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My patriot supply is one of the best-known emergency food suppliers, and their food is consistently less expensive than other long-term food storage options. But how does it taste? Does this emergency food kit have enough calories to keep you satisfied?
Generally, I’m skeptical of emergency food companies, especially those with apocalyptic advertising that plays on people’s worst fears. There’s nothing stopping a company from making horrible food if they think you’re just going to pack it away in the bunker and never eat it.
If you’re going to store emergency food, it’s incredibly important to test it ahead of time, both to learn how it tastes and learn how to cook it.
My Patriot Supply is one of the most inexpensive emergency food options on the market, and I honestly wasn’t expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised and all their food was easy to cook and had good flavor.
The portions are larger than many emergency food brands, and they contain a minimum of 2,000 calories per day.
Add in 25-year shelf life and space-saving packaging, and this is a great option to keep on a shelf in the back closet for the next emergency.
That said, there are some downsides (which I’ll cover in a moment). These are not the very best emergency meals in my opinion, but they are the best budget emergency food available on the market today. (Here’s where you can read a full review of the best emergency food suppliers.)
I’ll take you through each meal and how to cook it, plus some pro tips on how to add on to their basic kits over time to get the best nutrition (if and when your budget allows later on down the line).
What Does Patriot Food Supply Sell?
Unlike other emergency food companies, My patriot supply doesn’t just sell emergency food. They try to be your one-stop-shop for stocking your emergency kit. They do specialize in food of course, but they also source high-quality gear.
You should always start by checking their “deal of the day” page. It features a different product each day, and they’re usually half off.
In order to eat the food, you’ll need some way to cook it as well as fresh potable water. They offer:
- Cooking Gear and Survival Tools
- Stoves, Fuel, and Lighters
- Power Generation and Lighting
- Water Filtration
- First Aid and Medical Kits
- Survival Books
As far as food goes, they offer a number of food kits designed to last for a short-term emergency or a long-term emergency.
For the short term emergency:
- 72 Hour Emergency Food Kit
- 1 Week Emergency Food Kit
- 2 Week Emergency Food Kit
- 4 Week Emergency Food Kit
For the long term emergency:
Beyond that, they also have add-ons to their meal kits that allow you to adjust the food to your tastes. Things like:
- Freeze Dried Meat that can be added into meals during cooking to increase the protein content.
- Freeze Dried Fruit that can be eaten right out of the package as a tasty nutrient-rich snack.
- Freeze Dried Scrambled Eggs that make a spectacular breakfast (and are a welcome alternative to oatmeal)
- Freeze Dried Egg Powder that can be used in baking, allowing you to easily cook with stored flour and sugar.
- Sprouting Seeds that add fresh greenery into your meals, whether they’re used as sprouts or homegrown microgreens.
They also offer long-term storage coffee that will keep for extended periods and gluten-free emergency food.
If I were just going to choose one thing, I’d go with their Ultimate Solar Powered Cooking and Emergency Kit, which not only contains food but everything you need to cook it. It also has a high-grade water filtration system and solar charger for your devices.
That said, their most popular starter option is their one-week ammo can emergency food supply kit. It provides 2,000 calories per day for one person for a week, and it comes packed in a sealed ammo can for easy storage.
Patriot Food Supply Review
As I mentioned, given that they’re usually advertised as the “economy” option, I wasn’t expecting much. Cheap calories to put into your back closet for a real hunker-down emergency.
I was pleasantly surprised by the kit, and actually really enjoyed the food. While it’s not grandma’s home cooking, it’s much better than many of the “convenience” meals on the market today.
It definitely tops microwave dinners, frozen pizza, and cans of Chef Boyardee.
Hot and ready in minutes, plus a 25-year shelf life? Total win.
Pros
- Inexpensive ~ As one of the least expensive emergency food options, it’s an easy way to get peace of mind.
- Light & Portable ~ Freeze-dried meals are really light, and these are packed for easy portability.
