Nutrient Survival Review ~ High Quality Emergency Food

Nutrient Survival is one of the highest quality emergency food suppliers on the market.  We’ve tested every one of their meals, and I’ll share how each one tasted.

Emergency food is one of those things that most people buy and stock away in a back closet for “just in case.”  It can be hard (if not impossible) to find emergency food reviews from people who have actually eaten the food.

When an emergency actually happens, few people have the time (or internet connectivity) to review a product.  They’re just stuck with it, for better or worse.

Personally, I’m not comfortable storing emergency food I haven’t tried, so when my family made the decision to store compact, lightweight freeze-dried emergency food I decided to test each and every emergency food supplier on the market.

Some of the emergency food brands were pretty terrible and cooked into little more than a starchy paste (without flavor or texture, and way too much salt).  Others were absolutely incredible and as good as a home-cooked meal right out of the package.

I was initially skeptical of Nutrient Survival, largely because their advertising promotes their meals as “health food.”  It’s not that emergency food shouldn’t be healthy.  It’s actually more important than ever to fuel your body well during an emergency.

The thing is, I’m just naturally skeptical of health claims when someone’s trying to sell me something.

When I first tried them, they advertised that their kits were “specifically designed to exceed (by 2.5x!) the nutritional standards of the US Military for its most elite warriors, Special Operations Forces.”

When I actually tried Nutrient Survival’s food, I was pleasantly surprised.  They make some of the best tasting and most satisfying emergency meals I’ve eaten to date.  Since they’re more than bulk calories, these nutrient-dense meals really stick with you all day.

They’re also one of the few emergency food suppliers that make “just add water” emergency food.  Most types need to be simmered on the stove for 20 to 30 minutes, which means both cook time and dishes.  These meals, on the other hand, just have you pour boiling water (or cold water in a pinch) over the food in a bowl.

After 5 to 10 minutes, it tastes like a freshly cooked meal.  (Really, no joke!)

I love their meals so much that I’ll often grab them on busy weeknights, or hectic mornings when I’m rushing out the door, when I just don’t have time to cook.  Instead, I boil a kettle of water and I’m eating a hot, delicious, healthy meal in about 10 minutes.

What Does Nutrient Survival Sell?

Nutrient Survival sells ready-to-eat freeze-dried meals that you prepare without cooking.  Just add hot water (or cold water in a pinch) and you’ll have a meal in your bowl ready to eat in minutes.

Their hot lunch and dinner meals include:

• Southwestern Medley
• Triple Cheese Mac
• Hearty Lasagna

They have some comfort food breakfasts as well, including:

• Homestyle Scramble
• Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal
• Maple Almond Protein Cereal
• Chocolate Protein Cereal

My kids’ favorites were their meal cookies, which were a lot like ready-to-eat meal bars nutritionally, but in a tasty cookie that pleased even the pickiest eaters.  Sadly, the cookies aren’t on their store right now.

They also sell powdered mixes for pantry staples including dried milk powder and powdered eggs.  They’ve added freeze-dried fruits and vegetables in #10 cans, too.

Most of their foods come in durable #10 cans, and some also come in single-serve packs.  For long-term storage, buy the #10 cans.  The smaller pouches aren’t packed for long-term storage.  They also have a build-your-own bug out bag you fill with single-serve meals.

Pros

• Tastes Great: We eat these on busy weekdays, and they’re popular with the whole family.
• Nutrient-Dense: Plenty of protein, and full of nutrients like omega fatty acids.
• Single Serve or Bulk Packaging Options: Options for single people or large families.  For long-term storage, stick with the #10 cans.
• Just Add Water: No cooking equipment required.
• Portable: The single-serve packs are easy to toss in a bag for meals on the go.
• Good Price: One of the most affordable “just add water” emergency food options.  There are less expensive options, but they need cooking on the stove for about 20 minutes per meal (rather than just pouring boiling water on the food to rehydrate).

Cons

• Price: These are a great deal for “just add water” emergency food, but they’re not “bargain-basement cheap.”  When I checked in November 2026, a #10 can of one of their meals was $59.99.  If you’re on a tight budget, I’d go with My Patriot Supply, my pick for the best all-around value.  Their meals need cooking in a pot, though (and that means dishes).  Here’s my full review of My Patriot Supply emergency food.
• Limited Selection: They only make four hot meals right now, so you’ll want other foods for variety.  They do have breakfasts, pantry staples, and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, too.

Nutrient Survival Taste Test

As I’ve already mentioned, these are some of the best tasting and easiest to prepare emergency food options available.  I keep them in my basement for an actual emergency, but I also keep a few options in my pantry for last-minute meals on the go.

