For the newbee's 5 Food Prepping Mistakes to Avoid !!

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5 Food Prepping Mistakes to Avoid

 

October 28, 2013 by JeremyM

 

Storing food is one of the core tenets of survivalism. With food stored, the effects of any crisis or disaster, whether long-term or short-term can be mitigated. As it is, many preppers invest a considerable amount of time and resources in stockpiling food. Needless to say, there is no room for mistakes when storing food for survival. Mistakes not only mean waste of resources and time but can also spell danger during emergency.

The following are 5 common food prepping mistakes to avoid

 

1. Not having variety in your storage

 

Some novice preppers stockpile only ‘survival foods’ or mostly freeze-dried foods and MREs. But this is impractical due to the limited nutrients and lack of variety. Not to mention these foods are really expensive and difficult to rotate on a regular basis. Other people only store basic items like wheat, honey, milk and salt – and they store lots of these!

Adding variety to your food stockpile is important because it prevents appetite fatigue. When you eat the same thing over and over, you will eventually end up preferring not to eat rather than taste the same food again – this is appetite fatigue. This problem affects children and older people the most. Appetite fatigue can also lower morale and increase stress and agitation during times of crisis.

Do not just focus on the basic food types to store. For example, store less wheat than generally suggested and more of other types of grains that you like to eat. Your stockpile must be a mixture of store bought canned goods, home canned, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods.

You should also include your favorite spices and food flavorings. Add cooking oil, shortening, yeast, powdered eggs, baking powder and baking soda to your stockpile. These items are necessary for cooking basic meals.

 

2. Not having a proper storage area

 

There are three things to consider when choosing or preparing your food storage area: temperature, light and pests. The storage area’s temperature should be a stable 45-70 degrees. Anything lower can freeze the containers and compromise them and the foods within. Anything higher can slowly cook the foods in your stockpile. What you want is a stable and well regulated temperature.

The food storage area should also be away from direct sunlight as well as from any modern electrical lighting because these can significantly reduce food shelf life.

The area should also be free of pests like mice and insects that can attack your stored food. Keep insects and rodents away by making sure that the area does not smell of food. Use containers that can seal in the scent of food. Also, it would be a good idea to set up rodent traps around your food storage area.

 

3. Not using proper containers for food storage

 

Your food containers should be durable, air-tight and water proof.

Containers that are completely airtight can extend the life of your preps plus it will also seal in the smell of food to prevent rodents and insects from getting into your food storage area. Sealed commercial cans, sealed canning jars and sealed 5 gallon buckets are completely airtight. Vacuum-sealed bags are technically airtight but they are thin so pests can gnaw through them. When using vacuum sealed bags, put them inside plastic containers to double your food’s protection.

When packing your own food, use oxygen absorbers to remove any excess oxygen inside the containers. When storing flour, sugar and seasonings, make use of dark colored containers to prevent light from penetrating through.

 

4. Underestimating your water needs

 

Water storage should be separate from your food storage but I’ve included it here because among the common mistakes preppers make is not storing enough water in consideration to the type of foods they have in their stockpile. Usually, when storing water, novice preppers think only of the amount of water a person needs for drinking in a day and then add half a gallon or so for washing.

However, water is needed from the preparation to the cooking of most food. And if you have dehydrated foods, you definitely need water in order to eat your meals. Also, you will need water to clean your food containers – plastic containers, cans, jars – before you put them away. So plan out your food preps and include the amount of water you might need in preparing and cooking your meals. It may be a good idea to store water for drinking and water for food preps separately.

 

5. Not using or rotating your food storage

 

People often store food and just leave them there until the need arises for them to be used. This is not a good idea because 1] you don’t know when the crisis would hit and when it does, most of your stockpile might have gone bad therefore you cannot use them and 2] you’re not familiar with the food you have stored.

Using items from your storage and replacing them is a good way to keep your stockpile fresh. By using your storage, you also familiarize yourself on how to prepare the food and whether you and your family like it or not. A time of crisis or emergency is not a good time for a sudden change in diet. Go through your stockpile regularly, use items and replace them, try items out and change those that you don’t like.

Recognize any mistakes you might have made in storing food now that you still have time to make corrections.

 

 

Top 10 Foods Every Family Must Store To Survive A Food Crisis

 

February 21, 2013 by Rod Davidson

 

Sandy, Katrina…

It all happens so fast.

Within a few minutes our lives are can be changed forever. Thrown into turmoil. Turned upside down in the blink of an eye.

Clouds rush in from out of nowhere. Winds quickly pick up to a terrifying speed. Torrential rain whips down and rapidly causes flash floods.