- Over 2,000 Calories per Day ~ Many emergency food suppliers actually provide less than 1,000 calories per day in their meals, which is unacceptable in my opinion. All of My Patriot Pantry’s kits include more than 2,000 calories per day of real food, without resorting to sugary drink mixes to pump up the stats.
- Options to Upgrade ~ If you’re on a budget, the basic meal kits work really well, and you can always add no. 10 cans of freeze-dried meat, eggs, veggies & fruit later to increase your cooking options.
- Fast Shipping ~ While other suppliers take 3-4 weeks to ship, My Patriot Supply ships same day via Fedex 2 day delivery!
Cons
- Cook Time ~ These meals are not “instant” like freeze-dried camping food (ie. Mountain House meals), where you just pour boiling water over the top and wait. They do actually need to be cooked. Just about every Patriot Pantry meal requires simmering in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. Not the end of the world, but worth mentioning.
- Package Size ~ Each package contains 4 servings to save on space. Packaging takes up a lot of the volume in any emergency food kit, and having individual servings means a lot of mylar pouches to store. It’s practical, but not ideal if you’re going to be eating alone.
How to Cook Patriot Food Supply Meals
As I mentioned, you’ll need to cook My Patriot Supply emergency food before you eat it. While instant would be nice, cooking for 15 to 20 minutes isn’t the end of the world.
If it does happen to be “the end of the world” you’ll need to have a way to boil a pot of water, so keep that in mind. Their ultimate emergency kit includes both food and emergency cooking options, along with water filtration, so it’s a good all-in-one option.
To cook My Patriot Pantry meals, simply bring a pot of water to boil on the stove and pour in the contents of the packet. The exact amount of water and cook time varies by the meal, but it’s usually around a few cups of water and 15-20 minutes.
All the meals absorb the water to cook, and are just a single packet, so there’s no straining pasta through a colander or extra steps. Just pour into boiling water, cook, and eat.
If you are looking for a truly “instant” just add water to the pouch option, then you’re going to pay a bit more. It’ll save you cooking time, not to mention washing pots and pans during an emergency.
Even meals from my favorite emergency food supplier, Valley Food Storage, require a short cook on the stove.
That said, there are instant options.
Nutrient Survival costs a bit more, but all their meals are “just add water” (no cooking required). They’re also much higher in protein, vitamins, and Omega 3 fatty acids.
Of course, there are also Mountain House camping meals. They’re instant and tasty, but incredibly expensive.
What’s Included in My Patriot Supply Emergency Food?
The contents really depend on the specific kit you choose. I’ll walk you through some of their most common meals, and those that are often included in the meal kits (from the 72 hour kit to the 1-year kit).
Beans and Rice
A staple in most survival meal kits, beans, and rice are a balanced meal that satisfies.
The version from My Patriot Pantry was well seasoned, and not all that different from the beans and rice I make from our home-canned beans.
Their Black Bean Soup is pictured below, which is why it’s more of a soup consistency. They also have bean and rice kits, which cook up into a fork-able dish.
Both options are delicious on their own, but they’re even better with some freeze-dried cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.
Unfortunately, long-term storage cheese is one of the few things that My Patriot Supply doesn’t sell. You’d have to get that, and other pantry staples, from Emergency Essentials, Valley Food Storage, or Augason Farms. Remember, this is a starter kit and you can always add on extras like cheese/toppings later.
Macaroni and Cheese
It’s kind of amazing that they’re able to create a creamy, just add a water mac and cheese pouch.
There’s no colander or straining with this kit, and you don’t have to mix the cheese powder separately. Simply pour the pouch into a measured amount of boiling water, stir and allow it to simmer until it’s done.
The pasta’s perfectly cooked and the cheese sauce is creamy and rich, without any additional dishes.
Potato Soup
Most emergency food suppliers include some version of potato soup in their offerings.
It’s neutral, inoffensive, and filling, and a good option if you have kids or picky eaters at home.
The Potato Soup from My Patriot Supply is more interesting than most, and it’s got good chunks of potatoes in there which makes it a lot more satisfying than a completely smooth potato soup. It’s well seasoned too, just enough to compliment the flavors but not enough to overwhelm.
