# Nutrional concerns and long term storage



## Pampr (Jul 25, 2012)

We have started with our long term, I do not plan on rotating much with it. My goal is to have enough food while I dehydrate. Then I can use and rotate the nutritional stuff and use the canned/boxed type food for filler. 
We are learning also to check on the serving sizes as it relates to calories and carbs. I understand that a lot of the emergency stuff you buy online really isn't going to feed the amount they claim...simply because there are very few calories per serving. I am going to include powdered nutrition like "perfect food" from the Garden of LIfe and their raw protein products..which will be rotated but only have about a year shelf life.

This is quite overwhelming! I feel that high nutrition will keep you sustained and healthy which for me is important to surviving too. 

So far my goal is to supplement our canned food with what we grow and fish/catch. 
My questions are:
Do I really need a food grade bucket if I use Mylar to store?

Without trying to calculate due to time restraints, how much food will be needed for a family of 4? Is that even possible to calculate? I don't care really about calories in a can of beans because it will be going with other stuff...am I putting too much thought into this?

We are probably going to stay where we are....but I hate that I can't have a root cellar...we would hit water in the dig! We are having to store our stuff inside our home..which doesn't give us much room...ugh!

what are the food types you have the most of? like flour? rice and beans?

We do have water sources and storing up with the water tabs and filters. I have a neighbor with a well, but we are not allowed to have one....ugh.

Thanks for any input. I am trying not to get overwhelmed because there is so much that needs to be done! 

Do you think storing sugar, liquor and tobacco is a good idea..i really hate using money on "what if"...

My advice...read the book Lucifer's Hammer! Fiction but the way the dood prepared was pretty good.

Thanks!


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## goatlady (Nov 7, 2011)

Those buckets do not have to be "food Grade" if you are using Mylar bags, they are primarily for just pouring rice and grains straight into the buckets. You will need something to put the Mylar bags in to keep the meeces from chewing holes in them though. Most folks food storage is based on a normal diet for that particular family and their needs. Hence, the "store what you eat and eat what you store" saying. Be wary of depending on that neighbor that has a well - what if there is no power to get the water out of the well or the neighbor decides to charge a huge price per gallon of water? It's really hard to make jam/jelly/syrups without lots of sugar and it is still "relatively " cheap to store up. You can use honey but it changes the flavors most usually and I really do not like honey in my tea/coffee/lemonade!


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## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

YES YES YES 
Store Sugar, Salt, Flour, Yeast. Learn to make bread now while there is no emergency.
Store what your family normally eats. In a SHTF situation food will add "normal" to an otherwise un-normal situation.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Everyone's food storage will be different. We started with having enough food & meds to make it a week if everyone was sick with the flu(canned soup, jello, saltines, water, etc.). Next, I gathered what we'd need to get through 2 weeks of no power. Then I made a list of a week's worth of meals my family could eat that didn't need refrigeration ( spaghetti, roast beef & rice, canned tamales, etc.) I kept on with baby steps like these until I got it done. I got too bogged down using the 100 pounds of this or that method. I need up with 100 pounds of beans, etc. but I know exactly what I'm going to cook with each ingredient. Hope that makes sense. You just have to find a method that makes sense to you.


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## Pampr (Jul 25, 2012)

my neighbor with the well will need a generator to get the power. We are very good terms with them, and they are actually going to be dependent on us as they are medically needy. I think we will be able to keep the arrangement fair. Our normal food isn't food that can be stored long term without dehydrating. However, reality for storage dictates I will have to have some processed stuff just to fill up on...ick!
I agree with the baby steps approach you are doing..otherwise we get nothing done trying to plan on the big picture...
I guess we are going to end up a little of everything...mostly rely on renewable food sources though....I need a greener thumb...and pinkie, and pointer..ect.

