Food Storage (Purchasing Habits)

Now is the time to start storing more. 

I have a habit of stocking up at a quickened pace in the months leading up to the winter and it's not a bad idea. Last year we had a rather subdued winter overall, but had a major snowstorm just prior to Halloween that was so bad that local trick or treating was delayed a couple of days and most lost power anywhere from a day to a whole week. I'd rather have some stored foods just in case. And having a gas stove means I can continue to cook my cache of food even during a prolonged power outage.

Very small example of stored foods

I have also decided to spend more time looking at and purchasing foods for storage. For me there's a couple of factors:
1.) Content and Ingredients
2.) Shelf Life
3.) Price
4.) Preservatives and/or additives

I like to think that what I am buying will benefit my family and I if things start to look bad outside our windows. I make sure it is something everyone can and will eat. In order to purchase it has to be something that will have a high caloric value combined with some form of nutrition that will help sustain the eater when food isn't plentiful or easily obtained anymore.

It also has to have a decent shelf life. Most canned items have anywhere from a 1-3 year lifespan depending on the item.

I'd hate to put a price on my family's future well-being, but being broke doesn't help my family either. Finding a good balance of all these factors helps in the long run.

Most long-lasting canned foods have preservatives and additives, there isn't really a way around that, but I do choose to actively avoid some. You can look up related health concerns and common side effects as there's often too many to list.

For example:

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)  - Used for its flavor enhancing and thickening properties
Sodium Nitrate - Added to cured meats as a preservative and color fixative
High Fructose Syrup - Sweetener

Pricing

Some of the items I buy still contain some of these less-than-pleasant ingredients, but if it's really cheap or if it's lasts a little longer I'll bite the bullet and get it anyway. Remember - it's all about moderation. Don't eat too much crap and you should be okay. Eat nothing but crap and you may be in trouble.

In a world where's there no food having something with preservatives is the least of your troubles.

Regardless, it is nice to know I have an ever-growing comfort bubble when it comes to having a store of food in case getting to a grocery store becomes dangerous or downright impossible.

MREs

Are the good old MREs (Meals-Ready-to-Eat) you can find in your everyday Army Navy Surplus store good for you? Well it's certainly debatable. What isn't debatable is that they are a perfect eating alternative when fresh food isn't available. And are they really necessary? Absolutely. They were considered so necessary that most superpower's armies (including the U.S.) began testing and developing MRE packs for soldiers by the tail end of the Cold War. Sure army rations had been around for the greater part of the 20th century, but not small, self-contained meals that could be stored for a long time, heated up with an included heater unit and then eaten quickly.

By the time Operation Desert Storm had started the U.S. had already been testing and improving the MRE for about 12 years and continued to do so until about 2003 where they remain the same to this day.

But does the everyday civilian need MREs? Considering harsh winters, natural disasters and a number of other factors I'd say so. And considering the fact that some have a pretty lengthy shelf life it probably can't hurt to have enough for the whole family to live on for at least a couple of days. Or even a couple of MREs for camping or hiking.

If you have room in your refrigerator it isn't a bad idea to keep a couple MREs in there because it will extend their shelf life. As shown here you can imagine how long an MRE will last if it is stored at the average refrigerator temp of 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit.



Military MRE Alternatives?:
Up until seven years ago there weren't many civilian alternatives to the ubiquitous military MRE. Pre-2005 most civilian MREs didn't contain as much food, had different or inferior components, and did not offer much variety. But with the latest civilian brands those concerns no longer apply.
After Hurricane Katrina much of the civilian MRE market picked up and more companies began producing legitimate, branded civilian MREs. Ameriqual, Sopakco and Wornick, all major manufacturers of military MREs started producing their own civilian products. Additionally, International Meals Supply, a certified supplier of emergency rations for the Department of Defense, has joined the civilian MRE field with their MREStar product.¹

• Ameriqual APack
• MREStar
• Sopakco Sure-Pak 12
• Wornick Eversafe

Health Concerns:
In order for MREs to last as long as they do they need a number preservatives and additives. And guess what? They're not always the best things for you to consume, but remember: it's all about doing things in moderation. If the MRE isn't your everyday food choice you'll probably be okay. And an important side-note about some powdered drinks in MREs. Most powdered drinks have tricalcium phosphate, an anti-caking agent which also acts as an acidity regulator. In some forms it can cause nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, constipation, dry mouth, increased thirst and increased urination so just be cautious. Not everyone will react badly to these different preservatives, but there are always exceptions.

