Wednesday, 20 October 2010 10:48 Dine & Cook Staff Report

Conservative, and often controversial, pundit Glenn Beck has gotten into the food promoting business.

In what could be considered typical Glenn Beck behavior, the TV-radio host and author threw his support behind Food Insurance, a company that sells disaster kits that feature "gourmet" freeze dried meals.

"I want to talk to you about the changing world that we live in," starts Beck in a taped endorsement on the Food Insurance website. "I finished my food storage and I couldn't believe how relieved I was. I remember sitting down on the stairs to the basement and thinking I could loose my job and my family can eat ... and I have had a lot of the different entrees and I probably had six different entrees. They're all good, I would eat them ... these I would eat, they're fantastic," Beck continues to say.

Food Insurance promises "great nutrition that makes satisfying food," their food also comes with a 25 year plus shelf life.

"Emergency food doesn't have to be bland and unsatisfying," the company writes on its site. "Just add water and our savory meals come to life."

For $199 you get enough meals to eat three times a day for two weeks. Gourmet freeze dried meal options include: granola with honey and almonds for breakfast, chicken teriyaki with rice and chicken ala king for lunch and dinner. In all there are 19 different meal options.

Also included in the price, a backpack containing a reusable heat source, quick heat fuel pellets, waterproof matches, a cooking tin and a 1,500 use plus water filter.

The website boasts several testimonials, including one from Brad Johnson who lives in Draper, Utah.

"Our friends invited us over for dinner one night and introduced us to Food Insurance. We were amazed that all we had to do was add water and in a matter of minutes had a delicious gourmet meal. We had never considered that you could have food storage that actually tasted good and was so easy to prepare. We decided that night to invest in our future well-being."

Alex Cohen in Brooklyn writes:

"In New York we take it for granted that there will always be food at the local market. After living through terrorist attacks and power outages, many New Yorkers are searching for a preparedness solution that will get us through the next crisis. I needed something compact and reliable that would fit in my relatively small apartment."

Is this an actual bargain? Outdoor retailer REI sells a gourmet freeze dried kit that contains 70 servings for $49.95, individually packed freeze dried meals for two retail anywhere from $5 to $7.50.

On the web: http://www.foodinsurance.com/