Survival Food for Survival Kit
February 24, 2012, Submitted by: Lauren (Mrs. MSB) Tweet
Today I’d like to talk a little bit about some ‘good’ survival food you can have in your survival kit. A couple of days ago I talked about the reasons why you should have a disaster plan for your family and Ken has also been talking about the different types of survival kits you should have ready. Let’s talk about something that goes inside the kit – your survival food.
Canned foods are convenient for your car kit or a kit that you want to use to survive for more than a day. They are heavier than other foods, but not a problem for in the car or several in a survival pack. Canned foods are already cooked so you can eat them without heating them. They will provide you with a nice amount of calories and protein if you choose wisely. Read the labels.
Another convenient item would be a brand of protein/energy bar. There are many brands out there at your local market. Ken and I prefer Power Bars, but there are so many others, such as Kashi and Kellogg’s and many more. A variety of these bars will give you calories and protein, but read your labels as some of them may not be as calorie-dense as you may expect.
An important thing to remember is the food packed in your kit should be calorie dense, easy to carry and easy to eat/heat (if necessary). Another ‘easy’ food that is great for your survival kit are MREs. They are relatively lightweight and can provide you with a tasty nutritious meal (except for the very high sodium content :=) Just remember to put some MRE heaters in your kit!
Peanut butter is another easy and calorie dense food. You can eat it right out of the jar or spread it on crackers if you have some packed. Be aware of the thirst that some foods may bring on though.
Nuts are another great food to have in your survival kit. Stored in an airtight container or vacuum sealed in a plastic bag are a few good ways to pack them. Nuts are very high in dietary fiber, and are one of the best plant sources of protein.
Another survival food consideration is if you have any dietary related health issues, this should be a factor you consider when packing your ‘food’. Things like diabetes and high blood pressure may cause you to pack different food types. Just bear that in mind. For example, if you need lots of potassium, you could pack some dehydrated banana chips. You get the idea.
Don’t forget to have some water packed, or water filter, depending on your kit.
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking so you can make sure you’ve packed your survival kit with the right survival food for you and your family.
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One item that is a little bulky but lightweight and packs excellent nutrition are many of the better boxed cereals. I look at Kashi cereals and there are fantastic for what you need and tghe box I am holding right now has an expired dat of Oct. 2012 on it. That 8 months, not bad. There is 11 servings in the box, only 85 mg of sodium, 5 grams of fiber. RDA; Vitamin A 25%, Vitamin C 50%, Iron 10%, Vitamin E 100%, B6 100%, Folic acid 100%, B12 100%, Zinc 10%. Calories are just 120 but you get nutrition though. It is healthy, as you can get similar cereal and bars from companies like this.
So forgotton with with emergency food is nutrition. Many people can live on MRE’s for awhile, but as I have seen from the sporting goods store most of these just don’t offer the vitamins and minerals you need. Deficiencies from not getting enough from food is not pretty and can be quite paralyzing. While you can store up daily vitamins and ninerals, these can last only so long and people should look to what they are eating to avoid going without something you need. I realize that this is long term more than short, but proper nutrition should always be an essential point of eating, in and out of disasters and emergencies.
I agree with nuts as a very good storage item. I would recommend the mixed nuts or cans or jars of various nuts. Brazil nuts for example are excellent for getting selenium. For calories alone, macadamia nuts cannot be beat. Almonds are probably the best nuts over all for everything you need. Peanuts are probably the least nutritious of what is consider a nut, maybe because peanuts are actully considered a legume like the common peas are. Pumpkin seeds are so full of zinc. The mineral zinc is used for healing of wounds and helping speed the recovery time of flus and other sicknesses. Sunflower seeds are also a good all around nut.
One of the best survival foods I say is to know your surroundings and be able to either pick it and harvest it, hunt it, fish for it, etc. Nature has much to offer against starvation and on top of what you store, you should always look to the outdoors and what is available to you. This includes around your home, where you plan to go, where you might get stuck somewhere at, anywhere that you are and will or could be.
@ Bee: Thanks! Nice input. Stay well, Lauren
I think another great product would be soy nuts, also known as roasted soybeans. I’ve never been into health foods until recently when I became interested in eating a more alkalized diet, this lead me to discover soy nuts and now I’m addicted to them! This tasty and nutritious snack would be great as a survival food as they are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
A one-ounce serving (about one-quarter of a cup) amounts to 120 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fiber. They also alkalize your blood which will make you stay healthier and give you more energy and stamina.