I've been a very active athlete for several decades. One of the areas many athletes research is nutrition. As a result of several years of evaluation and reading, I've recently become a representative for Shelf Reliance ( LeeAldridge.shelfreliance.com ). You may view the available products by choosing the "shop now" button on the lower left of that page.
There are several advantages offered by freeze-dried food:
Anyone who has any questions or interest in these products should contact me via PM. I will then provide my email address to conduct the discussion off the forum. My relationship with the company is such that I can provide discounted pricing to interested parties. However, there will be NO discussion on the forum about prices. The forum owners were kind enough to allow me to share this information with the membership. Please honor my request to keep "business" off the forum.
Thanks,
Lee
There are several advantages offered by freeze-dried food:
- Nutritional Value: When typical grocery-store food is picked, it is picked when green and allowed to ripen during shipping and storage. This process results in a lower vitamin concentration because the food was not "mature" when picked... its final ripening occurred during a period when it was not fed by its root system. Fresh produce also sits on store shelves an average of three or more days after its arrival at the store, further diminishing its nutritional value.
Freeze-dried food (as sold by Shelf Reliance) is picked when ripe and immediately frozen. This process preserves a higher percentage of the nutritional value of the produce. The food is allowed to ripen while still being fed via its root system, then degradation is curtailed by freezing as quickly as possible. There are no shipping/storage related issues with freshness.
- Shipping Economy: The cost of produce at the grocery store is tied to the cost of gasoline, as all fresh produce must be trucked to sales sites. The cost of shipping is related to both the cost of fuel and the weight/dimensions of the load carried. Freeze-dried food is shipped a shorter distance directly to the preparation facility. When shipped from the company to you, there is no water weight of the produce, which comprises a very high percentage of the total weight. For example: the equivalent of over 20 bananas weighs one pound when freeze-dried. (Check at your grocery store to see how many bananas = one pound). Since grocery priced are tied to fuel prices, any increases in the cost of gasoline are passed on to the food buyer, amplified by the fuel usage of the large trucks needed to carry the heavy, bulky loads. Natural disasters, strikes, and political agendas, etc. all impact the cost of fuel as well. Shipping lighter, compact loads reduces the financial vulnerability to these effects.
- Waste Economy: It is estimated that the average American family throws away 25% of the produce they purchase at the grocery store. It is not unusual to leave "leftovers" in the refrigerator until they are "re-discovered" and thrown away. It is also common to use a portion of an onion when cooking, part of a tomato, etc. when preparing a meal, only to throw the rest of it away several days later. It is also common to throw away portions of meals that aren't completely eaten by one's family. As a father of two boys, I can't tell you how much food I throw away because they don't finish something that they just "had to have" and only took a few bites.... I'd actually estimate my family's waste at closer to 33%
With the freeze-dried food, you simply pull out the estimated amount you will eat. There is no waste due to a package having more food in it than you want at the current meal. The only waste is any unfinished portion of food left on the plate.
- Convenience and Preparation Time: Freeze-dried food is already sliced, chopped, or diced into typical sizes for use of that item. You merely take the desired amount of food out of the container. Many of the foods taste great when eaten directly from the container. The freeze-dried food is easily "reconstituted" in water in a few minutes. If you are cooking soup, stew, etc., the produce will reconstitute during the heating process. So, there is no food preparation time related to "sizing" the food for consumption. For instance, I was treated to scrambled eggs: using whole egg powder, instant milk powder, and some water in the frying pan, I had delicious scrambled eggs in two minutes. I will swear that I couldn't tell any difference from eggs prepared in the conventional way.
With my wife and myself both working in medicine, our schedule can often mess up our dinner plans. When time runs short, we find ourselves pressured, and thereby tempted, to pick up some fast food. As this is neither good value or nutritionally excellent, it's a poor way out of the time crunch. The super-fast prep time of the freeze-dried foods has cut our fast food trips down by 75%.
- Shelf Life/Spoilage: I'm sure we are all aware of how quickly much of the food we purchase will go "out of date" as evidenced with the "Best By" imprint on the package. The shelf life of unopened freeze-dried foods is 25 years, when stored in good conditions. Once opened, many of the products are good for 2 years! You won't be throwing away any food that goes past its expiration.
- Future Preparation/Survival: Since the freeze-dried foods are so compact, it's simple to set aside a very impressive hedge against inflation, trucking strikes, food recalls due to contamination, etc. A small closet can hold a year's food supply...
Anyone who has any questions or interest in these products should contact me via PM. I will then provide my email address to conduct the discussion off the forum. My relationship with the company is such that I can provide discounted pricing to interested parties. However, there will be NO discussion on the forum about prices. The forum owners were kind enough to allow me to share this information with the membership. Please honor my request to keep "business" off the forum.
Thanks,
Lee
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