- Every single products goes through rigorous kitchen testing to ensure superior quality.
- Shelf Reliance uses only the best food sources in the country. Quality is the first priority, price is the second priority.
- All Thrive foods are grown in the US with the exception of a few tropical fruits that come from South America only when it is out of season in the US. No foods are grown in China or Mexico.
- The president of Shelf Reliance personally inspects farms that supply Thrive products to ensure that quality is the top priority.
- All food is packaged and shipped immediately with the packaging date clearly marked on the bottom of the can to ensure that our customers are getting the optimum shelf life.
- We market our food for everyday use, while many companies expect that their product will only be used in an emergency situation.
- All cans are double coated with a food safe enamel to preserve taste, prevent rust, and provide optimum shelf life.
- Thrive is the only company that offers monthly shipments within a customer-set budget.
- Thrive products are rarely on back order, and when they are, it is for less than 6 weeks on average.
- Customers receive a 5% discount when food is purchased by the case.
- Shelf Reliance gives 5% of all profit back to their charity, Thriving Nations, which teaches farmers in under developed nations how to grow better crops (teach a man to fish!).
A few useful tips for getting the most out of your Thrive foods
- The recipes on the Shelf Reliance website are delicious and absolutely worth trying. Most of them have glowing reviews and unique serving ideas.
- Thrive has its own YouTube channel. Most of the videos are less than 5 minutes long and include great tips for incorporating Thrive foods into your every day menus.
- Thrive pancake mix is fabulous and very cost effective. Thrive pancakes cost $0.03 per serving, compared to $0.30 per serving for Aunt Jemima Complete (as of 5/2011).
- Use a spray bottle. All freeze dried fruits and cheeses, as well as the most delicate vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, celery and onions) should be spritzed with water from a small spray bottle. This will allow you to rehydrate these items to your ideal consistency or texture. Spritz a few times and let set for about 5 minutes.
- Apple slices are for snacking – apple chips are for cooking.
- Pears have a lot of natural sugar, so the consistency of them is different than the other fruits. They are more sponge-like and should be eaten within a couple of months after opening.
- Use any residue at the bottom of fruit or veggie cans, as well as broken pieces, to make smoothies. Blend with instant milk and ice. Add apple or peach drink for different flavors.
- Be careful not to over cook your freeze-dried vegetables. Measure out the desired serving (1 cup for 2-4 people) and put in a sauce pan with just enough water to reach the top of the vegetables. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes and season as desired.
- Freeze-dried veggies may be rehydrated in the microwave. Put the desired amount in a bowl, bring water to the top of the vegetables, and cook on high for 40 seconds.
- Be sure to add a variety of grains to your Thrive Q. If you do not plan to have a wheat grinder, replace whole wheat with flour. Germade is similar to cream of wheat.
- Instant milk is for drinking – and it is delicious. Powdered milk is for cooking and baking. Powdered milk can be used for drinking but it is harder to mix.
- When mixing butter powder, cheese blend, sour cream or any other powdered product, be sure to use a whisk. Mix by gradually adding water until you reach the desired consistency. Following the directions on the label will likely make the product too runny.
- Rehydrated cheese will melt very well. Spritz lightly with water, fluff with a fork, and chill.
- Thrive instant beans are nutritious and easy to use. Put the beans in a bowl, cover with water and microwave for 45 seconds.
- Thrive meat products that have a high fat content, such as ham and sausage, will spoil within 2 weeks once opened. It is best to store these items in the refrigerator.Thrive powdered whole eggs are delicious. 1 whole egg is 2T of water mixed with 1T of egg powder. Use these eggs to make omelets, scrambled eggs, or even quiche! They tend to cook much quicker than standard eggs – watch for a lemony yellow color to let you know that they are done cooking.
- All Thrive foods may be prepared without heat – they will just take longer to “cook”. Good to know if you are ever without electricity!
- Desserts are an essential part of food storage. Chocolate makes us happy, macaroons are satisfying, and the ice cream bits are fabulous. Use your spray bottle to rehydrate ice cream – pop it in the freezer for a few minutes for a wonderful treat!
Other great uses for Thrive products
- Camping and Boating: Thrive products are lighter and take up less space than regular food items. They cook quicker, require less clean up and produce less waste.
- Gifts: you can make an awesome “meal in a jar” difts using Thrive foods. Minestrone or potato soup, fudgy brownies, casserole mix, muffin mix or even festive cornbread are simple to assemble, and the gift recipient will love that all they need to do is add water and cook.
- Baby Food: simply run plain fruits or veggies through a food processor, coffee grinder or spice grinder until it is a fine powder. Then add water slowly and stir until you reach the desired consistency. Because Thrive fruits and veggies are preserved at the peak of freshness, they have the highest levels of vitamins and minerals. Making baby food from Thrive foods is simple because it requires no washing, chopping or boiling – and best of all, no giant mess to clean up! You can make your own flavor combinations (peas and carrots, chicken and green beans, even bananas and raspberries!) and adjust the mixtures easily to your child's liking. You may also choose whether or not to cook the reconstituted foods – some babies prefer the taste of raw carrots to cooked. Powdered baby food is lighter, takes up less space in your diaper bag, and does not require refrigeration.
- Simple Portion Control: you can make one brownie, one macaroon, one bowl of soup or just one pancake. This is difficult to do with traditional recipes that require eggs (how do you add 1/8th of an egg?)
- Better Nutrition: Because fat causes food to spoil quicker, many Thrive products have less fat than traditional foods. For example, Thrive eggs have just 30 calories, 2 grams of fat and 28mg of cholesterol as compared to traditional eggs which have 70 calories, 5 grams of fat and 185mg of cholesterol.
