that are stored by those who are either getting started in emergency preparedness or by those who don't want to take the time to actually research their options, actually isn't good for you in the long term.
What are those foods?
I'm only going to discuss two of them in this post.
Ramen Noodles and Spam/Luncheon Loaf/Processed Caned Meat
When I first got involved in preparedness back in the mid to late 80's, every "Survivalist" had cases of Ramen Noodles, cans upon cans of some type of Spam either name brand or generic, and buckets of rice and buckets of bans. I don't know how many times I would meet with another "Survivalist" oriented person and they would have cases and cases of Ramen, 4 or 5 cases of Spam, 2 or three jars of bouillon cubes and a bucket of rice and a bucket of pinto beans. Coupled with 5 or 6 gallons of water in 1 gallon jugs, they considered themselves ready for the coming take over or Apocalypse or whatever they were preparing for. These same people who have 8 or maybe 10 rifles, 4 or 5 handguns and 2 maybe 3 shotguns. With enough ammo to supply an Light Infantry Company. The spent more of their finances on firearms and ammunition than anything else. Over time I got away from those types of people and became involved in a website known as Alpha Rubicon. One of the greatest things Alpha Rubicon taught me was simple. You need to have at least 10 beans for every bullet, and you need to store foods that you already eat. That was a doorbell ringing, an alarm clock. What did I have stored? Ramen, Spam, Beans and Rice. If I was lucky I'd have 2 or 3 gallons of water. These days I have several months worth of food in my house, with prices the way they are getting plus having 7 kids, it's getting harder to keep adding to my food storage, especially as I now have 4 teenagers children and you know teenagers, they can eat a LOT.
But back to those common foods that many people store, Ramen and Spam.
As I said above they really aren't that good for you by themselves. Which many people might find out in an emergency situation.
Lets look at the Ramen. On the back of the package is the Federally Mandated Nutrition Facts: I'll go line by line so you can understand it a little better.
Each one of these packet hold 2 servings, so the nutrition facts for one packet should be doubled. Don't believe me read the back of your Ramen packet, 1 serving is half a block of noodles.
Calories: 190
Calories from fat: 70
Total fat: 7g 11% of Daily Value
Saturated fat: 3.5g 18%of DV
Trans fat: 0g 0% DV
Cholesterol: 0mg 0% DV
Sodium 790mg 33% DV
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9% DV
Dietary fiber less than 1g 3% DV
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 4g
So if you eat one full packet you are getting 14grams of fat 22% of you daily value, 1580 mg of sodium 66% of your daily value, 52g of carbohydrates 18% of your daily value, 2g of sugar and 8 g of protein, all for only 380 calories of energy that your body can use.
Lets look at the spam now or in my case Armour Treet:
1 can is 12 oz, and the recommended serving size is 2 oz, so each can holds 6 servings.
1 2 oz serving has
Calories 140
Calories from fat: 100
Total fat: 11g 17% DV
Saturated fat: 3.5g 18% DV
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol: 50mg 17% DV
Sodium: 820mg 34% DV
Total Corbohydrates: 4g 1% DV
Fiber 0g
Sugars 2g
Proteins 6g
So if you 1 can of this you would be getting Fat 66g 102% DV, Sodium 4920mg 204% DV, Carbohydrates 24g 6% DV, 12g of sugar and 36 g of protein, for all of 840 calories of energy.
Do you see those sodium levels? How good is to survive a disaster only to have a stroke or heart attack from high blood pressure? Granted when I was younger, for almost 5 months I lived on nothing but Ramen, Spam and Mac & Cheese, which is probably why I was over weight had bad acne and couldn't even get out of my own way with out pounding migraines. After I moved back to my parents house and started having real meals again, I lost weight the acne and the migraines. I also was able to become more active and much healthier.
I still need a trip to the store to get some nutrition info of a few things, but you can see where this post is going.
Watch what you store for preparedness food. If you don't pay attention to what the label says and only pay attention to the price, you could wind up hurting if not killing yourself or your family.