The other things we are storing are for sanitation like bleach, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, ect...and some homeopathic stuff. I guess I need to learn how to break open a coconut and press it for oil...ugh! 
I am trying to set up a meeting with my immediate neighbors to make sure they are also prepared...we all get along fairly well and wouldn't have a problem coming together to "get each other's backs". 5 out of 6 of us are military vets from different branches. (not me..i'm the dependent!)
Thanks for all the input, sure helps me feel less crazy..that we are not just paranoid! 
CC


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Where are you going to get the coconut if the SHTF?


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## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

Hi Pampr,
I noticed you're new arouind here and thought I'd offer an unsolicited suggestion. The American Pressure Canner is as important a peice of equipment as a weapon. In fact maybe more so. I have been canning for a few months now and have cases and cases of canned meats and veggies (12 jars to a case) that will last decades without refridgeration. This was how our forefathers stored foods before refridgerators. I cannot impress upon you enough of the importance of this item. A little pricy but it will last a lifetime. The food you store will taste like the day you put it in the jar.

http://www.amazon.com/All-American-...4928&sr=1-1&keywords=american+pressure+canner

How long will the food last?

http://web.archive.org/web/20070509153848/http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00043.html


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## missDaniMF (Jul 9, 2012)

There are a lot of resources on how much of what to store. LDS preparedness manual is a good one. And ive been using a food storage app on my phone which is great to have on hand while out shopping. Gives uou piece of mind cause it lets you know exactly what you need and a % number of how prepared you are according to you stock input. Then I come home and update my master list on paper. 
pound away at it bit by bit, don't go crazy and stress about it. Just know every lil bit you do now puts you closer to being more prepared than those who are not doing anything


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

Pampr said:


> my neighbor with the well will need a generator to get the power. We are very good terms with them, and they are actually going to be dependent on us as they are medically needy. I think we will be able to keep the arrangement fair. Our normal food isn't food that can be stored long term without dehydrating. However, reality for storage dictates I will have to have some processed stuff just to fill up on...ick!
> I agree with the baby steps approach you are doing..otherwise we get nothing done trying to plan on the big picture...
> I guess we are going to end up a little of everything...mostly rely on renewable food sources though....I need a greener thumb...and pinkie, and pointer..ect.
> 
> ...


Don't store liquid bleach long term, as it does degrade and loses it's potency. A bleach solution can be made using granulated "pool shock" and water. The granulated pool shock will keep pretty much forever if stored properly. You probably already know, but plain bleach can be used to purify water. If you buy the right pool shock, the same thing can be done. What you're looking for is calcium hypochlorate. You don't want any kind of algaecides or anything else in it.

http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

*DO NOT GET OVERWHELMED...There's an easier way*

Pampr, I think you really need to just s--l--o--w d--o--w--n a bit...seriously. You have valid concerns, yes, and they all need to be addressed. You also may want to be able to take the time to separate things into a more manageable approach. The main thing to realize is that you need to start small and build up from where you are each time you add more to your supplies and resources...buy 20lb rice, 10lb flour, 10lb oatmeal, a case of canning jars/lids/rings, a bit of first aid supplies, etc. A little here and there goes a long way and isn't so much to handle physically/emotionally/monetarily. This way, you can get a bit of everything you need for shorter term disasters and continue to make your stocks a bit larger for longer term disasters as time, space and money permits. Allow yourself some time between stocking to evaluate other needs such as water, heating and cooking fuels/methods, etc. Prioritize on what you feel you need to deal with the most right now, so that you can keep things moving forward, how ever slowly it may seem. Make a checklist if you like, and as you check things off that list, you will see your own progress...this can lift your spirits a bit when you think you've hit a brick wall. These are all things that I'm doing. And I don't look so much at the big picture right now as I probably will later on down the road when I have a more comfortable amount of supplies and resources.

I've been a survival enthusiast in wilderness settings for nearly 20 years, so I have a lot of basic field survival gear and skills tuned to my individual situation and environment. Due to some potentially life-changing events and a few very near-misses, I've recently been tuned into the home/family preparedness for severe storms and as well as other "what if" situations since about 6 years ago, and this is what set me back into motion again. But, I look at my level of preparedness a bit differently than some may. I'm really just touching the surface for right now...getting the basics taken care of, and slowly building things up over time. I have very limited storage space, and limited resources to tap into. So, my residence location is not ideal either, but I will make the best I can out of this situation, at least until a better opportunity arises. Yes, I have portable gear for camping, generators, a strong potential for a well-stocked BOV, etc, and I'm working what I have into my overall preparedness. In time, I can look at what I have added and see where I feel I could make things better for long-term.

