Types of Food to Stock Up On
I sometimes have people in my survival courses who confide that their
emergency food storage consists of 6 months of MREs or a 30-day supply
of Ramen Noodles.
There’s nothing wrong with having the above chow on hand in limited
quantity. I carry a few MREs in my truck for a roadside emergency but I
sure don’t want to live off such synthetic stuff for a couple of months.
I also know that the color will drain out of my kids’ faces if they are
ever confronted with an MRE again. Save this "food" for the Bug-out Bag
and invest in items that you normally eat at home until you have at
least a 7-30 day supply.
There are 3 areas to plan for:
Dried Goods- rice, oats, lentils, millet, beans, green peas,
brown sugar, coffee, tea, pasta, flour, dried soup mixes, wheat and
barley to name some of what we have in storage. Personally, I have lived
on rice and lentils for dinner and oats for breakfast for up to 21 days
straight on long-term wilderness treks and my body did extremely well.
Rice and lentils provides a complete protein and plenty of carbs.
Tabasco was a good friend with such an unchanging menu.
Canned Goods- Stock up on your favorites by purchasing 3 cans more
of what you normally eat on each trip to the grocery store. In our
household, we have the following on hand: corn, pinto and black beans,
green beans, pumpkin (great for mixing into pancakes and muffins),
pineapple, tuna, diced tomatos, ham, chicken, tuna, pears, and squash.
Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried Food- My advice is to go to an
outdoor gear shop and purchase a few of the different brands of
dehydrated meals first before investing in a few hundred bucks of SHTF
supplies that may have a considerable gag factor. These meals are also
intended for people who exert themselves (backpacking, canoeing, etc… )
and need to replace lost salts so some of the meals contain up to 56%
sodium.
Mountain House and AlpineAire can both be found at outdoor gear shops.
Walton Feed and Wise Foods also sell high-quality items such as
dehydrated veges and even canned butter. Most these brands have a
shelf-life of 5 years and require a cup or two of boiling water to
rehydrate. Again, sample things and see what tastes good, especially if
you're planning on living on these for a few months. Strive for a
minimum supply of food for 7 days and then work up to more if your
budget and storage abilities allow for it.
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Showing posts with label how to prepare home for ebola. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Thursday, September 1, 2011
9 Meals To Anarchy
The title I picked up while watching an intriguing docu-drama on the History Channel called "After Armageddon." A good show illustrating what a global pandemic might look like and the challenges of life in the years after the event. I am not one for these doom and gloom movies but this show had a panel of contributors which made it all the more interesting.
The term "9 Meals To Anarchy" was used by survival instructor Kevin Reeve (don't know the man but I liked the expression) when referring to how most people in the U.S. only have a 3-day supply of food on hand at home. During a disaster, after the grocery stores empty and your 3-day supply of grub is gone, then things fall are gonna get ugly for the unprepared.
Brings up the point of how much food to have on hand in your house? It all depends on YOUR living arrangements- are you in a house, apartment, dorm (with roommates), cabin, senior living center, etc.... I tell people in my urban survival classes to strive for 30 days if possible (again space dependent) at the minimum and then build up from there. I have some friends who live in a small town with a population of 200 who keep a 6 month supply on hand while others I know have 2 years. Adjust for your lifestyle, space, and budget but at least go beyond this often-touted three-day supply of food that is bandied about.
What kind of food, you say? There are three main areas to gather up:
1. Canned Goods (especially veges like corn, green beans, etc...)
2. Dehydrated or Freeze-dried (jerky or backpacking-style meals from Mountain Home)
3. Dry Goods like rice, beans, lentils, oats, millet, quinoa and so on.
We have a blend of all three at home and the above is identical to what we eat on a regular basis. Don't just buy a 60-day supply of MREs. Your body is already going to be stressed to the max during an urban crisis and will need some decent, comforting foods so stock up on chow you normally consume. Plus MREs, to me, have a serious Gag factor!
Lastly, don't forget to look at how you are going to cook your meals when the grid is down for a week. That's the nice thing about the dehydrated and freeze dried foods is that they can be quickly rehydrated with a few cups of boiling water. The rest of the food can be heated on a campstove or campfire.
Buy a few extra cans, grains and supplies each time you shop and you will be on your way to increasing your food supplies and avoiding the "9 Meals" predicament. Your belly (and family will thank you). Oh, and don't forget about your four-legged friends and their food requirements.
Stay safe,
Tony Nester
The term "9 Meals To Anarchy" was used by survival instructor Kevin Reeve (don't know the man but I liked the expression) when referring to how most people in the U.S. only have a 3-day supply of food on hand at home. During a disaster, after the grocery stores empty and your 3-day supply of grub is gone, then things fall are gonna get ugly for the unprepared.
Brings up the point of how much food to have on hand in your house? It all depends on YOUR living arrangements- are you in a house, apartment, dorm (with roommates), cabin, senior living center, etc.... I tell people in my urban survival classes to strive for 30 days if possible (again space dependent) at the minimum and then build up from there. I have some friends who live in a small town with a population of 200 who keep a 6 month supply on hand while others I know have 2 years. Adjust for your lifestyle, space, and budget but at least go beyond this often-touted three-day supply of food that is bandied about.
What kind of food, you say? There are three main areas to gather up:
1. Canned Goods (especially veges like corn, green beans, etc...)
2. Dehydrated or Freeze-dried (jerky or backpacking-style meals from Mountain Home)
3. Dry Goods like rice, beans, lentils, oats, millet, quinoa and so on.
We have a blend of all three at home and the above is identical to what we eat on a regular basis. Don't just buy a 60-day supply of MREs. Your body is already going to be stressed to the max during an urban crisis and will need some decent, comforting foods so stock up on chow you normally consume. Plus MREs, to me, have a serious Gag factor!
Lastly, don't forget to look at how you are going to cook your meals when the grid is down for a week. That's the nice thing about the dehydrated and freeze dried foods is that they can be quickly rehydrated with a few cups of boiling water. The rest of the food can be heated on a campstove or campfire.
Buy a few extra cans, grains and supplies each time you shop and you will be on your way to increasing your food supplies and avoiding the "9 Meals" predicament. Your belly (and family will thank you). Oh, and don't forget about your four-legged friends and their food requirements.
Stay safe,
Tony Nester
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