We never know what Mother Nature is going to send our way. You can’t stop a massive storm from hammering down your door, but you can be prepared.

 

When the crisis hits – demand for food will soar. Supermarkets and corner stores will be rushed with hungry shoppers desperate to get their hands on lifesaving foods to feed their families.

It doesn’t even have to be a storm. It could be an economic collapse or civil unrest…an attack on our country’s soil.

 

The truth is:

When a catastrophe hits your home you have very little time to react.

It becomes somewhat of a do or die scenario.

Every family in America and around the world should be prepared for this.

 

Will you be prepared?

I sure hope so. There is a common myth that in order to be prepared you need to have hundreds of dollars lying around in order to buy food.

 

This is simply not true.

The trick, especially if you’re new to prepping, is to start small. Start with what you can afford and slowly build your stockpile from there.

 

The point of this article is to help you understand the top 10 food you should be storing in the event of a food crisis.

I’ve tried to balance these food out so that they:

• Give you and your family the nutrition that you need to survive

• Won’ break the bank

• Will be relatively easy to store (even if you don’t have a lot of room)

So here’s a quick rundown of the top 10 foods to store

First though, if the S well and truly does HTF the first 2 on this list will be your staple. They are packed with enough carbs and protein to keep you and your family going. They may not taste that great – and are a little bland and boring, but hey – we’re talking survival here!

 

Rice is an excellent low cost survival food

Rice

Why?

Cheap, lasts a long time and is easy to store. It is packed with carbohydrates which are essential to your survival. When stored correctly rice can last for up to 10 years.

 

Beans

Why?

High in fiber, protein and antioxidants. They are not only as close to perfect a survival food they also may aid in disease prevention too. Read more here. Beans cheap too. Be sure to store them in a cool, dark place and they can last up to 10 years. Like I said – close to perfect survival food!

 

Oatmeal

Why?

Easy to store, high in fiber, cheap and has very good health benefits. Oats are an excellent food to store, especially if you have kids. There are lots of delicious things you can do with oats (nice break for the kids from rice and beans!) Oats have also been proven to lower cholesterol.

 

Peanut Butter

Why?

It’s delicious! That’s it! Just kidding…not only is peanut butter delicious every spoonful is packed with protein, vitamin E and cholesterol-regulating monounsaturated fats.

 

Cornmeal

Why?

Packed with carbs, fiber and iron. Once again, relatively cheap and easy to store. Lasts for up to 2 years (can last longer). It’s better than regular flours because it contains oils that helps it last longer in storage. Check out some corn meal recipes here.

 

Honey

Why?

Honey is packed with sugar and energy which are greatly needed in a survival situation. I prefer to store honey over sugar as it can pretty much last forever when stored. If honey is a little out of your budget then substituting white and brown is a good fix.

 

Salt

Why?

Lasts forever and performs multiple tasks. Other than the obvious – adding much needed flavor to your food (imagine a diet of rice and beans with no salt…) salt can be used for curing and drying meat too.

 

Canned Fruit and Vegetables

Why?

Vitamins of course! Vitamins are essential to your health and well being. In a world where the S has HTF you will need to be on your toes…which means being as healthy as possible. Not only do fruit and vegetables help fight off disease – they are also delicious. The are not, however, the most practical food to store. They take up space, are relatively expensive and can go bad. The good news is that if you’re in it for the long run (society completely collapses) you’ll be able to grow these.

 

Pasta

Why?

Good storable food packed with carbs. Pasta is one of those great foods that are easy to cook and last a long time when stored. Pasta is also quite inexpensive.

 

Honey will last nearly forever when stored correctly.

 

Things to think about:

 

Think about your family members. How many of you are there? What will you need to survive for an extended period of time? Does anyone in your immediate family suffer from any food allergies?

Ask yourself those types of questions.

 

Tip: An easy way to prep.

 

If you’re new or just getting started prepping this may help you overcome the sometimes overwhelming world of food prepping (thinking – “Oh Gosh! Where do I start!”)

Start slow but be consistent.

What I mean is – say you’re going to the store to buy some rice. Instead of buying one – bag buy two. You can then use one for your current day to day cooking and store the other one. You’re already starting to build a stock pile of food without really doing anything!

 

Whatever you do please remember to keep an inventory of what you’re storing. You’ll then know how much you have and how long it will last you for!

 

How To Save Money On Your Prepping

 

Keep a look out for coupons. Every day I look out for coupons to buy food with. I would estimate that I save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year on food doing this.

Look out for sales. If there is a sale be sure to buy as much food as you can afford to (don’t break the bank though!)

I really hope that’s a help for you.

 

hamster.