sodium as a preservative in these kind of meals?

I have begun looking at the sodium content in packaged foods and it seems to be uniformly high among most brands. My guess is that it is there as a preservative. Hopefully someone else will be able to comment on this from a more informed viewpoint.

 

[Admin]

Thans for the review, but damn that allot of sodium. I guess if its this or starvation I would pick this.

Do they use the sodium as a preservative in these kind of meals?

I am not sure why a lot of these companies use so much sodium to be honest. Valley Food has other meals with a lot less sodium.

 

[MisterHappy]

It's there because people are habituated to it.

If it were not there, you'd be saying, "IT SUCKS!!!"

As a whole, Americans and other westerners expect a high level of salt and sugar.

It may not be "good" for you, but it sells the stuff. Which is good for them!

Bon appetite!

 

[In God We Trust]

Pretty much any freeze dried meals are packed with more sodium than the Dead Sea. It sucks for those of us with high BP, but as alpha wolf said, it's better than starving.

My storage has a lot of dry beans, pasta and rice. I will mix in small amounts of FD food for flavor

 

[coastie]

It has sea salt in it so it is healthy salt...........

All these products are high in sodium. AS above it is what we expect and it is a cheap flavor for the companies.

I am going to send for a free sample to try it out. We use packets like that as a flavor enhancer for rice for our LTS.

 

[Duxprep]

For eating regularly you'd need to be concerned about sodium, but in a survival situation..not so much. You'd be much more active burning way more calories than usual and may even need the added sodium if you're perspiring.

 

[FreeWillie]

For eating regularly you'd need to be concerned about sodium, but in a survival situation..not so much. You'd be much more active burning way more calories than usual and may even need the added sodium if you're perspiring.

First, thanks for the review, derek. Never heard of these folks.

Duxprep's point is relevant. Lots of exercise, in any form, will require some sodium supplement. Particularly in high heat and humidity.

Sent from the depths of Hell using TapaTalk

 

[clampett]

I wonder how they are able to get a shelf life of 25 years from a foil package. I think Mountain House claims a 12 year shelf life on their foil packed food.

 

[alphawolf]

All good points!

Thanks!