When you start to have larger quantities of items on hand, you can and will see storage space issues, which I already am beginning to encounter myself, as I also have no basement or cellar. This, for me, is the time I need to start a hard inventory of what I have, look at nutritional values for each type of stored food, and then I can review all of this and calculate what the actual needs are. From that point, I can look at what I may be lacking and use this opportunity to get what is needed to balance out the daily nutritional needs, before I am over-run with stored foods...catch it before I'm buried and don't have any room to get that balance I'm looking for.

Keep in mind that while you are preparing, you should not upset your daily living. Some folks live a life-style where they have had the opportunity, the skills and the means to be prepared all their life and they build their level of preparedness on a daily basis. The eat what they store and use their resources regularly. They live a life of continuous preparedness, with minimal reliance on outside sources. Many grew up living this way, so it's an easy path for them to continue to follow. Those of us who either were not able to do so, or did not see the need until later in life have the more difficult task of learning how to acquire and store what we will need, and to learn how to use certain things we have in storage for that time when we actually need to use it for real, because our current way of life does not dictate that we use it now.

Give yourself the time to accomplish each task, one at a time, check it off your list and move on to your next priority. Take it one day at a time, and it will come together. If you feel backed into a corner and can't find a solution, just step back and take a deep breath before you feel frustrated...maybe walk away for awhile...maybe do something else for the rest of the day that just involves researching a new method of food prep for when the SHTFT using long-term stored foods...or check on your neighbors and see how they're doing and if they need a little help. Come back to your issue when your mind is fresh and your thoughts are clear, and chances are you will see the solution because you can look at things from a new angle.

Hang in there...you're just getting over that hump where things seem to look big and ugly right now...it does get easier...just take it slow, allow yourself to have a sense of direction to follow, and you'll see your progress and where to go from there. From what I've read thus far in this thread, I feel you have the drive to accomplish what you need to do, and be able to find many solutions to the various problems we will all be faced with.

Take it e--a--s--y...


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

*Absolutely INCORRECT*



goatlady said:


> Those buckets do not have to be "food Grade" if you are using Mylar bags, they are primarily for just pouring rice and grains straight into the buckets. You will need something to put the Mylar bags in to keep the meeces from chewing holes in them though. Most folks food storage is based on a normal diet for that particular family and their needs. Hence, the "store what you eat and eat what you store" saying. Be wary of depending on that neighbor that has a well - what if there is no power to get the water out of the well or the neighbor decides to charge a huge price per gallon of water? It's really hard to make jam/jelly/syrups without lots of sugar and it is still "relatively " cheap to store up. You can use honey but it changes the flavors most usually and I really do not like honey in my tea/coffee/lemonade!


you need FOOD GRADE containers with or without the use of a mylar bag ..... you are dealing the infiltration of air and not just direct food contact ..... using contaminated buckets, such as regular home improvement paint buckets, will result in contaminated food .....

great source of information on the need of food grade plastic/containers ......

www.virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I think you need to have food storage based on what you plan on eating. I'm not storing 500 lbs of died beans if I can't eat beans every night forever. I have regular grocery store food. Things like rice, canned gravy, canned chicken, canned fruit, canned vegetables, tomato sauce, soups, Dinty Moore Beef Stew, and Bush's Baked Beans. I have suppers planned based on that stuff. We have hundreds of cans of Campbell's soup, Cambell's Chunky Soap, Mac & Cheese, and Ramen noodles. That's what lunches will be based on. For breakfast we have over 100 king-size boxes of dry cereal and a few hundred servings of gourmet blueberry oatmeal. I still have to get some big boxes of regular oatmeal but that's how we're doing it.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Store what ya eat, eat what ya store.

