Food Survivalism

Today, we have very advanced warning systems.

Hurricanes, winter storms are rarely a surprise, but is anyone listening?

It's a shocking statistic, but 53% of French households don't have a supply of non-perishable food for more than three days.

53% is just over half.

If that number doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.

In times of crisis, nearly half the population would begin to starve before the end of a single week.

The main thing is non-perishable food. If you took inventory of your food right now, you'd realize that frozen, uncooked pickles and burgers wouldn't work in this type of emergency.

You may be planning to rush to the store after work, but by then it's too late.

Milk, peanut butter and bread are gone, as are candles and camping stoves.

That's the problem with trying to get your hands on the best survival foods once an emergency hits. Not to mention all the emergencies that arise without warning.

What happens after a nuclear strike or an explosion?

We live on what we have stored in advance and according to the statistics, there will be many people who will be hungry after a few days.

A big part of the survival puzzle is what kind of food you want to store.

The rest of the solution lies in getting the food now (before it's too late) and finally how you will prepare the food with limited resources.

You should prepare well before the actual emergency is broadcast to the public.

By then, even with cash in hand, the best foods will be gone.

If you can overcome these hurdles, you'll still need a diet capable of providing enough calories with the right nutritional value to keep you healthy in a long-term emergency.

The Best Criteria for Survival Foods

If you ever find yourself in a situation without electricity , you will need food that you can cook using survival methods. Your luxury electric stove will be out of order.

In the event of a snowstorm, the electricity may remain, but you may lose access to a grocery store.

Every survival situation is unique .

Massive flooding will ruin unprotected food due to contaminated waters.

Hopefully, you'll store your dried foods loose in tightly sealed cans .

Some crises may require an emergency exit with very little staple food. Foods that are not too heavy to carry.

You can't fully prepare for every eventuality, but there are some best practices for storing the best emergency foods.

The foods you like to eat

Eating the same thing day after day becomes boring. You should include a variety of foods that you eat each day. There's a reason we call these foods "comforting."

These are the foods that make us smile and bring us joy, even in difficult times.

If you like butter, grab a can of No. 10 powdered butter . If you like cheese, grab a box of freeze-dried mozzarella (#10).

Not only is it delicious, but it can provide the fat and calories needed for an otherwise bland diet.

Don't just stockpile produce you never eat or know how to cook, because a survival scenario is no time to get creative with your cooking skills.

Shelf-stable foods

If you store food before a crisis, it may be months or years before you use it. You can regularly renew your pantry, but there will always be some foods that will take longer to use than others.

Most survivalists take this fact into account by opting for foods that are canned, freeze-dried or simply have a long shelf life.

The best survival foods will keep for at least a year without refrigeration or are eaten and discarded before that time.

You can also invest in quality, long-lasting freeze-dried foods from Valley Food Storage, Legacy Food Storage, or Wise Emergency Food.

Note: If you're seriously considering investing in freeze-dried survival food kits, be sure to read reviews of these same survival foods.

Foods with high nutrient density

Beans and rice may not be part of your best emergency food strategy, but they are long-lasting foods that provide complete protein when combined.

Beans and rice may not be part of your best emergency food strategy, but they are long-lasting foods that provide complete protein when combined.

You can opt for different types of legumes that you prefer or find easier to digest than pinto beans, such as garbanzos, kidney beans, or lentils.

Flexible foods

The best survival foods give your diet some flexibility, which is a good way to keep it from getting boring.

Dried powdered milk may not be a food that will satisfy you on its own, but it can be used to create yogurts, cheese, puddings, and bread.

Foods that have some commercial value can also be used in your own recipes and bartered when you get tired of eating from your own stash.

Foods you don't have to cook

You can include some foods that require some processing before eating, such as red wheat berries, but ultimately, in the first few days, don't expect to do much cooking.

You will need ready-to-eat foods.

The electricity network may be down and/or you may have to leave the area. If you're on the road, you won't have time to make a fire and cook.

Plan to have a number of light food sources that don't require heat, such as military rations , these are some of the best survival foods in your pantry.

Basic food groups for survival
With these criteria in mind, let's take a look at some of the choices you might choose to add to your best emergency pantry for survival foods.

Remember that you will need to store these items in bulk.

You will also need to purchase additional non-food items to ensure that you can prepare food, in case your emergency extends beyond ready-to-eat meals, such as corn mills.

Create a balanced diet that is nutritionally dense, easy to store long-term, and tasty.

1. Drinks

Bottled water will be the most important food to add to your backup pantry. You will not be able to survive more than 3 days without drinking water.

However, you can also add high-calorie powdered drink mixes that will make milk, vitamin-rich waters, or just flavored treats.

These items are lightweight and also have commercial value. They can also be used as medicine if you add teas and powdered vitamin drinks to them.

2. Meats

Meat is the most difficult item on your emergency list because it must be ready to eat. You can't store butcher's meat for long, and you'll have to hunt for food at some point.

