Have you ever thought of a world where all the snacks are light, airy and crunchy? If not, we bring you to the world of freeze-dried foods. Being a convenient and easy option, these cause little to no hassle and are kitchen must-haves. But when did freeze-dried food take over fresh foods and are they worth it more than fresh foods?
Wear your astronaut helmet because now we’re entering the world of freeze-dried meals. Our first stop will be what freeze-dried food is, and later we will land on the planets of the benefits of freeze-dried foods and their uses. So, are you ready, captain?
What is Freeze-Dried Foods?
Foods that have freeze-dried are freeze-dried. Sounds easy, isn’t it? But it is not, though it is not rocket science, as well. Freeze drying, also known as lyophilisation is an advanced food preservation technique that removes all or at least most of the moisture content from fresh foods leaving them with a light yet crunchy texture.
Being left with no water content, these freeze-drying foods develop a concentrated and dense flavour that leaves your mouth tingling and leaves you wanting more. Now, you may wonder what about the structure of these foods, do they change?
So, no, drying does not change the structure of the food. Freeze-drying technology saves the integrity of the food. It means even after the drying process, these foods maintain their original structure. Can you believe it? This means the sweet corn that goes through freeze-drying processes looks the same after drying.
Benefits of Freeze-Dried Food
Now that we know what freeze-dried meals are, let’s land on the planet of freeze-dried food’s benefits. If you’re looking to shed some of your extra pounds, freeze-drying foods may become your new favourite. But there’s more to these and how these can add to your overall well-being. Here’s how:
Weight Management
Freeze-dried products can become your true companions in your weight management journey. Wondering why? Because each of the freeze-dried products’ categories are pre-measured. It implies you cannot overeat and save yourself from unhealthy temptation unless you don’t unpack another packet.
Let’s imagine a scenario: you’re hiking or trekking somewhere, and suddenly, you feel hungry, what are you gonna do? We have an answer! Grab the freeze-dried meal from your bag, unpack it and start binging. With being lightweight and portable, freeze-dried products can be your go-to healthy snack. This is because these contain high amounts of nutrients to keep you full and energised for long.
Digestive Health
Do you often feel bloated after having a heavy meal? If yes, freeze-drying foods can be your saviour! Not only these are lightweight but also may have high fibre that keeps you full for a considerable period. When you’re consuming freeze-dried meals, you’re eating low-calorie but high-fibre foods.
But it doesn’t end here! Freeze-dried products can be rehydrated very easily, these help in easy digestion as compared to heavy meals. Consuming freeze-dried products ensures you intake all the necessary nutrients to keep you going throughout the day.
Complete Nutrition
In the past few years, more and more people have switched to healthy and more nutritious food alternatives, and the top among those are freeze-dried products. Being hardly processed and of premium quality, freeze-drying foods are free from any preservative, additive or artificial colour and flavour.
Freeze-drying foods are real foods because they contain 99% of the nutrition after the freeze-drying process. The foods meant for freeze-drying are harvested only when they are fully ripe. On the contrary, fresh foods are harvested way before they are ripe leading to these having less nutrients. So, what do you think between freeze-drying foods and fresh foods, what is fresh?
Healthy With No Preservative
Most of the freeze-dried manufacturers use no preservative, flavour or colour. It means they are 100% safe and healthy to eat and can easily be consumed even by children. Freeze-dried products have the real nutrients of fresh foods that are successfully preserved through the drying process.
Because of no added preservatives, drying foods have a rich concentrated flavour. But there’s something more interesting, do you know what? These have a unique crunchy texture that you won’t find in the fresh foods. So, with the usual taste and flavour, freeze-dried meals offer a unique texture!
Versatility and Convenience
If we talk about versatility and convenience, there’s no match for freeze-dried products. Available in the category of fruits, vegetables, herbs, ready-to-eat, dairy and many others, freeze-drying foods are synonymous with convenience. With these, you don’t have to wash and chop fruits and veggies, just unpack freeze-dried products and live a hassle-free life.
But there’s more! Drying foods are versatile products that every kitchen must have. You can add freeze-dried fruits to your oats or make its smoothie, to enjoy its rich and delicious flavour. To consume freeze-dried vegetables, you may make soup, an appetiser or a main course. The possibilities of consuming freeze-drying foods are unlimited!
Uses of Freeze-Dried Food
Think outside the box – How you can use freeze-dried meals. Any idea? Don’t worry, here are some of the uses of freeze-dried meals:
Emergency Situation
Due to its long shelf life and the advantage of being used for decades, freeze-dried meals are handy in emergencies. In such a situation, it is often difficult to find fresh foods, but worry not, freeze-dried products have your back! At the time of the natural disaster, these foods can be stored for a long period without rotting away and losing any of their nutrients.
Being lightweight, freeze-dried meals are easy to store and transport making them easily accessible during an emergency. Since these are available in a wide category, it ensure you get complete nutrients and have a healthy meal.
Outdoor Activities
Do you know who your best companion is for outdoor activities? Yes, freeze-dried products! Due to its lightweight nature, you don’t have to carry food, making it ideal for your fun activities like trekking, hiking and camping. The low water content of freeze-drying foods makes them even lighter than fresh and canned foods, so you can give less space to your food and more to your provisions.
With that, you can prepare freeze-dried meals without any hassle which is a major advantage. These can be rehydrated with a limited amount of water, which means you can have a healthy meal in between the greens of forests. The convenience it brings together with the ease of packaging makes it the perfect option for eating healthy during your outdoor activities.
Cooking Uses
In the food industry, drying food has changed the dynamics of how the food is cooked. With its concentrated taste and flavour, people use these to add a new depth to their meals in creative ways. The intense flavour of the drying food can be added to your infuse spirits, appetizers, main course and even desserts!
Freeze-dried herbs even retain the flavour and aroma of fresh herbs. So all you need to taste a layer of flavour is to sprinkle a little freeze-dried herbs into your meals, and voila, get ready to taste extra flavour! Freeze-dried foods can be used both in a dry form or rehydrated with water, it’s all on you and how you want to consume your food!
Pet Food
The pet food industry has embraced drying food with all love. This is a premium option for people to feed their pets. Being high in nutrients, freeze-dried pet food is a better option as compared to other alternatives available in the market. These are made from high-quality ingredients and are free from alternatives, making them perfect for pets.
Freeze-dried pet food is convenient, easy to store and is lightweight and can also be rehydrated as and when required. These are popular due to their easy handling and therefore, are pet owners’ favourites.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a student juggling between your multiple classes and internships, an entrepreneur juggling between your hectic schedule, or a mother trying to make your kids eat healthy, freeze-dried food always has your back. If you’re planning to freeze-dried food to your diet, try Mak Biotek’s freeze-dried foods that would leave you wanting more!