7 Questions on Food Storage

You Need to read the following, then act accordingly. Get Educated...then Get Prepared! Don't get burned buying food storage.  Knowing the answers to the following 7 questions will help you get the best value when you buy food storage. How many calories do I need each day in order to maintain good health? You need approximately 2100 calories per day.  This will vary somewhat depending on your age and activity level. A teenager or a hardworking adult my require as many as 3000 to 5000 calories per day. Being malnourished makes you susceptible to sickness and disease and puts you at physical and emotional risk. For more information see "How to figure out how much food you need" below.  Do companies selling a "Year Supply of Food" actually give you enough food for a year?  Many companies are selling "Year Supplies" that only provide about 500 calories per day or 125 lbs. of dried food.  One hundred twenty five pounds of dried food (it doesn't matter if it's freeze-dried or dehydrated) will only feed you for three months on a 2000 calorie per day diet.  This means you need four times the amount of food they are claiming is a "year's supply".  That's four times the calorie count or food weight and four times the price quoted to come up with the real cost for a year's supply of their food.  Oh by the way, a McDonald's Big Mac is about 500 calories. I like Big Mac's, but one Big Mac is not much food for a whole day.   Is a serving or an entrée a meal?  Many companies have replaced the term "meal" with "serving" or "entrée". A serving or entrée is a portion of a meal usually containing 150-250 calories. A meal consists of multiple servings that total approximately 700 calories.  If you are being told that you are getting 3 ½ servings a day, then you are only getting 450-750 calories for the whole day. That is death by slow starvation.   Is lightweight freeze-dried food more space efficient than heavy, dense dehydrated food?  When it comes to food - dense and heavy is space efficient, light and fluffy is not.  You need approximately 500 lbs. of dry food per person per year (regardless if it's freeze-dried or dehydrated). If a can weighs 1lb you'll need 500 of them. If a can weighs 5lbs you'll need 100 of them. Heavy is space efficient, light is not.   Do all dried foods last 30 years?  The shelf life of dried food packaged in #10 cans is between 3 and 30 years depending on the food product and storage temperatures.  Products with fats, oils, or higher moisture content (some fruits) have shorter shelf life.  Some companies use the phrase "up to" 25 or 30 years to make their product seem better. Yes, in a freezer that's probably true. Many base this on a 40 or 60 degree temperature. Shelf life drops drastically as storage temperature is increased.  Example: a product that lasts 20 years at 60 degrees really only lasts about 10 years at 70-75 degrees.  Also, there are 2 sets of numbers when referring to shelf life.  The first is based on best flavor and nutrition (you are still going to want to eat it).  The second number is based on the idea that you can eat it and it won't kill you (realizing that nutrition and flavor may have declined drastically depending on the product).  Most salesman use the longer number to impress you!    Are #10 cans of food from one company the same as another company? No, they are not.  Many companies are short filling their cans to create the illusion of a better price. You now have a can that has less product, empty space, and requires more storage area.  Example, one can of dry onions has 40 oz. per #10 can while the next one only has 30 oz.   A can of egg powder may weigh between 2 and 3 lbs.  You can also shake the can to find out how full it is.  Better yet....just compare the cost per ounce based on the price of the can and the amount of food weight in the can.  Also, keep in mind that the taste and quality will vary based on the grade of ingredients used to make the product!   Are the pre-made meals in #10 cans low in salt and MSG?  Most pre-made meals are very high in salt.  Eating pre-made meals everyday can give you up to four times your recommended daily salt (sodium) intake.  Also many pre-made meals are high in MSG. How to figure out how much food you need.  There are two ways of figuring out how much food you need. . . A) 2000 calories a day. This is the "A" rule. This is the average amount a person needs per day. It's harder to calculate your food storage this way because you have to count the calories of every can. The "B" rule is easier. B) Dried food weight equals calories. This is not exact but close. It's a "B" rule.  If I were grading a paper and "A" would be perfect and a "B" would be good.  A can of food that weighs 5 lbs. will feed you 5 times longer than a 1 lb. can.  It takes 1 - 1.5 lbs. of dry food per day to feed a person. This means by dried food weight you need approximately 500 lbs. of dried food a year. Whether it is dehydrated or freeze dried food, a pound is still a pound (exception- a few fruits do have a little water weight and consequently shorter shelf life). If you eat less than this you will be losing weight and starving yourself.        Why a storing a variety of food is important. Variety is very important. 500 lbs. of wheat is not a good food storage plan. Variety gives you better flavor and nutrition. The more variety you have the better off you will be.  (Example: Grains, Beans, Fruits, Veggies, Dairy, Desserts, Baking needs, Spices, and some prepared meals if the budget allows)