By Charley Hogwood
Arguably, storing food for the long haul should be the top priority for those of us aiming toward a prepared way of life. There are tons of articles, blog posts, and YouTube videos on hunting, canning and preserving food for your family and there are various pros and cons to each method. Recently, there’s been an increase in marketers of pre-packaged food for long-term survival, and even a year’s worth of food can be purchased from your local big box store. As with all trends, popularity breeds an increase in competition and sometimes a decrease in quality. If you’re going to purchase pre-packaged food for long-term survival, here are four key points to keep in mind.
Both processes do significantly increase shelf life and portability, as the food is much lighter in weight. Dehydrating will not extend the shelf life nearly as long as freeze-drying. You can expect a dehydrated item to store well for months rather than multiple years depending on how much moisture was removed. The more a food item is dried, the more brittle the texture becomes and the longer it can be stored.
Why is this important? This is important because over the last several years, lesser companies have been using the two terms interchangeably. If they can’t explain how they make it, don’t buy it. Freeze-dried foods will have a longer shelf life but keep in mind that storage conditions vary widely. Temperature and moisture are two of the five most common enemies of storage with contamination, light and insects rounding out the list. Additionally, regular rotation is the key to proper storage. Keep a record system detailing the age of all of your supplies.
We’ve all been there, standing in front of the fridge, staring at that Tupperware container of leftovers wondering if it’s possible to enjoy meatloaf for the third day in a row. Why the hesitation? We call that appetite fatigue, the concept that our bodies need variety. In a stressful environment, you’re more likely to run into this, and much quicker, than you would in your everyday life.
Why is this important? Because one of the greatest survival attributes is a positive attitude and high morale. Nothing makes people more miserable than hunger, and then they feel angry at what’s for dinner. We call that “hangry,” a combination of the words ‘hungry’ and ‘angry.’ How is this going to affect the way you communicate with your family? Try to look for a long-term food solution that offers both quality and a variety of choices so you can keep your family healthy and happy. One of the great things about commercial competition is the sheer volume in the variety of choices for long-term food solutions.
By John McCann
Some of the best emergency preparedness items are from backpacking companies. After all, backpackers are obsessed with reducing the weight of their packs and manufactures have responded to serve their needs. Besides lightweight tents and titanium tent stakes, innovations in food preparation have been going on for years. Emergency food should be carried in every survival kit, except for maybe the smallest. However, if you carry a larger kit, such as a pack or vehicle kit, you will want to include emergency rations. These will provide you with more calories and will sustain you for a longer period of time without having to collect food.
M.R.E.s Military or civilian M.R.E. (Meal, Ready to Eat) is a complete food package that provides an entrée (such as beef stew, chicken & rice pilaf, chili w/macaroni, etc.), a side dish, a dessert, a cracker pack with a spread, a beverage base and condiment pack. The entrée can be eaten right out of the pouch without preparation, but they taste better if heated. The military version provides a heating device that you place in a separate pouch and add water and the entrée pouch. It automatically heats the entrée pouch. This perk is not included in any of the civilian versions. These rations have a shelf life of 3 to 5 years. M.R.E.s can be obtained from Brigade Quartermasters and other military suppliers, but only the civilian version is available. The heaters can still be obtained from Cheaper Than Dirt. These rations are suitable for large kits but are rather bulky. I find that if you carry only the entrée, they take up much less room (of course, this also means fewer calories).
Freeze-dried meals Another type of emergency rations is the freeze-dried meal. Everyone’s opinion is different, but I find that these taste the best (but they are bulky). They can be folded down to take up less space, but care should be taken to not break the seal. The biggest drawback is the need for water to rehydrate them. I don’t find this a problem because I usually can boil all the water I need. However, in a survival situation where water is scarce, they are not the best choice.
Not all meals are created equal. Take a good look at the package labeling, and you might be surprised to learn that there is no standard, with serving sizes ranging from 1⁄4 cup to 1-1⁄2 cups. Also, look at the entrées—do they consider mashed potatoes a meal?
Remember that these pre-packaged meals sold by the bucket are supposed to be used for emergency meals during lean times. You’ll need protein and calories. The average male, between the ages of 30-40, doing moderate work, should have between 2,400-2,600 calories a day, as a conservative estimate. How many calories are in your half a cup of spaghetti?
When comparing prices be sure to take into account the protein-per-day of servings. In order to keep costs down, a food manufacturer may reduce the amount of protein. Sometimes they avoid meats altogether, choosing instead to add TVP or texturized vegetable protein. Real protein is needed to maintain health and muscle mass for the long term.
We hear this all the time, “Well in a survival situation, you’ll eat whatever’s on your plate!” That may be true from a functional perspective, but how is this going to affect your ability to work as a team? Plus, if you could prevent this from happening now, pre-disaster, wouldn’t that be a better plan?
Thankfully, most of the major players in the long-term food game offer free samples so that you can try their food before purchasing a large quantity. This should be something that you share with your family, and get their input on as well. Make it a tasting competition so even the kids think it’s fun.
Overall, be a conscientious shopper, ask questions before you purchase, and always read the label. Remember, you’re planning for your health, and that’s a very important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.