Hey there, Adventurers! A lot of you have been asking me what’s in my go-bag lately. The fact is that dairy-free survival food can be difficult to find. Here, I recommend some of my favorites.
Why Is Dairy-Free Survival Food So Hard to Find?
Many moons ago, my husband and I were camping out in Florida while assisting with post-hurricane disaster relief efforts. We had brought our own nonperishable food items, but many of the volunteers were living off of provided Meals Ready to Eat (MREs).
MREs are a type of field ration used by the United States Department of Defense. They are often distributed following natural disasters, and citizen preppers can obtain them as military surplus.
The benefits of MREs are manifold – they are lightweight, don’t need refrigeration, and often have expiration dates years out (three years, typically). They don’t taste bad, either. The ones we had access to contained a main course like beef stew or pasta, crackers with apple jelly, eating utensils, napkin, salt and pepper, and a tootsie roll. They also have a flameless ration heater that increases the food temperature by 100 F in 12 minutes. The heaters are chemical, similar to Hot Hands.
The problem is that most MREs contain dairy ingredients. Milk powder may be used to give dishes a cheesy flavor or added protein. I did a little digging, and at least one company was producing a vegan MRE back in 2017, but at the time of print, none were commercially available.
So, when I hit a dead end with MREs, I started looking for other nonperishable dairy-free food items. As you’ll see below, my go-bag often includes rice or pasta pouches, dried fruit, and jerky. The main problem with these items, though, is the nearness of the expiration date. Many have to be switched out yearly or even twice a year.
Finally, I began looking for products from other camping and survival companies. Again, many of these items include powdered milk as a primary ingredient. But I’ve scoured the internet for some of the best options, below.
Dairy-Free, But What About Other Dietary Restrictions?
In this article, I’m focusing on dairy-free survival food because, well, that is the dietary restriction I deal with and am most familiar with.
The good news is that many of the options below are also vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. Always consult the packaging for ingredient information before purchasing or consuming.
Best Dairy-Free Survival Foods
Below are some of my personal favorites when it comes to dairy-free survival foods – and most of them are in my go-bag right now.
Adventure Meals
Adventure meals are lightweight, freeze-dried foods designed for hiking, camping, backpacking, and survival situations. Typically, the meals can be prepared in-pouch by adding hot water and eaten from the pouch, avoiding the need for plates or bowls. They contain fiber, protein, and fruits/vegetables for a well-rounded meal.
The best part is, that adventure meals have a very long shelf life – 20 to 30 years. So, even though these meals may seem a bit pricey ($8 to $12 USD), you don’t have to use and replace them on the regular.
At present, my favorite brands are Readywise, Good To-Go, and Adventure Ridge.
Readywise offers six dairy-free options – vegetable soup, sweet potato curry, spice Asian style noodles, coconut blueberry multigrain breakfast, wild rice risotto, and veggie chili. These pouches contain two servings each and are thus great for couples or families.
Good To-Go is my second choice. They offer seven vegan options, including oatmeal, kale and white bean stew, classic marinara with pasta, bibimbap, mushroom risotto, and Mexican quinoa bowl. You can even order a vegan food kit with four breakfasts and 10 entrees. Good To-Go pouches are single-serving meals.
Finally, Mountain House, available in the camping section at Walmart, now has a few dairy-free options, including pad Thai with chicken, spicy southwest skillet, and chicken teriyaki. These are great if you’re not vegetarian/vegan and desire a little rehydrated meat in your pack.
Emergency Ration Bars
Ultimate Survival Technologies’ emergency food ration bars were the first dairy-free survival food option I found with a long shelf life – five years, in fact. The dense shrink-wrapped brick weighs a full pound and provides enough calories for two days (or more, if you’re really in a pinch).
I wondered just how palatable this bar would be if I ever had the occasion to eat it. This year, the bars I purchased five years ago reached their expiration date. I tentatively unwrapped the first bar – after all, I didn’t want it to go to waste.
I was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. The brick is perforated into six bars (one bar for each meal) that are easy to break apart by hand. It smelled good – apple cinnamon – and when I took a bite, I was astonished at both the flavor and texture. The crumbly bar tasted good, like a mildly sweet dessert or granola bar. It wasn’t dry and hard, and it didn’t taste like cardboard. If I had to live off of these for a few days, I decided I could.
In fact, Marc ended up taking most of the soon-to-expire bars to work for a quick lunch. “Can I have these all the time?” he asked.
Ready-to-Eat Pouches
Carbs provide a lot of energy but remember – water and the ability to cook may be scarce in a disaster. Sure, you could build a fire, but what if you’re indoors in a shelter?
For that reason, I always keep some ready-to-eat grain and pasta pouches in my go-bag. My favorites are the quinoa and brown rice pouches by Seeds of Change and Barilla’s Ready Pasta. I also keep a tiny sample-sized bottle of olive oil and food-service-style salt, pepper, and lemon juice packets in my go-bag to flavor them.
Trail Mix and Dried Fruit
Trail mix and dried fruit are disaster prep staples. I typically buy mine at Aldi, as they have small, convenient packages. They also have freeze-dried sliced fruit, which is lighter than regular dehydrated fruit.
Jerky
If you’re not vegetarian or vegan, meat jerky can be a satisfying addition to your go-bag. My favorite is Epic’s bison bar. It is flavorful and a bit moister than most jerky.
Not Just for Disasters
The foods listed above aren’t limited in their use. Check out my article on the best dairy-free meals for hotel stays and travel.
One part Lois Lane, one part Jimmy Olsen, one part Johnboy Walton, and a bit of that Clark Kent secret identity thing thrown in for good measure.
Cara Siera is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for travel and exotic cuisine. Join Cara, her husband Marc, and one very spoiled German Shepherd on their next great adventure.