The 9 Best Gluten-Free Survival Food Kits of 2023

The Best Gluten-Free Survival Food Kits — The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis

Having a long-term food supply is common for a wide range of reasons—for camping, hiking, and disaster preparedness, amongst other things. But just because you (or a family member) follow a special diet shouldn’t mean you can’t find survival food options for everyone.

There are plenty of emergency food kits that are gluten-free for those with an intolerance or celiac disease. Whether you’re looking for a full breakfast-lunch-dinner supply or single meal, you can rest assured that your food will not only sustain you nutritionally, but will adhere to your special diet. We found the best options for your specific needs.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Legacy Premium Food Storage Gluten-Free Entrée Bucket at Amazon

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Best Variety:

ReadyWise Gluten-Free Grab & Go Bucket at Amazon

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Best Value:

Patriot Pantry Gluten Free Kit at Amazon

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Best for Families:

NuManna No Gluten Family Pack at Amazon

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Best for Breakfast:

Mountain House Freeze Dried Scrambled Eggs with Bacon at Amazon

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Best Short-Term:

Good To-Go 5-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit at Amazon

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Best for Travel:

Mountain House Emergency Essential Assortment Bucket at Amazon

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Best Tablet:

Survival Tabs 8-Day Food Supply at Amazon

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Best Vegan:

NorthWest Fork Gluten-Free Emergency Food Supply at Amazon

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In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look for
FAQs
How We Researched
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Legacy-premium-food-storage-120-serving-gluten-free-entre-bucket

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This hefty 27-pound supply of survival meals by Legacy offers about 346 calories per serving (including 120 servings) and is gluten-free, GMO-free, and made in the United States. Meals are packed into Mylar pouches that offer a 25-year shelf life, all conveniently packed into one bucket for easy storage. All you have to do to prepare your meal is add water, so it’s not only great for emergency situations, but it’s useful to have on hand for any camping trip or other outdoor adventure. This survival food supply includes meals like enchiladas, pasta, chili, and more.

Price at time of publish: $430

Size: 26.95 pounds | Number of Meals Included: 120 large servings | Shelf Life: 25 years

Readywise-emergency-food-supply-gluten-free-grab--go-bucket

Amazon

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This large stash of survival food is perfect to have on hand for any gluten-free household’s emergency supply. Wise Company’s product is made in the USA and contains a hefty 84 servings (including breakfasts, lunches, and dinners). Packed into a secure, sturdy bucket, this emergency food supply has an extensive 25-year shelf life, so no need to replenish annually. Each meal is individually wrapped and ready-to-eat, so it’s easy to grab single-serve items to take on camping or hiking trips. Best of all: No cooking is necessary—you just add water, wait up to 15 minutes, and it’s ready.

Price at time of publish: $180

Size: 8 pounds | Number of Meals Included: 84 | Shelf Life: 25 years

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This large emergency food supply by Patriot Pantry includes an impressive 115 gluten-free meal servings (12 different varieties) and has a shelf life (requiring no refrigeration) for up to 25 years. Instead of a large bucket, the meals come in a tote for even easier, space-saving storage. Each Mylar pouch is resealable and even has a 1-year shelf life after opening. The meals are quick and simple to prepare and are portable for any travel or emergency purposes.

Price at time of publish: $140

Size: Not indicated | Number of Meals Included: 120 | Shelf Life: 25 years

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This family-size bucket of survival food contains 126 meals that are all made in the United States and are gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free, and contain no high fructose corn syrup or MSG. Meals like pasta primavera and enchiladas provide plenty of variety to keep your emergency food supply from getting boring. Meals have a shelf life of 25 years, so your purchase will last quite some time, especially because it all fits into a sturdy, easy-to-store bucket.

Price at time of publish: $294

Size: 19.2 pounds | Number of Meals Included: 126 | Shelf Life: 25 years

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Mountain-house-freeze-dried-scrambled-eggs-with-bacon

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If you’re just looking for a breakfast option, Mountain House has you covered with this scrambled eggs and bacon kit. Not only is it certified gluten-free, but it also contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. And there is no need to refrigerate; this can is easy to store with the rest of your emergency supplies, whether it’s in your car, basement, or pantry. Each serving contains 350 calories and 23 grams of protein to provide you and your family with plenty of energy to start the day, whether you’re in an emergency situation or simply need an easy-to-transport breakfast for your next camping trip.

Price at time of publish: $60

Size: 20 ounces | Number of Meals Included: 9 | Shelf Life: 30+ years

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Good-to-go-5-day-emergency-food-supply-kit

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The 5-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit from Good To-Go won't last as long unopened as other gluten-free survival kits on this list, but does have 15 meals preselected for 5 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Start each day off with the oatmeal packet, before one of the Kale and White Bean Stew, Classic Marina with Penne, Mexican Quinoa Bowl, Smoked Three Bean Chili, or Herbed Mushroom Risotto for a midday meal and another in the evening. Each packet is gluten-free, dehydrated, and ready in minutes when boiling water is added. They are also lightweight—weighing between 4.3 and 3.4 ounces for a total of fewer than 10 pounds so it is easy to carry or easy to store.

