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Just a quick note that dehydrated food and freeze-dried food are two different things.

In freeze-drying, fresh or cooked food is quickly frozen and placed in a vacuum. The process is called lyophilization. Cell structure, nutrients, shape, and color are pretty much all preserved.

Dehydrating, or drying, food is accomplished primarily by the application of heat, evaporating up to 98% of the food's moisture. Centuries-old, this is the technique used to make pemican, jerky, and dried fruit.

Typically, freeze-dried food is more expensive, tastes better, is reconstituted more quickly, and has a much longer shelf-life. With a relatively inexpensive drier, you can dehydrate foods in your own kitchen. I personally love beef jerky and dried fruits, so at-home dehydrating saves me a few bucks and the food can be stored, if carefully, for up to three years. For full meals and longer shelf-life, buy freeze-dried. You can't do freeze-dried at home.