Traveler’s Stew
Believe it or not, this one’s my favorite meal from My Patriot Supply.
It’s called Traveler’s Stew, and it’s a hearty soup with rice, pasta, carrots, and lentils. Incredibly comforting, without being heavy or rich. Mac and cheese is comfort food too, but of a different sort.
This one’s more like comfort food for the soul, where you’d curl up under a blanket and enjoy it during a blizzard (or snuggled up when you’re sick).
Maple Oatmeal
For breakfast, they include a 25-year shelf life Maple Oatmeal.
We’re in Vermont, so we know maple, and I’ve gotta say they got the seasoning down for this one. It smells and tastes intensely maple-y right out of the package.
Packaged instant oatmeal is obviously nothing fancy, but they did a good job with this one. It’s quite similar to quaker instant oatmeal, though I’d say it has a better maple flavor and better texture. It’s also not quite as sweet as quaker oatmeal, which is always a bit over the top for my tastes.
The bonus is, unlike regular oatmeal packets this one’s packed to be shelf-stable for 25 years.
Hacking My Patriot Supply Meals
Personally, I think My Patriot Supply is the best budget option for emergency food. The recipes are tasty, it’s well packaged and it’s affordable.
There’s already a good mix of protein in there, but you can always add on a Meat and Protein Kit. Mixing in freeze-dried meat to the black bean soup or traveler’s stew would really add in terms of both flavor and nutrition.
(I even have a guide to cooking with freeze-dried meat if you’re interested.)
Adding in scrambled eggs would really increase your breakfast options too.
Or you could just supplement the oatmeal with a pack of freeze-dried fruit, which would allow you to have a different flavor each day.
Adding plain white rice is also a good way to extend the meals, and most of the dishes would be great served with white rice.
Lastly, adding in some pantry staples would allow you to bake or cook favorite meals (like pancakes). Their pantry staples pack includes 25-year shelf life freeze-dried milk, eggs, butter, and bread mix.
Patriot Food Supply Equipment
One real bonus of My Patriot Supply is that they also sell emergency equipment, which means you can get everything you need to stock your kit from one supplier.
Most other emergency food companies just sell food, which means you’ll be looking elsewhere for cooking equipment, water filtration, and lighting.
If you’re not sure what you need, I’d suggest going with the ultimate emergency kit, which includes food, a cook stove, and water filtration all in one package.
For the budget-minded, a simple 1-week kit or 1-month kit is an easy answer, provided you already have good emergency options for cooking and water filtration.
All around, I thought these were great kits. Tasty food, easy to cook, family-friendly, 2,000+ calories per day and perfect for emergency preparedness on a budget.
I’m really surprised by this review, particularly given the MANY negative reviews of the company and their products/services. In particular, this review and response, which can be found on the BBB website, exposes “My Patrtiot Supply” as a far less than ethical, if not outright dishonest company. This is something that disappoints me since My Patriot Supply is located in Utah and I am a Utah native – born and raised. Nonetheless, after reading MPS’s response to this person’s complaint, I am convinced they do not give a crap about honesty, customer service or their products. Please reconsider your recommendation of their products and services.
