Dehydrating food is the process of slowly removing moisture from food using traditional methods such as air- or solar-drying, or modern technology such as a dehydrator. Dehydrated food is a convenient, long-lasting option that’s good to have on hand when you need it or as an emergency supply at home. It’s also brilliant for camping trips, offshore sailing, and expeditions!
There are many advantages to dehydrating food that you may not know, making it a useful choice for all kinds of situations and needs. To get you updated, here are seven benefits of dehydrated camping food that you should know:
1. Preserves 100% of Nutrition
Dehydrated meals retain the same vitamins, minerals, and nutritional value as fresh ingredients. This makes dehydrated food marvellous for replenishing your body with plenty of nutrients when you’re camping, hiking, or enjoying other outdoor activities.
100% of the fibre and minerals such as selenium, potassium, and magnesium (essential for body functions!) are preserved from whole fruit and vegetables. Similarly, vitamins A, E, and K are retained in near entirety during the dehydration process.
2. Long Shelf Life
A modern dehydrator removes roughly 75% of the moisture from ingredients. Once dehydrated, the ingredients are packed inside airtight, moisture-proof jars, bags, or containers. When stored properly, such as in a cool, dark area, foods like rice, corn, wheat, and other grains can last for many years. This is also the same for vegetables, fruits, and pastas.
3. No Preservatives
Dehydrated food doesn’t have any chemicals or preservatives that are harmful to your body and the environment. As such, it’s a great option for those looking to eat less processed foods.
4. Affordability
Our dehydrated packaged food starts from £5.50 per bag (e.g. TentMeals Subtly Cinnamon Breakfast), which is affordable for most campers. Each package is filled with fresh, healthy ingredients that help replenish a camper’s body after an exhausting trip or hike. For example, the TentMeals Subtly Cinnamon Breakfast has dates, pears, apples, and other nutritious ingredients.
5. Compact and Light to Carry
Dehydrated foods are compact, lightweight, and easy to carry.
For example, our Firepot Spicy Pork Noodles weigh only 105g, making the ready-to-eat meal ideal to carry when you’re camping, hiking, yachting, fishing, or going on other outdoor activities and expeditions.
Our main, larger-portion meals are also very light and compact. For example, our Firepot Chilli Non Carne and Rice package, which is slightly larger in portion size than many dehydrated food packages in our selection, weighs only 135g. The pack offers 485kcal per 100g.
6. Easy to Store
Dried food takes less than one-sixth of its original storage space and doesn’t require the ongoing electrical drain of a refrigerator or freezer. To store dehydrated food, simply put it in your pantry, garage, or any extra space you have in your home. Likewise, they’re easy to fit in your backpack without having to bring an ice cooler (or extra space for beers)!
7. Low Risk of Bacteria Growth and Spoiling
The dehydration process removes most of the water content from food, thereby minimising the risk of bacterial growth or spoiling in dehydrated food. This is why campers, hikers, and even astronauts commonly consume dehydrated food!
Is Dehydrated Food Good for You?
Because dehydrated food retains the vast majority of its nutritional value, it is just as good for you as the food in its original form! This means that all of our choices of healthy dehydrated meals are just as nutritious as they would be before being dehydrated. The only exception is that some heat-sensitive nutrients, such as vitamin C and certain B vitamins, can be reduced during the drying process. However, vitamin C, in particular, can be restored to foods by adding citric acid if that is a concern for you.
As a particularly healthy option, our TentMeals range includes many dehydrated meals made solely with wholesome, natural ingredients. Their meals avoid increasing calorie counts by using oil and instead use a healthy mix of nuts, seeds and coconut products. What’s more, their meals are all vegan, making them accessible to most.
Shop Dehydrated Meals at Base Camp Food
Now that you know the many advantages of dehydrating food, you may be interested in stocking up, whether for an upcoming expedition or simply to have on standby in case of emergency. If you’ve been tempted, we have a fantastic selection of dehydrated meals at Base Camp Food.
Our collection includes top brands such as our TentMeals products, Firepot meals, Radix Nutrition meals, and many more that offer maximum flavour, convenience, and shelf life with minimum weight. These include gluten-free camping food, vegan camping food, vegetarian camping food, and lactose-free meals to ensure that everyone is catered for.
If you’d like to know anything more about our dehydrated meals, camping meals, or mountaineering equipment, a member of our team will gladly help you out when you get in touch.