Figurine out how much ya need really ain't all that hard. Takes about a week a notes.

Monday, what ya have fer breakfest? What'd it take ta make it. Jot it down in a note book.
Monday, what ya have fer lunch? Same thin.
Monday, what ya have fer supper? Same thin.
Tuesday through Sunday, do the same thin. 

Now ya know what it took ta make them meals fer a week. How long ya plannin food fer? Lets say a year. Now take that week a notes an multiply it by 52 an ya got how much a what ya need fer a years food storage.

Now some a it take a bit more figurine cause ya only use portions a stuff say, cookin oil er flour an what not, but ya can still get perty close with a bit a cipherin. Sides, ya can hardly have to much flour, salt, sugar, bakin soda, cream a tater, seasonins an such.

We store lots a stuff in vac bags er vac sealed mason jars. The jars go on a shelf in a cool corner a the basement with the shelves wrapped in heavy black plastic. Bags go inta tubs on shelves treated the same way.

Learn ta can stuff an eat what ya can. Like Davearm says, a good canner be worth more en it's wieght in gold. I found a good used American Canner fer cheap, ain't easy ta do, but keep yer eyes open. 

Cannin gives ya a chance ta have foods ya find hard ta come buy durin good times letlone durin trouble. I can smoked pork butt. Ya will never find it anywhere else, but sure be tastey! It also gives ya a chance ta take advantage a sales er clearence stuff to. Any meats we can be off the quick sale shelf at the store. Saves a fair amount a money.

Pick up cannin jars at yer goodwill store, salvation army store er at rummage sales er auctions.

Personally, I'd plan fer a month. When ya got everthin tagether fer that month, expand ta 3 months, then ta 6 months an so forth. That first month gonna be the long one by the time ya gather up everthin yer gonna need. 

Food
Water
Medicines
Light
Heat
Personal gear
yall get the picture. Now one thin what helps be ifin yall inta campin. Ya got some gear already an know how ta use it. It also be a good way ta teach everbody in yer family some skills without em even thinin bout it cause they be havin fun.

Good luck, an keep readin here an askin questions. It'll happen, not fast, but it'll happen.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

A great resource that people never mention is the Cooperative Extension Office. You are paying for it with your taxes so you may as well go there and get the info. They have info on canning, dehydrating food, gardening, livestock, etc.


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## Riverdale (Oct 31, 2009)

salt and vinegar can get you as much as 100 rounds of ammo


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## Riverdale (Oct 31, 2009)

oldcoothillbilly said:


> store what ya eat, eat what ya store.
> 
> Figurine out how much ya need really ain't all that hard. Takes about a week a notes.
> 
> ...


+10000 ochb


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

kejmack said:


> A great resource that people never mention is the Cooperative Extension Office. You are paying for it with your taxes so you may as well go there and get the info. They have info on canning, dehydrating food, gardening, livestock, etc.


Sadly, mine is worthless. But the soil and water conservation office, right next door to the extension office, has turned out to be a very helpful resource. Go figure.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

Pampr said:


> We have started with our long term, I do not plan on rotating much with it.


I'm no pro, and I don't want to sound like a know it all, but I think it's a mistake to not store what you eat and eat what you store. It's odd, both my wife and I had Mormons as best friends when we were growing up, and we both consequently became aware of their prepper type lifestyles from visiting and interacting with their families. I have a fairly good sized pantry that I've been stocking canned and dry goods in for a couple of decades now, and I've roughly followed an LDS system of placing new stuff in the back and using the older stuff as it comes to the forefront. Works like a charm because it's habit, a routine. Right now I'm pretty sure if it were just me and her we could probably get by at least a couple of months, maybe longer, with what's in the pantry now.

Nutritionally wise, fermented foods, which in and of themselves store well if done correctly, will take up the slack when combined with eating all those other *DEAD* foods. They're chocked full of vitamins, live probiotics, enzymes and other nutrients that are a natural wonderful compliment to the cooked *DEAD* foods we eat. I hope to write more about lacto fermented foods later.


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