https://www.bbb.org/us/ut/salt-lake-cty/profile/emergency-disaster-preparedness/my-patriot-supply-1166-90017963/complaints#424109002
Initial Complaint
07/04/2021
Complaint Type:
Problems with Product/Service
Status:
AnsweredMore info
On 6/24/2021 I received my order from My Patriot Supply, for a total of $481, all of which was purchased for emergency purposes only and not to be consumed anytime soon. this food has an alleged shelf life of 25 years, as stated by the company. However, my order arrived to me with dented cans; powder sitting on top of the cans, and majority of the food bags I have received still have air moving around inside of them which compromises the integrity of the food and shelf life! I do not feel safe having this food sit for sometime and then eventually having to feed it to my family not knowing what could be inside of these bags, especially in an emergency situation. I contacted customer service through email and by phone, but no manager has called me back. I have provided them with videos and picture of the defective product and the only thing customer service said they can do is replace one of each bags for me when majority of my order is defective and possibly tainted. Thisisunacceptabl
Business response
07/13/2021
Thank you for reaching out. As noted, our customer service team and manager spoke with you on 6/24, a couple of times on 6/25, twice on 7/2, 7/4, and 7/9. Thank you for supplying the photos and videos of the product damaged during shipping. We did offer to replace all damaged items and apologize that that did not meet with your expectations. As requested, your order has been refunded. To your concern, please note that air and our atmosphere is made up of 79% nitrogen. Our packaging includes oxygen absorbers which remove oxygen from inside food packages. It is oxygen that cause food to spoil over time, not nitrogen. The air that remains inside packaging is that 79% nitrogen that does not impact the longevity of the food product. Some would call that a nitrogen flush. That is the remaining air that you are speaking inside the food packaging. Also, about our foods: they are processed at a facility that meets and exceeds the rigorous standards set forth by SQF, USDA, FDA, Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), HACCP, and REAL Seal. Packages are tested several times a day as well as over periods of time into the future to ensure oxygen is being removed from inside the packaging. Our group of companies have been doing this for several decades now and we take pride in producing and delivering a quality product. We sincerely hope you will consider giving us another shot in the future.
It is refreshing to find a site that seems very honest and thorough in the reviews and well researched. This site is very helpful and informative. After reading g s few reviews now I am thinking I will probably collect a variety of things from different companies to diversify my emergency supplies.
Thanks to your article I did not purchase from 4 Patriots but instead from Patriot Supply. They even extended their sale for med so I could afford the payments. Very nice customer service and that counts a lot.
That’s great to know. Thanks so much for sharing.
You can go to the grocery store and buy these items and serving sizes cheaper from well known companies. As far as expiration dates on products, as long as the seal is not broken the majority of things last decades (especially dry goods). Don’t take my word for it, go to the store and prove it yourself.
I purchased the My Patriots supply 1 year mega kit. I would have to say I was somewhat disappointed with the variety in the kit. The kit contained a massive amount of oatmeal. Very little variety. Very little protein. It was not what I was expecting
Thanks for your reviews, they’ve been very helpful coming from an experienced individual’s blog, rather than someone writing for a company/website.
I noticed at the time of your review for My Patriot Supply (09/2021) the ammo cans are labeled “Patriot Pantry”, and now all the food on their website is marked as “Ready Hour”. Do you know if its the same product and they just changed the name & packaging, or if it’s a completely new company from a year ago? I could contact the company and ask, but thought you might have a quicker insight and response.
Thanks for your time!
I’m sorry but I don’t have the answer to that. You would probably be better off to contact them directly.
I was also dumbfounded when I saw the Patriot Pantry items and even worse Some of the dated Postings were well after I became buying from MPS as My favorite mainly because of they’re case pack items (cardboard with envelopes of products which are good for a single person over a couple meals or whatever etc I like how MPS does deal of the day as well as various Markdowns on various offerings , Emergency Essentials and MPS share each others product offerings and both do occasional item markdowns- sales offerings including each others products they sell (interesting) while “Ready hour” is the case pack and #10 can processer of MPS’s Ready hour product and They Never discount or have sales… (interesting) I’ve bought a couple of items from Augeson Mainly specific items #10 cans of apple juice dehydrated , as well as a couple of Apple slices as the other companies dried they ‘res with cinnamon personal choice I can add If I want I cannot remove IF I dont want that I have never purchased From Valley food I have to admit They’re pre-pandemic menu had some interesting Non typical items BUt as I was building as I saw fit They hammered me with spam daily 5 6 8 times a week I finally removed my self from the harrassment I also looked at the Other Patriot (4 patriot) also east of the mississippi and watching various You tubes they really offer more of the same old same old I’ve purchased somethings from them I couldnt get elsewhere but not food at that time they Bate you into buying totes of Food Packs to hide under the bed Great IDEA !! but what sorts of crap food do you end up with? Buy beware ( they also sell the totes on the site if you really wanted to do that for storage long story short I am interested in the label variables The FOODs Offered seem to be the same Having eaten ready hour brand and seeing what the food looks like IT sure looks the same to me Traveler stew spot on including lentils etc so if you fund out Post it I am in New ENgland as well so Its not a western brand not shipped east .. 🙂
Thanks for good information here.