The Replica Prop Forum
Very cool site I am also a member of
Showing posts with label food storage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food storage. Show all posts
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Food Storage basic by Osage, referring my 2-20-09 show
To hear the show all 90 minutes of it please click HERE
FOOD STORAGE BASICS
By: Osage From Alpha Disaster Contingencies
OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES
Whatever food storage plan you develop must be suited to you (your family, your circumstances, etc) in at least three ways:
Food Allergies and Intolerances: These are unchanging. If a family member is allergic to any food (such as peanuts or wheat) you must not store that food. Kitchen hygiene during an emergency may allow for cross-contamination which can be life-threatening. If someone in the family is intolerant of a food (such as milk) don’t store that food for that person. Substitute safe foods for the ones not stored.
Preferences: These are flexible and adaptable. This is utterly and entirely different from an intolerance. It simply means you don’t like certain foods. First, make the adult decision to be in charge of your own life and not a perpetual victim! Second, develop and institute ways right now to broaden those preferences. During an emergency you’ll be under enough stress; don’t add to it by mandating a major change of diet.
Abilities and Tools: These are easily changeable. Growth here, as in the arena of preferences, can be made an adventure. Learn to cook and prepare foods in new, energy-efficient ways or ways using different energy sources. Purchase and learn right now the tools you’ll need to prepare food. This can be as simple as learning to cook over an open fire and as complicated as the salesclerk at the survival store can convince you to spend hard-earned money on.
TRIAD APPROACH TO FOOD STORAGE
I have recommended for years that food storage be pursued along three complimentary axes, like the X, Y, and Z axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system. These are :
-Quick Food Kit (aka 72-hour kit, bug-out bag, etc),
-Routine Daily Foods, and
-Long-Term Storage Foods.
These meet different needs but the use of one is complimentary to the others.
QUICK FOODS
Quick foods are mainly for acute events which are not expected to last long but which significantly interrupt normal family operations. Events such as hurricanes, ice storms, earthquakes, etc are the sexy players here. But these foods are for anything unexpected that shouldn’t last too long or for the first few days of a longer event.
Foods stored under this heading are generally characterized as being:
-Easy to fix (no more than boiling water),
-Portable (in case you have to abandon your home),
-Familiar (make them familiar right now),
-Good sources of calories (because you’ll likely be working hard), and
-Have good flavor (to lift spirits and encourage eating when you really don’t feel like it).
ROUTINE DAILY FOODS
These serve two purposes. First they are a convenient way to be prepared for short-term events lasting from 1-2 weeks to a few months. Secondly they act as a bridge to the exclusive consumption of foods from your long-term supply. You should store at very minimum a one-month supply of these. Four to six months is much better but is something to develop over several years (if you feel you have the time).
Events such as an extended winter storm (the KY ice storm of 2009 left some folks without power for weeks), hurricane (Katrina: ’nuff said), and others are the sexy players here. But with today’s (Feb 2009) economic situation a layoff or employment cutback is more likely for most folks and can be at least as humbling as their flashier brethren (from sad personal experience).
The role of bridge foods is also critical. Affordable foods for long-term storage taste different from what most of us eat every day and they digest differently. You and your digestive tract need some time to adjust. One Warning ™: do not eat up all your bridge foods then suddenly switch to your deep storage foods. That destroys the whole idea of bridge foods and puts you under unnecessary physical and emotional stress. The simple truth is that you should be eating some foods from your deep storage every week, even if it’s only a pot of beans and rice and some wheat biscuits.
Foods under this heading are the stuff you eat every day with some exceptions. They should not require refrigeration or freezing to store (in case of a power outage). They should be the easier-to-fix items from your weekly grocery trips rather than the all-day-marathon recipe ingredients. In short, they should be easy to fix and familiar.
LONG-TERM STORAGE FOODS
Many people advocate a strict “store what you eat” approach. It has the advantages of familiarity and convenience, but I have neither the space nor the money up-front nor the generator and fuel to support that plan. I store an affordable mix of foods that last a long time in storage and requires no more infrastructure than a dry place to sit. This section is going to be aimed at that approach.