Price at time of publish: $115

Size: 9.3 pounds | Number of Meals Included: 15 | Shelf Life: 2-5 years

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Mountain-house-emergency-essential-assortment-bucket

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This convenient bucket of survival food includes 22 total servings (four days worth) of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. These gluten-free meals include beef stew, breakfast skillet, scrambled eggs with bacon, and rice and chicken. It’s super easy to prepare—all you need to do is add hot water and it’s ready in under 10 minutes. The meal pouches are conveniently designed to act as bowls, too—so no cleanup is necessary. Even better? The pouches are recyclable.

The bucket itself can be easily stored or carried so that you can bring it on trips, and it won’t take up too much space or be too heavy to transport. And no need to worry about replenishing your emergency supply every few years—this Mountain House bucket has an impressive 30-year guarantee.

Price at time of publish: $125

Size: 2.6 pounds | Number of Meals Included: 22 | Shelf Life: 30 years

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Rather than full meals, these Survival Tabs are a pill-like survival meal solution that takes up the smallest amount of space but still provides all the nutrition you need in an emergency situation to last a person for up to eight days. The tabs come in super portable pouches so they’re easy to pack in emergency kits or grab-and-go. Choose from flavors like butterscotch, vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry.

Each pouch contains 24 tablets, for a total of 96 tablets. Each serving contains 12 tablets and each tablet is 20 calories, for a total of 240 calories. According to the manufacturer, the estimated shelf life is 25 years, but the suggested replenishment is 2-3 years for best quality.

Price at time of publish: $30

Size: 40 ounces | Number of Meals Included: 96 tablets | Shelf Life: 25 years

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Northwest-fork-gluten-free-30-day-emergency-food-supply

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Not only is NorthWest Fork’s product gluten-free, but it’s also vegan, kosher, and non-GMO. These meals come in super convenient, resealable, stand-up bags so you can eat right out of the thick pouches—no plates or bowls necessary. They are individually wrapped so you can grab single servings if and when you just need a small supply for a trip. You won’t be bored with the variety included in this 30-day supply, which contains 15 single-serving meals ranging from Tropical Trio Oatmeal to Black Bean Chipotle Stew.

These meals have a 10-year shelf life so once you stock up, there’s no need to worry about restocking your emergency supplies for quite some time. You can also buy 6-month or 1-year supplies.

Price at time of publish: $175

Size: 16 pounds | Number of Meals Included: 30 | Shelf Life: 10 years

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Final Verdict

there are quite a few options out there for survival kits—but for anyone who can't eat gluten, the Legacy Premium Food Storage Gluten-Free Entrée Bucket is a convenient and certified gluten-free choice with over 100 servings included. For a cheaper, but still reliable pick that also does not contain gluten, try the Patriot Pantry Gluten Free Kit that is shelf-stable for up to 25 years.

What to Look for in Gluten-Free Survival Food

Gluten-Free Labeling

According to the FDA, it’s estimated that 3 million Americans have celiac disease. If you’re one of the many who follow a gluten-free diet (or someone in your family does), you know the importance of checking labels. You want to look out for any claims or certifications indicating a product is gluten free, and it never hurts to check the ingredient list as a backup. You can also try to reach out to the manufacturer if you’re ever unsure. The FDA states: "foods may not use the claim if they contain 20 ppm or more gluten as a result of cross-contact with gluten-containing grains."

Calories

For emergency situations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says to stock foods that are high in calories as well as nutrition. You’ll want to check the labels and determine the caloric value of the meals within your kit to ensure it’s enough to sustain you and your family for more than a day; Ready.gov recommends at least a three-day supply.

Shelf Life

Restocking your family’s emergency kit shouldn’t have to be a monthly or even yearly chore, so you want to look out for shelf life when perusing survival food options. Most exceed 10 years, thanks to very secure packaging, individual wrapping, and super sturdy storage bins. Check the label and/or the product description to see what the manufacturer suggests.

FAQs

How should survival food be stored?

Survival food should be kept in a regulated temperature area: the attic or basement are not the best places, as they can become too hot or cold. It should be placed on a shelf, rather than on the floor, in case of flooding. Survival food should also be kept in airtight watertight containers to help keep out insects or rodents and water.

How long do emergency food kits last?

Check the labels on any emergency food to see how long it says the food is good, as some have shorter expiration dates than others. For example, there are some that are good for 10 years, while others are good for as long as 25 years.

What else should be in an emergency kit besides food and water?

Other items that you should keep on hand for an emergency include flashlights, batteries, a radio, matches, candles, medications, first aid supplies, blankets, cleaning supplies, and pet food for the furry kids in the family.

How We Researched

To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best gluten-free survival food kits on the market, evaluating their key features—like shelf life, the number of meals included, and the type of food—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Alyssa Langer is a registered dietitian and foodie, always curious about the next food or ingredient craze and hungry to learn and try more. Having worked in cookbook publishing, CPG label data, nutrition writing, and meal kits, her diverse background and varied interests provide a unique perspective that fosters clear, well-researched, and trustworthy reviews.

Amanda McDonald is an editor at The Spruce Eats and has over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing about all things food — from what new products are at the grocery store to chef-approved hacks that keep tricky leftovers fresh for days. She updated this story to include the most up-to-date information.

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Article Sources

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