As someone who has experienced first-hand the critical importance of emergency preparation, I consider a stocked pantry one of our greatest assets.
Unexpected disasters like storms can rupture supply chains – cutting off access even in developed nations. Extended grid failures from cyber attacks or solar flares can leave grocery shelves empty in days. And that’s not even considering rapid viral threats mutating beyond our control.
Having reliable food reserves brings tremendous peace of mind amidst so much uncertainty. It lets families focus on togetherness with basic needs covered.
But with all the preserving methods and products out there, how do you choose an emergency food supply right for your household? One that will be there when you need it most?
I took the guesswork out by rigorously vetting the best of the best. In this detailed guide I’ll unpack my personal experience as a Legacy Food Storage customer for over 5 years and why I continue entrusting their products to nourish my family. I’ll also equip you to:
- Learn how freeze-dried food supports resilience compared to alternatives
- Discover what critical advantages Legacy brings over competitors
- Sample Legacy’s delicious foods first-hand just as I do on a regular basis
- Confidently prepare your own supplies to fortify the ones you love
When facing the unknown, being ready makes all the difference. Let’s begin your preparation journey together…
Why Legacy Food Storage Leads the Pack
Before partnering with any brand, I scrutinize manufacturing processes, ingredient sources and conduct my own taste tests.
Legacy checks every box.
As pioneers in survival food since 2009, their depth of experience creates obvious advantages. Rigorous quality controls ensure meals easily last a guaranteed 25 years when stored properly.
With award-winning taste and texture absent fillers, Legacy proves you don’t have to sacrifice quality for practicality. Their chefs meticulously balance flavor and nutrition all from US farms and facilities.
While most competitors import opaque supply chains, Legacy’s proud Utah roots and American facilities brought me peace of mind. Knowing the hands crafting your instruments of survival shares your values matters.
But don’t just take my word – Legacy’s decades of glowing customer reviews speak for themselves.
“We tried your Italian Herb Casserole and were transported back to our favorite Italian restaurant! So amazing for a freeze-dried meal. Thank you for giving us comfort and security.”
When everything else fails, food brings people together on the most primal level. Legacy empowers this sustaining family tradition when you need it most.
Next we’ll unpack the secrets enabling Legacy’s 25-year freshness and mouthwatering flavor…
How Freeze Drying Makes Legacy Foods Soar
Have you noticed "freeze-dried" callouts on everything from astronaut ice cream to survivalist TV dramas? But what makes this process so special?
Freeze drying removes water from cooked foods, preserving the underlying structure nearly intact. Picture fresh berries transforming into airy, crispy bits bursting with concentrated flavor.
By keeping moisture minimal, critical oxidation and bacteria growth halt. Like an eons-long time warp.
Without moisture acting as a conduit, nutrients stay locked within those vibrant original food structures as well, ready to resuscitate their vitality.
While removing the fuel keeping decay reactions humming along, freeze drying also avoids extremes damaging those sensitive nutrients and flavors even more.
See, high temperature canning leeches vitamins and caramelizes natural sugars into unfamiliar territorty. Chilling ice crystals in freezing burst cell walls, causing irrecoverable texture loss.
Freeze drying hits the sweet spot both preserving maximal nutrients and delicate textures foods rehydrate directly from.
Legacy’s mastery in the space is no accident. Their dedicated freeze dryers extract precise moisture levels product-by-product, achieving that crumby crunch or fluffy rice integrity perfecting both immediate enjoyment and decades-long viability.
And remember – Legacy skips pointers and MSG commonly propping up lesser freeze-dried brands. Their fruits and veggies harness vibrant notes directly from fresh, ripe origins. Soups and grains bring heartiness absent cheap binding agents. Legacy lets whole foods speak nourishment for themselves.
Now that you understand the lasting quality freeze drying enables, let’s examine Legacy products first-hand and cover ideal emergency food recommendations from experts…
Just remember – their 25-year rates do require cool, dark storage absent excess moisture enabling oxidative reactions. An interior closet or basement pantry area tends to work perfectly.
Putting Legacy Foods to My Personal Taste Test
Though I primarily save Legacy kits specifically for emergencies, I occasionally sample meals simply for their convenience and wholesome nutrition. Their dishes liven up boring work lunches or give my cooking a night off when time runs short.
I’ll spotlight a few favorite meals and how they’ve buoyed my household so far…
Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal
One staple in my Legacy collection is their Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal packet – a favorite weekend breakfast for my family. The balanced sweetness from real maple and molasses provide natural energy that avoids a blood sugar crash.
Compared to other pre-made oatmeals loaded with plain white sugar or chemical substitutes, you can pronounce every hearty ingredient in Legacy’s formula. And while some freeze-dried oats turn to mush, Legacy perfects that dry, al dente texture oatmeal fans crave with every nostalgic bite.
For my veggie-averse 8 year old, I sometimes rehydrate Legacy’s broccoli or carrots as novel additionsinto her bowl too!
Tuscan Pasta & Meatballs
I also adore Legacy’s Tuscan Pasta & Meatballs pouch for a fast but filling dinner after busy workdays. The tender pasta rehydrates in our electric kettle in under 8 minutes while I toss a mixed greens salad.
Where many freeze-dried company’s attempt Italian dishes, stumbling on bland marinaras, Legacy nails both savory umami and balanced acidity brightening each bite. There’s just enough parsley and garlic for that gourmet flair. And while some meat rehydrates to weird textures, their beef stays wonderfully juicy and satisfying. This hearty, restaurant-worthy dish always satisfies.
