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Monday,
October 1, 2012
10 Best Survival Foods At Your Local Supermarket
Activist Post
As food prices continue to skyrocket, having a bulk supply of food is a
great investment. But it also provides security and peace of mind
against potential emergencies.
By now most people should be aware that grocery stores only have about 3
days of food in stock when crises strike. So if anything was to disrupt
the food supply chain for an extended period of time, there would be
untold chaos in most communities.
Any number of events could trigger mass disruption to a fragile food
system, many of which are well documented and even predicted. Even NASA
has warned its staff to prepare for potential disasters with survival
foods and other precautions with their "Family Preparedness Program."
Prepping for disasters can seem overwhelming with so many aspects to be
considered. However, for those just beginning to recognize how perilous
these times are and are new to prepping, you can find many great
survival foods at your local grocery store.
There are many fancy freeze-dried food companies offering light-weight
storable meals. These are cost effective and great for new preppers.
But if you don't have $1000 laying around to buy a large supply, it may
be better to pick up a few key items each week at the supermarket to
build up your food bank gradually. And by buying base foods at the
store, you'll ultimately save money.
It's best to keep your survival food list simple, and concentrate on
storing foods with the highest amount of calories and the longest shelf
life. This list is geared toward foods that will help you survive a
crisis that lasts for extended periods of time.
Here are the ten best and cheapest survival rations available at any
store:
Rice: Every time you go to the store you should buy one 10-lb bag of
rice. You can find them for around $5 at most supermarkets. Rice will
stay in good condition for 10 years or more if stored properly. It
offers high carbohydrates which is especially important if you are
exerting a lot of physical energy during a crisis.
Beans: Beans are known to be one of the best all-round survival foods.
They're high in protein, and if sealed in food-grade buckets with a
small amount of dried ice, they'll stay for up to ten years. Make sure
to store them in a cool, dry, dark location. Buy a 4-5 lb bags of dried
beans every time you go to the store. All dry beans are good to store;
black beans, red beans, pinto beans, lentils, etc.
Cornmeal: All-purpose flours are good to store, but cornmeal may be the
best overall. Cornmeal is packed with dense carbohydrates and contains
oils that helps extend its shelf life. Additionally, if the power grid
is down during a mega disaster, it is much easier to make good corn
breads and tortillas with cornmeal in a simple skillet or solar oven,
where refined flour will need yeast and oil to make decent bread or
biscuits. Get a 5-lb bag of cornmeal ($10-$15) at each grocery visit.
Seal and store the same way as beans (buckets, salt and dry ice), and it
will safely keep 8 months to 2 years.
Lard: If you're a health-conscious reader, hydrogenated lard does not
sound very appetizing, but in a survival situation you can't afford to
be picky. Animal lard or vegetable shortening both offer much-needed
calories during times of crisis, cooking oil for multiple uses, and it
will keep longer than cooking oils because of the hydrogenation. Buy a
6-lb can ($12) and store in a cool, dry, and dark place and it will stay
good for 2-3 years or longer.
Salt: Salt is one of the most useful survival food items. It's used for
storing food, curing beef, and flavoring most meals. Salt will stay
forever, so always buy extra when you're shopping.
Canned Fruit & Vegetables: These are another obvious survival food,
but not as practical as many would think. They're heavy and somewhat
costly for the calories they deliver. Additionally, acidic fruits and
any cans with tomatoes will not keep as long as most people think. But
most canned food is good for 5+ years. Buy green vegetables and fruits
like peaches and pears for long-term storage, but more importantly, buy
what you already eat in case you need to rotate them into your diet
before they go bad.
Canned Meat: Canned meats like ham, tuna, and chicken are excellent to
store. They typically will keep for 6-10 years and they're an excellent
source of protein. However, if the grid is down for a long time
(apocalyptic), hunting and fishing will likely provide most meats.
Therefore, it may be sufficient to buy extra canned meats every other
time you go shopping.
Sugar: Brown and white sugar will add much-needed flavor and calories to
a survival diet and they'll keep for ten years or more if stored
properly. Honey is also excellent as it will store forever. Make sure
to buy extra every other time you go grocery shopping. You won't need
too much, but they'll be well worth having if a crisis strikes.
Pasta: Pasta is a good light-weight storable food that is also a great
source of carbohydrates. Pasta will not keep as long as rice, but it can
stay for around 5 years in good conditions. Pasta is also very
inexpensive and extra should be bought at each trip to the store. It
will take up more space in your food bank than rice, beans and cornmeal,
so plan your space the best you can.
Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a terrific source of protein, fat, and
calories. Plus, it's just a great treat to have on hand. Peanut butter
can last up to five years in root cellar conditions. Stock up whenever
there are good deals at your grocery store. You'll be happy you did if
the SHTF.
Barter Coins: It's also a good idea to have some silver coins for barter
in an economic crisis situation. To track the value of silver coins you
can use the silver coins calculator at
http://www.coinvalues.com/silver.
If you consistently buy these items 3-4 times per month, you'll quickly
acquire a year's supply of survival rations for your whole family.
How to store it?
A really basic way to store the rice, beans, cornmeal, sugar and pastas
is to buy several 5-gallon seal-able paint buckets or food-grade buckets
from your local hardware store. Put a cup or so of salt into a
sandwich baggie (opened) at the bottom of the buckets. Then fill it with
food stuffs and add a couple of ounces of dried ice (found at large
grocery stores) which will remove the oxygen from the bucket after it's
sealed. Finally, label each bucket with its contents and the date, and
place it in your cellar.
Read more at
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/10/10-best-survival-foods-at-your-local.html#817TufZzuxRyqIXh.99