Other MRE Alternatives :
If you don't need an entire pack there are also freeze-dried entrees that are good alternatives to MREs. An MRE traditionally contains: an entree, side dish, cracker or bread, spread, dessert, candy, beverages, hot sause or seasoning, a flameless ration heater, utensils and accessories. That's a lot. Companies like Mountain House and Backpacker's Pantry have excellent and varied menu options with items that have a much longer shelf life than the average MRE. As far as I know most Mountain House entrees have a shelf life of 25 years whereas the newest MREs may only have a maximum shelf life of around 6 years in the driest and coolest conditions possible.

*Remember that freeze dried foods require cooking with boiling water whereas MREs usually come with their own heater pack, but don't even require heating to eat anyway.

For a Go-Bag or Bug-Out-Bag I'd recommend something like a couple Mountain House meals because they'll last longer in more adverse conditions than an MRE. If you're planning ahead of time to go out into the wilderness then the MRE would be a good option because I would like to think that it was being stored properly beforehand.

Notes and References

1. "http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-history.html" MREinfo.com. Retrieved 25 September 2012.

Food Fortification (and why it is important)

Food fortification or enrichment is a process where food items that don't normally have certain nutrients or vitamins have them implanted in or placed in through a number of different processes.

 

For example: milk naturally contains Calcium, but doesn't contain Vitamin D, which is a rather rare naturally occurring vitamin in edible items (i.e. meats, vegetables, etc.). Vitamin D is proven to help with the absorption of Calcium into bone so it only made sense to fortify milk (rich in Calcium) with Vitamin D. 

The same ideology works with a lot of other foods too where certain Nutrients and Vitamins positively interact with each other for the consumer's benefit.

There are drawbacks of course with changing how natural foods are, there always is. Like genetically modified corn - it's only been around for a short span of time and as a whole people don't know what kinds of affects it'll have on the human body over a long period of time.

You just have to pick and choose items, not everything has to be fortified - and partially it's for marketing purposes aimed at costing you more money for things you don't need. If you drink milk or eat cheese you probably don't need to buy orange juice that has been fortified with extra Calcium.

One of the main reasons fortifying has become so popular among the food industry, especially in the U.S. is to allow for some semblance of dietary equilibrium among a wide variety of socio-economic groups. Not everyone can afford to have a balanced meal, but they have access to fortified cheeses, juices and other items that can offer some of the balance their diet needs in terms of Nutritional requirements.

*Now the real meat and potatoes (no puns intended) part of this post is for stocking up on important items that can offer you a balanced day to day existence without having a lot of extra "stuff" taking up room.

For example:

Pop-Tarts - I know they're not exactly the staple of healthy foods, but they can act as a good supplementary item if you don't have the ability to sit down and eat a full meal. In terms of fortification they have 10% of each of the following: Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Iron and Vitamin B6.
Cambell's Low Sodium Chunky Vegetable Beef Soup - Good to have canned soups in stock this specific one has less of a variety of nutrients, but a lot of some: Vitamin A (80%), Calcium (4%) and Iron (4%).

What it comes down to is stock up on items you wouldn't mind eating a lot of while also giving yourself Nutrients and Vitamins that you would only get properly from fresh or refrigerated food stuffs that may not be available in the future. Things like SPAM are good backups, but they don't really offer much in the way any nutritional value, just sustenance to keep you going. Learn to read the Nutritional Facts on the backs of foods in the grocery store and you'll be much better off than most people.

There is a lot of literature out there on the pros and cons of fortified foods vs natural foods vs vitamin supplements or even a moderated combination of all of them.

My opinion is that moderation of all three is the best, nothing in excess, but find a balance of different food types that contain different things that your body needs.