Special thanks to Valley Food Storage for providing a sample meal for us to test in our home.
It’s hard to find long term food storage items that are not only gluten free but also on the healthy side. When you add in the fact that we want the food to taste good, it makes it even more difficult. Whether we’re putting aside food for emergencies, backpacking, or camping, we want to know that the food is at least fairly healthy, gluten free, and good tasting.
When I was asked it I would be interested in testing out one of the meals from Valley Food Storage, I headed over to their website and saw that they had a gluten free section. I admit that I was a little concerned when I saw they had the oatmeal in this section because I know that there are automatic concerns with oats for those who are gluten free due to cross contamination. Unless the oats have been tested to meet the standards set for gluten free oats, it’s not safe for those who need to be concerned with cross contamination. That being said, several of the other items in the gluten free section looked interesting, so we agreed to test out the Enchilada Beans & Rice.
Before I go into our thoughts on the Enchilada Beans & Rice, I feel it is important to note the statement on the Valley Food Storage website regarding their gluten free products.
If you are looking for some food that is Gluten Free, check out our special Gluten free foods. Our products labeled as Gluten free are made with ingredients that contain no gluten.
*Please note, our facility is NOT an FDA approved Gluten Free environment.
Based upon the experiences of both my husband and daughter, I would have to say that the gluten free products are not safe for those with Celiac or those who have issues with cross contamination. They both had reactions from eating the Enchilada Beans & Rice. That being said, if you’re gluten free and don’t have issues with cross contamination, then this could be the types of products that will work well for you. The gluten free section has products that contain no gluten ingredients. Along those lines, they also have a dairy free selection of products.
One of the things that drew me to this particular line of products is the fact that they are free of gmos, msg, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and hydrolyzed syrups. They use sea salt rather than table salt. From what I can see, the ingredients fall under the real foods category. While my ideal is organic, the ingredients here are the second best thing as their aren’t a lot of organic long term food storage meals on the market.
The Enchilada Beans & Rice were easy to make. You just bring 5 1/2 cups of water to a boil and then whisk in the contents of the packets. You then reduce the heat and cook for roughly 15 minutes. You’ll want to stir periodically to avoid the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the beans and rice are cooked to your liking, you’ll allow it to sit for a few minutes prior to serving. The seasoning blend makes the house smell so good.
I decided to serve our beans and rice in corn tortillas with a little cheddar cheese and lettuce, but you could easily serve it in a bowl, on nachos, or in a burrito. It’s a hearty dish with a good flavor profile that is not too spicey. The texture is surprisingly good. Overall, the dish tasted really good. While Munchkin and D weren’t able to continue eating it, I did enjoy more the following day. It heats up really well if you have any leftovers.
Based upon our experiences, I’d have no issue recommending the products from this company with the understanding that the products labeled for specific diets may not be suitable for someone who has issues with cross contamination. I love the fact that these products have a shelf life up to 25 years and come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They even allow you to request a free sample; you just pay shipping to have it delivered.