You can store ready-to-eat canned meats like spam, ham, and chili, and they will make a satisfying meal. However, they do not lend themselves to a trip outside the region.

Some people solve the meat problem by raising chickens, rabbits, and goats and installing aquaponic systems as sources of meat ready for long-term use. However, you will also need a good supply of freeze-dried meat.

You can get freeze-dried chicken or beef that some companies claim has a 25-year shelf life . You'll need to rehydrate them, but that's easy to do when adding them to another recipe.

One of my favorite ways to store meat is to make pemmican .

It's a way of turning meat into jerky bars that can last at least 50 years if processed and stored properly.

3. Fish

An overlooked source of essential protein is canned fish.

You can eat tuna, sardines, herring straight from the can and they are all very nutrient dense. However, I get it, not everyone gets excited about snacking on canned fish.

But listen, in a starvation situation, this difficult attitude will quickly change. After about 4 days of starvation, the fish will become one of the most delicious dishes you have ever eaten.

Plus, they're survival foods that you can stockpile even on a budget.

4. Dairy products

You can, however, freeze some cheeses, but if your supply is cut off, so will your stock of frozen goods. This makes dairy one of the most difficult food groups to include in your backup pantry.

Learn how to make your own cheeses and yogurts with powdered milk.

Own a goat.

Buy canned cheese, but be aware that it may be the first item to disappear from your shelf when people are hungry.

5. Cereals, nuts and legumes

Grains, nuts, and legumes, when put together, produce a complete protein similar to meat and dairy. They also tend to come in dried forms that keep well.

If you store red wheat berries, they can be crushed and made into bread. If you combine them with nuts or legumes, you get complete protein. You can be very creative in this area.

You can also use a basic survival cookie recipe that can last for decades if stored properly.

Pasta and beans are a complete protein and have a long shelf life. They are among the best survival foods and are also cheap to buy in large quantities.

Use peanut butter instead of raw nuts to make complete protein crackers, and they don't need to be heated to enjoy them.

It's not just rice and beans that matter.

Don't forget to include grains, nuts, and beans that you can sprout for extra nutrition, such as wheat berries, sunflower seeds, and garbanzo beans.

These products can provide the greens you need in low light conditions.

6. Fruits and vegetables

Dehydrated fruits are easy and light to store.

They can be incorporated into various recipes to diversify the diet and are also rich in nutrients.

They can also be used in recipes when you're not in an emergency, and taken in turns.

Combine them with grains and nuts for quick foods that don't require heating to serve.

Most preppers will assume they're not storing too many and instead focus on seeds to grow in their garden to supplement their other emergency preps.

However, there's no reason you can't start stocking up on fruits and vegetables now.

7. Oils

Oils are needed to keep the body healthy and to cook food.

Sweeteners, spices, and alcohol aren't necessary or nutritious, but can help season foods that might otherwise be unappetizing.

Are they non-essential? It depends on who you ask.

Choose an oil that you like, that has a long shelf life and that does not go rancid. Canned butter has a shelf life that exceeds one year.

Extra virgin coconut oil has a shelf life of at least 7-15 years.

It is an oil that should be considered for its high nutritional value as well as its ability to be solid at room temperature. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties.

It melts with the heat of the hand and can be used as a conditioner, hand cream and pomade.

However, if you've never cooked with coconut oil or used it before, you'll need to experiment before the emergency happens, otherwise it won't do you much good. -thing.

If you know Crisco better, stock up. It won't be as nutritionally dense, but it won't be wasted either.

8. Sweeteners

Honey is another sweetener that can be stored long term and has medicinal value.

Some say honey never goes bad, although that can be hard to prove.

For those who prefer something not in liquid form, you can stock up on white sugar, which is also said to last indefinitely.

You can use either to preserve foods like wild fruits and berries as well as roots.

9. Spices

Salt was once a commercial spice, and may return if the SHTF wishes.

It is valuable for making food tasty and preserving it.

However, other spices that meet the same criteria are cheap seasoning packets that won't be available at an open grocery store in an emergency.

10. Alcohol

What alcohol could end up in your survival pantry?

Don't opt ​​for flavored liquors and wine.

Instead, favor distilled alcohols which can be used in medical applications (to sterilize a wound) and which can also be used to preserve other foods, such as fruit.

Vodka, rum, and whiskey are good choices.

If you learn how to craft bootleg liquor or ferment foods into alcoholic wines and beers, you'll have an in-demand skill.

Frozen foods are not the solution

Prepared survivors who think they'll be sitting well while their neighbors are starving because they have a freezer full of game, cheese, and food are going to be bitterly disappointed if the power goes out for a while.

However, if they try to figure out if they should use this generator to keep their fridge and microwave on to defrost food, instead of keeping it warm, they'll soon realize that the priority will be keeping it warm and dry.

Building a pantry that contains the best survival foods is not the same as stockpiling random foods.

This requires a thoughtful approach. It's the key to survival when modern conveniences are stripped down and you're left to fend for yourself.

Remember : Prepare, adapt and overcome the challenges that come your way.