Foods in this category are for sustaining life and health for a long time. They are characterized by a relatively low cost per unit, good nutritional content, and a very long shelf life. Many of these are not familiar in daily American use, but with a tiny bit of work can be made part of the weekly diet of an average family. Included in this ‘deep storage’, as a friend calls it, should be some treats I call brain candy. Hard candy, hot cocoa mix, a few cans of treat-quality canned goods held in reserve, etc are all good ideas. You should also store spices and flavorings to make these rather bland foods more palatable.
The plan I recommend here is based on recommendations from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka LDS or ‘Mormons’) which they released about 1983. It recommends you store foods in the following categories:
-Grains (at least 65% whole grains): 20 – 35 lb/person/month
based on age and size includes wheat, whole corn, rice, oats, pasta,
flour, corn meal
-Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, & the like): 3 lb/person/month
including a mix of legumes (1/2 lb each of split peas & lentils; ¼ lb
each of limas & soy; remainder any bean)
-Sugar (honey, refined sugars, etc): 5lb/person/month
-Milk: 1.5 lb/person/month
-Fats & Oils: 2.2 lb/person/month (about 3/10 gal)
- Adjuncts (including salt, leavening (cream of tartar & baking soda), vinegar).
The LDS Church has recently decreased it’s recommended minimums to 25 lb of grains and 5 lb of beans per person per month.
You will need some extra tools for preparing these foods. You should store most of your grains as whole grains. That requires a grinder of some sort to prepare them as flour or cracked grains. Most whole grains and beans can be sprouted, fantastically increasing their nutritional content. Sprouting kits are cheap or can be fashioned from coarse cloth and a canning jar with ring. You’ll also need to develop skills and gather tools for preparing these foods. A wide-mouth thermos, straw-box cooker, or other insulated container makes cooking beans much easier and more energy-efficient. Cast iron Dutch ovens and the developed skills to use them can turn basic survival foods into a feast.
Copyright: Osage, Alpha Disaster Contingencies, AlphaRubicon.com 2009
you may use this freely with proper attribution. You may not charge any monetary value for this information.
FOOD STORAGE BASICS
By: Osage From Alpha Disaster Contingencies
OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES
Whatever food storage plan you develop must be suited to you (your family, your circumstances, etc) in at least three ways:
Food Allergies and Intolerances: These are unchanging. If a family member is allergic to any food (such as peanuts or wheat) you must not store that food. Kitchen hygiene during an emergency may allow for cross-contamination which can be life-threatening. If someone in the family is intolerant of a food (such as milk) don’t store that food for that person. Substitute safe foods for the ones not stored.
Preferences: These are flexible and adaptable. This is utterly and entirely different from an intolerance. It simply means you don’t like certain foods. First, make the adult decision to be in charge of your own life and not a perpetual victim! Second, develop and institute ways right now to broaden those preferences. During an emergency you’ll be under enough stress; don’t add to it by mandating a major change of diet.
Abilities and Tools: These are easily changeable. Growth here, as in the arena of preferences, can be made an adventure. Learn to cook and prepare foods in new, energy-efficient ways or ways using different energy sources. Purchase and learn right now the tools you’ll need to prepare food. This can be as simple as learning to cook over an open fire and as complicated as the salesclerk at the survival store can convince you to spend hard-earned money on.
TRIAD APPROACH TO FOOD STORAGE
I have recommended for years that food storage be pursued along three complimentary axes, like the X, Y, and Z axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system. These are :
-Quick Food Kit (aka 72-hour kit, bug-out bag, etc),
-Routine Daily Foods, and
-Long-Term Storage Foods.
These meet different needs but the use of one is complimentary to the others.
QUICK FOODS
Quick foods are mainly for acute events which are not expected to last long but which significantly interrupt normal family operations. Events such as hurricanes, ice storms, earthquakes, etc are the sexy players here. But these foods are for anything unexpected that shouldn’t last too long or for the first few days of a longer event.
