How can LeafSide meals be both shelf-stable (no fridge needed), and healthy? Doesn’t that require preservatives and a lot of processing?

Because LeafSide meal packs only use dried ingredients, and because we often use the drying technique that best preserves the full nutrition of fruits and vegetables (especially vitamins, minerals, & phytonutrients): freeze-drying. We never use any kind of preservatives.

A LeafSide meal pack’s best-by date is thus set by the more sensitive ingredients, and typically those are nuts or coconut, with 4-6 weeks as the lower limit to ensure the best taste (some nuts last longer and many recipes don’t use coconut). As mentioned elsewhere, if you expect to take longer to consume the meals, putting them in a fridge can extend their best-taste period at least 2-3 months or longer.