People frequently comment that freeze dried food, though desirable, just isn't affordable. A quick google search confirms that this is a common message. Heck, even I have been known to jump on that bandwagon and say things like, "Yes, it's expensive, but worth it".
I figured if everyone else was saying it, it must be true. But I did want to know how much more expensive it was, so I decided to do some calculations. I was shocked! Why? Let's take a look.
Cost of Freeze Dried Food
This graph shows a cost comparison of a few Thrive freeze dried foods vs. their equivalents at my local Walmart today.
Clearly some items are more expensive in the Thrive form, but not nearly by as big of a margin as I had supposed. Surprisingly, there were some Thrive items actually less expensive than at the grocery store.
For those who are curious about the math, here are some notes:
The sausage comparison was done with grocery store sausage that was cooked and drained, since Thrive sausage is already cooked and drained. It was determined that a #10 can of Thrive sausage crumbles contains approximately 9 pounds of ground sausage.
Thrive foods expand by about 25% (in my experience) when reconstituted. In the vegetable comparisons, that was taken into account.
A #10 can of Thrive raspberries contains the equivalent of a flat of fresh raspberries, without even figuring in the expansion of reconstitution. A #10 can of spinach contains the equivalent of 12 bags of fresh spinach.
The mushroom comparison assumed an 8 oz. carton of fresh mushrooms contains 2 cups, sliced.
The red bell pepper comparison assumed 1 fresh pepper yields one cup chopped.
But even those numbers don't scratch the surface of the value question. I can show you why even the products that cost more in freeze dried form are still a greater value.
Skeptical? Read on!
Let's Make This Clear First
Before we begin, let's just put this fact out there: freeze dried food is healthier than "fresh" grocery store produce. It is absolutely true (google it). Because the produce is allowed to fully ripen and is flash frozen within hours to stop nutrient depletion, it is more nourishing to begin with.
Freeze drying then locks in those nutrients for a very long time. All the enzymes and phytonutrients are preserved because high heat isn't used to dry the food.
Further, Thrive quality demands that the food is the very best, from the most trusted producers. The only way to beat the nutrition of Thrive food is from your own garden or a farmer's market.
So we'll just leave that right there. Thrive is better for your body. But there are other reasons it's a better value as well.
Eat What You Buy
When you open a can of Thrive food, you will eat every morsel of food in that can. What do I mean? Here are some facts:
The food in the can is only the usable portion of the food. All peelings, cores, seeds, excess fat, etc. have already been removed. When you buy a fresh pineapple, 40% of it goes into the trash during preparation. Thrive pineapple is 100% edible (and delicious). You get to eat everything you paid for.
Statistics show that 25-40% of food that Americans buy goes into the trash because of spoilage and waste. Thrive food doesn't spoil. It has a 25 year shelf life unopened, and up to 2 year shelf life after opening. It doesn't even need to be refrigerated! No more slimy mushrooms, moldy strawberries, or sour milk!
Use only what you need and put the rest back on the shelf.
Example: When I make a pizza, I use 1/4 cup of Thrive sausage, 1/4 cup of Thrive red pepper and just a smidge of Thrive tomato sauce (instead of opening a can of "normal" tomato sauce, only using a portion, and throwing the rest away). Then I put those cans back on the shelf for the next time I need them. The taste is amazing and nothing goes to waste!
Variety And Availability
How many different fruits and vegetables do you eat in a day? A week? It probably depends on a lot of factors: what's in season, cost, how quickly they spoil, and more.
Wouldn't it be great to have a variety of fruits and veggies at your fingertips at any given moment? Yep, Thrive can do that too.
Because of Thrive foods and Ruvi, a drink made from Thrive freeze dried fruits and vegetables, our fruit and vegetable intake exceeds at least 26 different varieties every four days. That's something that is very important to me. I simply can't make that happen without Thrive.
Did Somebody Say Clean, Safe Food?
Remember those food recalls that happen so often? You know the ones -- E. coli on spinach, salmonella in flour, and the list goes on.
Here's something you may not know: Thrive food is repeatedly and rigorously tested throughout the freeze-drying process, a luxury that we simply don't get with grocery store products.
That means that any microbial contaminants and pesticide residues, etc. are detected and rejected before they go into a Thrive can. I find that kind of scrutiny very reassuring.
Food Security? What is that?
There's another, more compelling reason that Thrive food is so much more valuable. Because it doesn't spoil and stores so well, it provides ultimate food security.
For starters, in ten, fifteen, or twenty years (or more) I can eat the food I bought at today's price. I regularly do just that.
Remember the egg price spike just a few months ago? No sweat! I had Thrive eggs on the shelf and didn't even blink. We were completely insulated from that discomfort, and the extra cost that consumers were having to pay.
How about Covid? While others were panic buying, not knowing how long the grocery store shelves would be bare, I was feeling extreme gratitude for a long-term supply of foods we could actually eat.
We had absolutely no fear. Well, almost no fear. We did have a bit of a toilet paper scare, since I wasn't as wise in that department - heh heh. Who knew?
Putting It To The Test
Just how useful is a Thrive food supply? I can tell you because I put it to the test a few years ago. This video tells the story:
This is what I have always wanted. If I could not get food from the grocery store for any reason, I have food for my family. -- Jenny Tanner
Conclusion
This post doesn't even touch on the ways that you can get Thrive food even cheaper (or free), like sharing a referral link with friends or becoming a Thrive Life consultant. Those things are just icing on the cake.
In conclusion, it seems clear that the price difference (which isn't as big as previously supposed) is more than compensated for by nutrition, absence of waste, variety and safety. Those are not just luxuries or conveniences -- they are serious considerations.
Most important of all, the food in that Thrive can offers a peace of mind that is hard to describe, for many years to come. Thrive food is not only well worth it, but happily affordable too.