Emergency 72-Hour Kit
For my emergency grab-and-go backpack I count on Legacy’s thoughtfully curated 72-hour kits containing a variety of meals, snacks and drinks. Just add water and a way to boil it.
I modified my kit to include preferred flavors like their yummy pancakes and savory stroganoff. But Legacy experts can help customize kits and portions perfectly tailored for your family as well.
Their packs easily tuck under car seats, in RV luggage bays or storm shelter corners always ready for the unexpected. Because Legacy foods last so remarkably long unopened, I never have to second guess if kits remain up to date. The true definition of “set it and forget it.”
My Verdict
While Legacy saves their biggest nutritional firepower for true survival situations, their meals nourish life’s everyday adventures deliciously too. I can’t recommend stocking your shelves highly enough!
Up next we’ll dive into exact emergency food guidance from seasoned preparation experts…
Emergency Stock Up Checklists from Preparation Experts
With weather disasters increasing yearly, government agencies urge households to stock up on essential provisions including food, water and sanitization.
I asked long-time emergency prep insider Jacob Hess from Ready Guys Supply about ideal beginner shopping lists. Here‘s his top wisdom:
“Don’t get overwhelmed trying to amass a year supply immediately. Start with building a simple 72-hour load-out like Legacy’s convenient kits. Expand versions for your car and other go-bags to cover evacuation needs. After assembling mobile essentials, accumulate 1-month food reserves eventually working towards a 3-6 month cushion minimum. Consider adding Legacy’s 1-year 4-person mega pack offering complete nutrition peace of mind no matter what unfolds down the road."
With priorities set, which critical categories should your supplies cover? Here’s a checklist:
Water – 1 gallon per person per day minimum; Have storage/filtration
Food – 2500+ calories/day per person
Fuel for Cooking/Heating – Camp Stove, fuel cans
Sanitation Supplies – Toilet paper, garbage bags, cleaner
First Aid – Bandages, ointments, safety tools
Lighting – Headlamps, lanterns, batteries
Communication – Wind-up radio, signal mirrors
Notice food sits centrally as an obvious first chapter. But water access, medical issues, hygiene factors and more can just as easily devastate families lacking dedicated preparation.
Use this list as your launch pad supplementing Legacy food staples with water storage tanks and accessories from their site or elsewhere. Having abundant energy via Legacy’s chemical-free fuel cans enables whipping up hot meals safely indoors. And don’t forget crucial administrative items like local maps, permanent markers, paper, and pencil backups either.
While reviewing recent customer feedback, Legacy products earned distinction for packaging durability and sustained nutrition too. So rest assured your investment stays protected and potent thanks to their exceptional manufacturing. Now let’s examine how selecting your unique food assortment and portability also ensure readiness…
Choose Foods Aligned to Your Family’s Needs
While complete nutrition matters during disasters, individual priorities influence your ideal mix. Plan foods fostering mental resilience through comforting flavors in already distressing times.
For my family that means including familiar breakfast dishes like pancakes and savory favorites like Legacy’s taco filler or chicken alfredo. Having quick snack items on hand for morale-lifting infusion worked well too.
Think through allergies, sensitivities, ages and health factors as well when designing kits. Legacy offers gluten and dairy free options, vegetarian/vegan picks and lean profiles catering well here. If you’re expecting, stock bonus iron and mineral-dense items providing proper nourishment for you and baby no matter what unfolds.
And remember kid-approved tastes help avoid hunger-driven meltdowns! Having tactile snacks like trail mixes, drink mixes and subtly sweet dessert bars diverts attention from surrounding distress for young ones. Legacy nails child-friendly flavors across categories minimzing traumatic memories linked to food down the road.
For mobility also consider loading variously sized packages across your stash – individual pouches for lunches, resealable medium portions lasting a few days and more. Larger kits headquarters in your shelter supply whole weeks for a family. Blending transportable cases through your reserves ensures sustenance on-hand for any lengths of separation or evacuation.
I personally cache Legacy products across our key evacuation routes accessible if needed during transit. My reliable Legacy supplies provide flexibility shoring up gaps however events unfold.
Their seasoned team stands ready to advise your custom assortment as well. Just reach out before purchase for personalized guidance. Ensuring proper continuity across your preparation provides stability when everything else spins out of control.
Now for the final chapter, I’ll leave you with my personal Legacy shopping & storage tips I wish I knew starting out…
Insider Tips for New Legacy Customers
Hopefully I’ve impressed upon you the immense advantages Legacy Food Storage offers households prioritizing emergency preparation and food self-sufficiency. Their unbeatable 4-decade shelf life outpaces competitors 2 to 1!
Here‘s my personal advice making that first Legacy order a powerful success:
Do Taste Tests – Evaluate flavors suiting your family before an actual crisis. Check texture, portions etc.
Rotate Stock – Incorporate pouches into meals routinely. First In, First Out. Replenish what you consume.
Store Properly – Follow cool/dry storage guidance enabling 25-year viability.
Re-Inventory Annually – Set occasional reminders refreshing yourself on supply status.
Share the Journey – Get friends and family involved. Disaster prep bonds communities!
While initially daunting, emergency preparation quickly becomes a fun hobby. Lean on Legacy’s awesome customer support for personalized guidance tailoring the ideal supplies you can feel great about.
Visit LegacyFoodStorage’s website browsing their unparalleled inventory now. I highly recommend starting with a custom 72-hour kit aligned to your situation. Use code READY20 for 20% everything sitewide as a welcome offer exclusive to my community!
Stay vigilant out there friends. Here’s to many resilient days ahead thanks to smart emergency diligence. I’ll be right here alongside you and Legacy every step of the way!
