First, you can’t just rely on your grocery store to supply you with enough emergency preparedness supplies to last you for a few days.
Most large stores will have some basic foods like rice, pasta, and dried fruits in their inventory, but it won’t be much! If there was an earthquake or hurricane that destroyed most of the city, how would you survive?
You would probably run out of food very quickly if you didn’t bring any home already. So, unless you live alone, it is best to gather a small amount of each type of food from several sources so that you don’t run out too soon.
This article will talk about the top five high quality survival foods, what they do, and why they are important to always have on hand. Then, we will discuss how to make sure you never run out of them during a crisis.
Why You Need to Know About Different Types of Survival Foods
While some might think that dried fruits are already a part of your diet, they’re not! Dried fruits like dates or apples must have water to rehydrate properly, so they’re only really usable when you have access to water.
Other types of foods in this category include things such as dried vegetables (like carrots or potatoes), dry meats (such as jerky or baked chicken meat), and hard candies or cookies made out of sugar. All of these items can be consumed either raw or cooked depending on what state they are in.
Certain types of dried foods like dried veggies or dried meats need to be heated before being eaten to ensure they don’t go bad.
Which Type Should I Choose for My Family?
Although there are many types of foods that can help you survive, we cannot say which one is the best overall survival food unless it has an ingredient that makes it taste good!
That being said, most people agree that dried fruits and vegetables are your best bet as survival foods. These are great sources of vitamins and minerals needed to keep you healthy.
Dried berries like cranberries or blueberries are excellent additions to any survivor’s basket. They are cost effective, easy to store, and they pack in some nutritional value.
Most people also agree that carbohydrates are something you should have plenty of during times of crisis. We often forget how important their consumption is until we don’t see them too long.
So what kind of carbohydrate do you want to add into your diet? You will probably need lots of bread, pasta, rice, and/or crackers.
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Buying Survival Food?
While there are some foods that we feel are better than others for eating alone, none of them make too big of an impact unless you have enough to eat beforehand.
Making sure your body has adequate nutrition before preparing your own food can be tricky if you’re not used to it. That’s why having a general idea of what types of fruits and vegetables are worth investing in is important!
Certain veggies like carrots or potatoes can help mitigate hunger by acting as a source of glucose (a simple sugar) and vitamin A. Both of these nutrients play a key role in keeping your skin healthy and helping with vision.
You may also want to look into dried fruit suchas apricots or raisins. Not only do they taste good, but their high fiber content can aid in feeling full.
The Best Survival Foods
While there are lots of foods that we consider “diamonds in the rough,” they don’t always work when you need them to. Some people claim that apricot nectar will help neutralize alkaline water, but this has never been scientifically proven.
So what is the best survival food? According to an average of all reviews, chicken soup is!
Chickens were designed to eat grass and other vegetables, so their digestive systems contain enzymes that aid in breaking down such substances. Therefore, if you can get some raw meat and chop it up into small pieces, then put the cooked meat in a pot with a lid, add some salt and pepper, and simmer for half an hour – your call.
This recipe can also be done using packaged pre-cooked meats, but none have as many vitamins and minerals as fresh ones do. Besides, who wants to spend money on something that may not even taste good anyway?
Another popular option is cooking rice. This makes sense because both grains and chickens produce similar byproducts while eating things. Why not use those products to help yourself heal?
Many people swear by adding either dried or canned tomatoes to make the broth more richly flavoured. It does not hurt to try it out, but remember to drink it quickly so it does not go bad.
Food Storage Tips
While some foods are better than others for longer term storage, there’s one universal truth about all of them: The less nutritious the food, the longer it will last in your stash.
Throwing a bunch of sugar in to preserve the shelf life of your supplies is not the best idea.
Likewise, buying packaged goods or processed foods can add years to the lifespan of your food supply. Consuming lots of white carbs may keep you feeling full for a while, but they don’t hold much nutritional value.
In fact, eating too many refined carbohydrates (like bread or pasta) can be harmful because they aren’t paired with any nutrients. That means you’re still hungry, but you’ve also wasted valuable space in your stockpile that could have been filled by more nutritious snacks.
We know what doesn’t work as a short-term solution, so why would we want to use it as an extended one?
Fortunately, there are several easily accessible foods that can help you get through the end of the world! Read on to find out how to make the most of these Survival Foods.
Waterproofing Tips
While not necessarily considered a nutrient, water is of great importance to your health- if you do not have enough, your body cannot function properly.
You should always be aware of your daily water intake.
The average person needs around 10–12 cups of water per day. Some people need more depending on their activity level and how much they are drinking alcohol or coffee.
To make sure you are getting adequate water, try using a simple method – add one cup for every hour that you wake up, then drink the rest of the day. This way you will know whether you are drinking enough at night when you sleep!
Another way to determine if you are drinking enough liquid is by feeling thirsty. If you feel thirsted after having a glass of water, you may want to increase yours intake slightly.
Canning Tips
While some foods are more expensive to make, they will last much longer than if they were purchased pre-made or made in a factory. Luckily for you, canning is a very easy process that does not require too long of preparation time!
Most people begin by gathering their ingredients and then preparing them into a puree before placing them into a vessel such as a hot water bath or pot. This boiling process removes moisture from the ingredient, creating an authentic taste that other products may lack.
After this, your mixture must be pitched (or added salt) and filled into sterilized jars. These jars should be labeled and verified as safe for consumption, and with our article about how to preserve fruits and vegetables, you know what kind of containers are needed.
Once all these steps have been completed, close the lid and place in the oven! This processes helps create an extended shelf life, which is great because you do not need to use up any space storing only spoiled or rotten foods.
Freezing Tips
Now that we have covered some basics about foods that taste good and foods that do not, let’s talk about how to preserve the nutritional value of your meals!
Thawing frozen fruits and vegetables out can sometimes result in waterlogged pieces. This does not mean they should be tossed away though! You can dry them off or even add them into other recipes.
Drying individual items like carrots or potatoes will take up some space in your refrigerator so make sure you have a place for those before freezing again.
Blanching is another way to prepare fresh produce. By boiling it first, the plant material cooks more quickly and therefore retains most of its nutrients.
You can then cool down the vegetable and pack it into an airtight container. Make sure to label what item it is to prevent mix-up!
And lastly, if you are baking or toasting bread, rice, pasta, etc., try to toast it in a preheated oven or toaster than raw. Letting it roast slightly in a hot oven helps keep all of the carbs intact.
Hopefully you learned something new today! If there’s anything specific you wanted to know, feel free to leave a comment below and I will update this article accordingly.