You know what question I get that drives me nuts, probably more than any other? It goes something like, “What’s the ONE food I can stockpile for an emergency that doesn’t go bad for years?” Or, perhaps, “What are the ten foods I can have on hand for SHTF that last forever?” Or something like that. They’re all basically asking the same, albeit wrong question. Let me explain.
Here we are going on day five after Thanksgiving and our leftovers are thankfully at an end as of yesterday. Personally, I’m generally happy to eat leftovers–whatever they may be–until I’m blue in the face. There’s just something about leaving good food go to waste that bothers me to my core, but even by Sunday I was pretty much tired of eating the same thing.
My family, however, doesn’t seem to share my opinion; most of them will eat leftovers once and then they’re done no matter what. I think I ate leftover Thanksgiving food for breakfast twice, for lunch at least three times, and probably for dinner every night too…yeah, we had a lot leftover, lol.
So, what’s the point? Well, even if you’re like me, there comes a point that most of us just simply won’t eat the same food day in and day out, especially not for weeks or months. And if a SHTF event ever truly happens, food WILL be one of the biggest problems for most families, in my opinion, but not for the reason you might assume.
You see, it’s not necessarily about the quantity of food–as with having enough bulk foods–but about the quality. More specifically, it’s about the taste, the variety, the sensations…it’s about consuming food the way we’ve been accustomed to for all of our lives. And we’re very much accustomed to a wide variety of sensations, especially with regards to food.
Ok, I can hear you already saying, “But if it comes down to starving or eating what’s in front of you, you’ll eat it.” I beg to differ. There’s a phenomenon called appetite fatigue which is something that happens when a person simply refuses to eat the same food because it’s, well, not appetizing to them. That’s even the case if they’re literally starving! I know, I find it hard to believe too, but it’s a real thing.
In essence, what I’m saying is that even if you choose to stockpile hundreds of pounds of bulks foods (e.g., rice, beans, noodles) which is a good thing to do, don’t expect to rely on this food alone if/when SHTF. These foods should really only serve as the basis of meals; consider them the filler material, the calories provides, and not your primary food source.
In fact, they almost need to be an afterthought with regards to your food stockpiling. Instead, you should be asking yourself, “Which foods do I need to provide a variety of tasty, interesting, and healthy meals day in and day out for months to come?”
When you start asking yourself that question, then you realize that you need to figure out how to stockpile the foods you already know you need: vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, and so on. There are many ways to do so, including canning, dehydrating, freeze dried foods, store-bought canned goods, freezing it (if you can keep a freezer going) and more.
Once you’ve got the important, nutrient-dense food squared away, then you can and should add the calorie-dense foods (e.g., rice, beans) which get added to the nutrient-dense food as the filler material to add bulk to the meals thereby extending the more crucial nutrient-dense foods (e.g., meat, veggies).
Yes, I’ve got a book on the topic if you’d like to know more, but the short answer to this question is to simply stockpile more of the shelf-stable foods you already it. And if you don’t eat a lot of canned foods then be sure you keep your fridge and freezer full AND you have the ability to keep them running for weeks or months on end. Of course, it’s probably best to do both or, better yet, do even more by canning your own foods, buying freeze dried food (but they can get expensive fast), or trying dehydrating. It’s doesn’t much matter to me how you stockpile more of the nutritious foods your body needs, just that you do.
Also, because different variety is so important to keeping your mouth and tastebuds engages, I would strongly encourage you to stockpile a wide variety of seasonings and spices. Because even switching out the type of seasonings used in a meal–even if it’s the same meal–can be just enough to keep a person’s mouth engaged.
Last, young children deserve a special mention here. Whereas you might be able to reason things through with an adult or an older child, the young ones don’t necessarily reason things out very well. As such, I would also encourage you to have plenty of the types of foods they tend to eat, whether that’s specific cereals or snack foods or whatever and the be sure to ration them.
Remember that this type of preparedness really can’t be done after the fact. Honestly, most preparedness cannot be done after the fact. In any case, it behooves you to include a wide variety of foods in your pantry, at least as much as possible. Your tastebuds won’t regret it!
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