Foods stored under this heading are generally characterized as being:
-Easy to fix (no more than boiling water),
-Portable (in case you have to abandon your home),
-Familiar (make them familiar right now),
-Good sources of calories (because you’ll likely be working hard), and
-Have good flavor (to lift spirits and encourage eating when you really don’t feel like it).
ROUTINE DAILY FOODS
These serve two purposes. First they are a convenient way to be prepared for short-term events lasting from 1-2 weeks to a few months. Secondly they act as a bridge to the exclusive consumption of foods from your long-term supply. You should store at very minimum a one-month supply of these. Four to six months is much better but is something to develop over several years (if you feel you have the time).
Events such as an extended winter storm (the KY ice storm of 2009 left some folks without power for weeks), hurricane (Katrina: ’nuff said), and others are the sexy players here. But with today’s (Feb 2009) economic situation a layoff or employment cutback is more likely for most folks and can be at least as humbling as their flashier brethren (from sad personal experience).
The role of bridge foods is also critical. Affordable foods for long-term storage taste different from what most of us eat every day and they digest differently. You and your digestive tract need some time to adjust. One Warning ™: do not eat up all your bridge foods then suddenly switch to your deep storage foods. That destroys the whole idea of bridge foods and puts you under unnecessary physical and emotional stress. The simple truth is that you should be eating some foods from your deep storage every week, even if it’s only a pot of beans and rice and some wheat biscuits.
Foods under this heading are the stuff you eat every day with some exceptions. They should not require refrigeration or freezing to store (in case of a power outage). They should be the easier-to-fix items from your weekly grocery trips rather than the all-day-marathon recipe ingredients. In short, they should be easy to fix and familiar.
LONG-TERM STORAGE FOODS
Many people advocate a strict “store what you eat” approach. It has the advantages of familiarity and convenience, but I have neither the space nor the money up-front nor the generator and fuel to support that plan. I store an affordable mix of foods that last a long time in storage and requires no more infrastructure than a dry place to sit. This section is going to be aimed at that approach.
Foods in this category are for sustaining life and health for a long time. They are characterized by a relatively low cost per unit, good nutritional content, and a very long shelf life. Many of these are not familiar in daily American use, but with a tiny bit of work can be made part of the weekly diet of an average family. Included in this ‘deep storage’, as a friend calls it, should be some treats I call brain candy. Hard candy, hot cocoa mix, a few cans of treat-quality canned goods held in reserve, etc are all good ideas. You should also store spices and flavorings to make these rather bland foods more palatable.
The plan I recommend here is based on recommendations from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka LDS or ‘Mormons’) which they released about 1983. It recommends you store foods in the following categories:
-Grains (at least 65% whole grains): 20 – 35 lb/person/month
based on age and size includes wheat, whole corn, rice, oats, pasta,
flour, corn meal
-Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, & the like): 3 lb/person/month
including a mix of legumes (1/2 lb each of split peas & lentils; ¼ lb
each of limas & soy; remainder any bean)
-Sugar (honey, refined sugars, etc): 5lb/person/month
-Milk: 1.5 lb/person/month
-Fats & Oils: 2.2 lb/person/month (about 3/10 gal)
- Adjuncts (including salt, leavening (cream of tartar & baking soda), vinegar).
The LDS Church has recently decreased it’s recommended minimums to 25 lb of grains and 5 lb of beans per person per month.
You will need some extra tools for preparing these foods. You should store most of your grains as whole grains. That requires a grinder of some sort to prepare them as flour or cracked grains. Most whole grains and beans can be sprouted, fantastically increasing their nutritional content. Sprouting kits are cheap or can be fashioned from coarse cloth and a canning jar with ring. You’ll also need to develop skills and gather tools for preparing these foods. A wide-mouth thermos, straw-box cooker, or other insulated container makes cooking beans much easier and more energy-efficient. Cast iron Dutch ovens and the developed skills to use them can turn basic survival foods into a feast.
Copyright: Osage, Alpha Disaster Contingencies, AlphaRubicon.com 2009
you may use this freely with proper attribution. You may not charge any monetary value for this information.
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