When I’m running out the door to an appointment in the morning, I’ll pour hot water over a bowl of breakfast scramble, and it’s hot and ready to eat by the time the coffee is ready.

Homestyle Scramble

My favorite meal from Nutrient Survival is their Homestyle Scramble, largely because it’s so unique.  Packaged breakfasts are almost always carb-heavy cereals, but this is a hot and hearty mix of scrambled eggs, potatoes, and peppers.

When I have a bowl of this I’m full for many hours, and I feel like I’ve had a whole home-cooked breakfast.

Southwestern Medley

Classic beans and rice with enough warm spices to give it flavor, but not enough to make it spicy.

Their Southwestern Medley is a good option for pleasing a wide variety of people, and it has balanced nutrition to keep you fueled.

Triple Cheese Mac

A couple of things I’ll note about their Triple Cheese Mac.

First of all, it’s not classic elbows, which confused my kids.  (“Can you even make mac and cheese in other shapes?!?!” my 6-year-old asked.)  I actually found that the spiral pasta rehydrated better than elbows from other brands, so while it’s a little different it worked out better as a freeze-dried emergency food option.

The other thing I’ll say is it’s not exactly a kid’s mac and cheese anyway.  (It’s a far cry from Kraft yellow elbows.)  This is more like homemade mac and cheese, with a rich cheese sauce and herbs added to give it a more mature flavor.

Lasagna

I’ll put it out there: it’s really hard to make a layered lasagna as freeze-dried food.  As a sheet, it just wouldn’t rehydrate right.

Still, they managed to get all the flavors of lasagna into this pasta dish, and though it looks like a bowl of pasta with sauce, there’s a lot more going on here flavor-wise.

Breakfast Options

Beyond their hot meal options, they also have cold breakfast options including:

• Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal
• Maple Almond Protein Cereal
• Chocolate Protein Cereal

While these were all totally fine (and popular with my kids), they’re not my favorites because I’d rather have prepared hot meals in my long-term food storage.

Freeze Dried Pantry Staples

Nutrient Survival also sells pantry staples like dried milk powder and powdered eggs.

These have been really handy in a pinch when we’ve run out of fresh milk and I didn’t have time to go to the store.  (It’s amazing how fast kids can run through a gallon.)

The #10 can is great if you’ve got a large family, but as a quick backup, I like the small pouches because they make just enough to get me through to the next grocery trip.  The pouches aren’t packed for long-term storage, though.  For your emergency food storage, buy the #10 cans.

Nutrient Survival Vs. Competitors

How does Nutrient Survival compare to other survival food companies?

It’s one of the few brands offering just add hot water meals (rather than meals that cook on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes).  They’re also some of the most nutritionally dense and great-tasting meals available.

Right now, my top picks are My Patriot Supply for the best all-around value, Mountain House for premium meals, and Emergency Essentials for bulk ingredients.  Nutrient Survival is in my also good group, along with Valley Food Storage.

Valley Food Storage makes tasty meals, but a few of them don’t cook up quite right if you follow the package directions.  The packaging on my more recent orders hasn’t been the best, either, and they’re expensive.  Their meals need cooking, too, which may not be practical depending on the type of emergency.  Here’s my Valley Food Storage review.

My Patriot Supply meals are tasty and well packaged, and they cost a lot less than Nutrient Survival.  The trade-off is that you cook them in a pot, so they’re not “just add water.”

Some people compare Nutrient Survival to Mountain House meals because they’re both just add water, and I’ve done head-to-head taste tests.  Mountain House is my premium pick.  Everything cooks right in the pouch, the flavor is amazing, and there are no dishes.  It’s really expensive, though.  (Here’s my Mountain House meals review.)

Another competitor that comes close to Nutrient Survival’s taste and protein is Peak Refuel.  It’s a just add water camping meal with some really unique meal options.  The flavor is great, and they’re high in meat and protein.  I like them more than Backpacker’s Pantry, but never better than Mountain House (here’s my Peak Refuel review).

If I had to pick a competitor that’s closest to Nutrient Survival, that’d be it.  The problem is Peak Refuel is quite a bit more expensive, and it only comes in pouches (even their buckets are full of pouches), which aren’t ideal for extended emergencies or large families.

Preparedness Resources

Looking for more preparedness resources?

• Best (and Worst) Survival Food Kits
• Survival Gardening: Our Real Life Dry Run
• Best Survival Seed Banks
• Canning Water for Emergencies