What do I know, anyway?
Well, a lot actually. For 13 years I've used freeze dried food almost every day. I've cooked with it, snacked on it, traveled with it, lost weight with it, become healthier because of it, and taught other people how to use it.
I am convinced that freeze dried food is the food of the future, and that future has already begun. But people still know so little about it! Here are some things I wish people knew about freeze dried food.
It's Healthier Than Grocery Store Food
When I tell people this, they almost never believe me. Then they google it and find it's absolutely true. And since freeze drying isn't actually all that new (it's been around for decades), there's been plenty of time to do the studies. Almost all (98%) of the food's nutrition is preserved in the gentleness of the freeze-drying process.
But wait.... 98% doesn't mean it's more healthy than grocery store food, does it? Actually, yes. And here's why.
"Fresh" grocery store produce has to be harvested before it's ripe to keep it from spoiling quickly, so it never reaches its full nutrient value.
Fruits and vegetables from the grocery store often have very long journeys to make before they reach their final destination. Vitamins and nutrients start to deteriorate as soon as they are harvested, and are often completely absent by the time you put the items in your cart.
Modern practices make it easier to preserve "fresh" produce much longer with waxing, chemical treatments, artificial ripening with gases, etc. But the final product is a pretty sorry version of truly fresh food. The taste alone will tell you that!
Freeze dried food (at least in the case of Thrive Life's products) is flash frozen within 12 hours of harvesting. That stops the nutrients from depleting and preserves the food until the freeze drying process is completed. So 98% nutrition in food that's more nutritious to begin with makes Thrive a better option.
I, myself, am a fresh fruit and veggie snob. I grow a huge vegetable garden every year and happily enjoy all of its goodness. But in the months that I can't garden, frozen and freeze dried fruits and vegetables are my go to.
"The only way to get fresher, more nutritious food than freeze dried is your own garden or a farmer's market."
It Actually Does Taste Good
This is another fact people are often skeptical about, usually because they've only eaten freeze dried backpacking meals or some of the old school emergency foods. Those do sometimes leave a bad taste in your mouth (pun intended).
I love to watch peoples' faces as they take a bite of something cooked with Thrive, or even just pop some fruit into their mouth. The most prevalent reaction is complete surprise.
There are a couple of reasons freeze dried food is so tasty.
First, the food is ripe before freeze drying. So the fruits are actually sweet and the vegetable flavors pop. That's one thing grocery store fresh can't duplicate. You can tell by the color how much more flavor they have.
Second, you don't need to add anything to freeze dried food. It has a great shelf life without any chemicals or preservatives, so you get the pure flavor of the food.
Third, freeze dried food can be eaten dry or reconstituted (with the water added back in). The texture alone adds fun to foods. Example: Thrive blueberries have the same texture as Kix cereal when they're dry, and are SO much sweeter than grocery store blueberries. That makes them a huge favorite with kids. And me. I have a handful almost every day.
When my grandkids come, they ask for "treats". They mean freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, cherries, corn, yogurt bites, and even butternut squash. Am I saying that my grandkids (even the junk food loving ones) are asking for plain, unsweetened fruits and vegetables?? Yes, I am. I actually am. This is a big win for parents and grandparents.
It's Not Just For Emergencies
Freeze dried food has a reputation as prepper food. That's fair, I guess, since it has a crazy long shelf life (another plus) and is so portable. But just because it's good for emergencies doesn't mean we can't eat it the rest of the time.
Because it's tasty, affordable, and oh so convenient, it is an everyday food staple at our house. Since my pantry is full of Thrive foods, I have fast food that's actually good for us, and the healthiest possible choices. I'd be crazy NOT to use it all the time!
Of course, when an emergency does arise (pandemic, anyone?), Thrive helps me sleep at night. It has seen us through some unexpected budget-busting expenses, job loss, covid, health problems, and more. It's inflation-proof. I can eat some ground beef or green beans today that I bought 10 years ago.....at the 10 year old price.
Freeze dried food is also a boon to travel. From camping and backpacking to flights on a plane (Thrive chicken salad is amazing at 30,000 feet), this food is a gamechanger. It's lightweight and no refrigeration is required.
We've even put together some family favorites for reunions and other trips, like chicken fajitas, fried rice, zuppa toscana, omelettes, and more. I put the ingredients together in a ziploc bag and we add the water and cook them up in an instapot in the hotel room. We have done this multiple times. It saves us money and gives us hearty familiar meals without the prep and trouble.
It Makes Your Life Easier
I'm a mostly plant based eater, and try to eat LOTS of fruits, vegetables, and whole foods. I follow several health groups and constantly see colorful photos of people prepping nutritious food. Dazzling images of fridges full to bursting with a rainbow of wholesome salads, bowls, and snack trays. Bless them.
I tried that once or twice and knew I would never stick to the plan if I had to keep that up. The worst part was washing and chopping and peeling and packaging..... just to realize two days later that the fruits and vegetables were already past their prime and no longer palatable to me.
While I still enjoy many fruits and vegetables in their "fresh" form, it would be hard to overstate how much Thrive has helped me stick to a diet that is healthful for me. I have everything from asparagus to blackberries to kale to mangoes at my fingertips. Already prepped, and they never go bad.
I try to eat 10 servings of fruits and veggies daily, and it would not happen without Thrive.
There's one other little problem I have when wanting to eat healthy. I don't like to cook and I don't have much time. Not having to chop onions and peppers or wash and slice mushrooms, etc. SAVES me! I can put together a healthy soup, stir fry, or casserole in a fraction of the time. How did I ever live without it?!?
It Makes Life More Exciting
What I mean to say is that my diet is more exciting, which makes life more exciting, right? I have a MUCH greater variety of fruits and vegetables (and meats and sauces and other basics) than I ever had before Thrive. With freeze dried food, everything is always in season. And I don't have to eat it all right away.
Let me just list some things I've eaten lately (and frequently) that I never used to eat, except occasionally when in season or in my garden: mangoes, blueberries, kale, asparagus, sweet cherries, peaches, green and red peppers, pears, pineapple, cranberries, butternut squash, strawberries, cucumbers, raspberries, mushrooms. And that's definitely not all.
Seriously, I used to be kind of a boring banana/carrot/apple/celery kind of gal. It's hard to get 10 servings of fruits and veggies with limited choices like that. And when I did buy the occasional melon or pear or mango, it was often unripe or too ripe or spoiled before I could finish it.
I'm telling you, freeze dried food has changed everything! For example, studies show that eating berries every day reduces all kinds of health risks...specifically certain cancers and heart disease. Because of Thrive, I do that. And I feel a difference.
Thrive produces a drink called Ruvi -- now its own company -- that is made exclusively from freeze dried fruits and vegetables (fiber and all). I drink a different flavor every day, which means that every four days I have eaten 26 different fruits and vegetables, including things like acai berries and moringa. That kind of fruit and vegetable consumption works some serious magic in your body.
Conclusion
I genuinely believe that the time is coming when freeze dried food will be a staple in almost everyone's diet. We've tried all the processing and preservatives and other nonsense, and are finally taking back our health and enjoying the nourishment and goodness that only nature provides. Only now, we have a little more choice.
I have to smile when I see the ads for the newest "nutrition science breakthrough" isolating some magical compound or practice that will cost a lot of money and need a lot of supplementation. We can't recreate in a lab what happens naturally all around us. We already have what we need -- and it's in the good of the land. Let's not make this harder than it has to be.
Are you a freeze dried food fan? A plant based eater? A prepper? A traveler? An athlete? Tell us your story! What are the benefits YOU have noticed?
love thrive food!