I have a question and I hope you can answer me. I wonder if it’s OK with respect to shelf life (storage time) to divide MPS 3-Month Emergency Food Supply in 2 equal parts (1 part in my home and 1 part in my cottage)? In other words: Is it OK to open the buckets long before using the food inside them?
I really hope you can answer me 🙂
Thank you 🙂
As long as you are not opening up the individual packages inside the bucket, you should be fine.
I have bought the 72 hour kits from several providers, including MPS and Augason. While some of the items from Augason are way better (example the creamy chicken and rice and the potato soup), I do like MPS Mac and cheese whereas the Augason chicken veg soup was a stinker. The strawberry cream of wheat from MPS though was the WORST thing I’ve tried so far…like a spoonful of strawberry Quik mixed into milky wheat farina. So gross! I know you don’t like Augason but I’ve had good luck with their single ingredient items, especially their strawberries which are better than MPS. though Nutristore has the best. I shop the sales and any time I see a #10 can of anything (except salt, sugar, flour, oats or pasta which I’ll get in bulk) under $13, I buy it.
I bought three 3 mo. Kits from 4-patriot so I hope they will be good for some years. However, in at least the last kit I ordered they substituted rice and banana chips for seven and half of the better meals. It made me so angry that I will not buy from them again. After threatening to contact every office that deals with fraud and false advertising they did send the subbed items but I simply don’t trust them anymore and do all my ordering with My Patriot Supply now for about a year. No problems with them. Your article was so interesting and informative. Thanks for the info and opinions.
You’re welcome. We’re glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I’ve been dealing with this company for about 5 years now , During the Pandemic I saw that MY patriot supply was having similar issues with Supply availability of items as well as Trouble with basally they’re guaranteed 2 day shipping often became 2 weeks or More During that Time I also bought from other companies but the Think about MY Patriot supply I LIKE is that they offer #10 cans They Offer CASE packed Items meaning a box of several resealable pouches of an item SO a Single Like myself isnt concerned about Having to each a #10 can full of XYZ by next tuesday , as well they also do the Bin style POT luck pouches as in the 72 hour or 2 week etc drums Which TO me I dont want 20 bags of something gross … Case packs are great Once you have sampled an item and Know its edible for you and yours , then you can feel confident about “traveler stew or Chicken noodle soup, or chicken flavored rice etc eating them you ll be able to plan ways to improve them Like I bought some FD Pineapple so If I open a canned ham that I stored rehydrated Pineapple bits go well … or Ham Dices Added into the potato soup again Just to make it more your own….more homy You’ll see loads of Folks say They are all set !!! Never Tried any of the food … I’d prefer to know how good or bad something is and what might make it palatable I’ve branched out as 2023 saw some increases due to Demands I would suggest MPS and also Emergency essentials you’ll find each company carries some of the other’s products and Both Have regular sales as Was mentioned here “deals of the day” But also markdowns on various items day to day (which change regularly) see it and want it? best to by it ALSO CHECK bOTH SITES SOMETIMES A #10 CAN AT A DISCOUNT COMES OUT CHEEPER THEN A CASE PACK WHICH packets are close to same volume but still higher in price shop that same material delivered differently !!
While I am not a “prepper”, I do have the idea that each of us should be responsible for their own provision and if needed help others along the way. I have purchased some of the 4Patriots products, but have not yet tried them, and don’t want to waste money and time on something that is less than best. Your review of 4Patriot was helpful, as well, your notes on My Patriot Supply was very informative. I for one like variety, and will most likely end up with several choices from several suppliers, depending on my needs. With the world in its present condition, it always is wise to be ready for what can come. So I look forward to keeping up with your notes and such. Thanks for the info.
I agree 100%. You’re very welcome. We’re so glad you found the post helpful.