Not all food items are
packaged equally and this can create a problem for your long term food storage.
Your long term food storage must be able to satisfy the daily needs of your
family with a sufficient amount of calories to sustain required activity levels. The
calorie content of your food storage items is one of the most important factors
in having a proper food storage program.
Many people will consume
close to 2000 calories in an average day. While performing strenuous activities
in a stressful environment, there can also be an even greater need for
additional calories in order to maintain necessary activity levels.
As an example of the
difference, let’s look at a couple of simple food items for a comparison of
calories that are available. A small 5oz. can of tuna which has been packed in
water will normally have about 100 calories (2 servings of 50 calories...this is slightly higher if it is
packed in oil). That’s not a whole lot of calories. On the other hand, a 15 oz.
can of chili normally has around 400 calories. At this rate, you would have to
eat 4 cans of tuna packed in water to get the same number of calories in the
average can of chili. You would also be consuming approximately 20% more food
by weight (20 oz. of tuna vs. 15 oz. of chili).
While activity levels may
not always require a meal with high calorie content, it will be necessary to
make sure you do have sufficient stocks of high calorie food items available if
needed to supplement the energy needs of your body.
While having a variety of
different food items is also important, you also need to make sure that you
have food items with sufficient caloric value to satisfy the energy needs of
your body. You need to keep a check on the amount of calories in your food
storage program because calories are a direct measure of the fuel available to
feed the energy needs of your body.
Got calories?
Staying above the water
line!
Riverwalker
Posts
11 comments:
Peanut butter is high energy and does not require refrigeration but has become pretty expensive. We purchased 5 extra large bottles (40 oz.) before the price spike a couple of months back. Container when emptied are pretty handy items.
I'm still a huge fan of variety in food storage but I certainly see the usefulness of storing foods that are high in calories. Thank you.
My food storage plan is not to eat tuna alone (unless things got really desperate). It would be the protein component of a meal, such as, dare I say it, a tuna salad sandwich.
Makes me wonder though, whether it would be possible to make mayonnaise or a similar type of dressing using powdered egg powder. Hmmmm!
I can tell you that canned tuna is nice with coucous, or quinoa, if you don't have bread.
Could you be looking at calories per serving on that tuna? My can shows about 180 in a 7 ounce can, 60 per serving and 3 servings per can. That is packed in water.
Calories alone are not a complete measure. High calories from carbohydrates will cause a blood sugar spike and a serge of insulin in response. This will lock up that sugar in fat cells and cause blood sugar to crash, leaving one extremely hungry for more food as the food already eaten is locked up in fat cells and not accessible. Proteins and fat will provide fuel without the spike in blood sugar that will leave you weak with hunger. That tuna might be a better bet than it looked like at first glance.
To: anonymous 6:48
Peanut butter has a lot of calories but lacks a long shelf life. In fact most nuts such as cashews, walnuts and pecans are excellent way to supplement calories.
Thanks anon.
RW
To: milleniumfly
If you keep a good variety in your food storage program, the calories and needed nutrients should be available for when they are needed.
Thanks.
RW
To: anonymous 8:00
A well balanced meal that includes a number of different food items may be the best way to go in order to insure the right combination of calories and nutrients.
Thanks anon.
RW
To: Machinist
I edited my post to correct my error on the calorie count on the tuna...it was two servings in the can I used for a total calorie count of 100.
You are correct though in that calories should not be the only factor considered. As I mentioned to anonymous, it is actually going to take a well balanced meal to insure that the necessary nutrients and calories are included.
Food requirements will also have to be balanced with activity levels as well.
Thanks.
RW
The chili can be mixed with quinoa or rice to boost it too in the calorie and bulk dept.
Personally I like tune, but never hot, so adding tuna to rice, noodles or potatoes is OUT. But I think the tuna in olive oil is the best bet. It's got a few more calories and the added benefits of olive oil in your system.
I never really realized how many cans and items it takes to represent 2000 calories. I'm just starting to get into storing food and it seems that the storage space I had is not going to be big enough now. Also, I'm trying to stay away from refrigeration and anything that relies on power for that matter. My goal is to have all foods that are easy to store and can be stored in warm or cold conditions well. I'm trying to keep it simple I guess. Thanks for the post. Good info.
To: Chris
You just need to allow for the extra calories based on activity levels which will vary quite a bit. Many people consume far more extra calories than their activity levels require.
This is one of the main reasons so many people have weight problems...they're not burning all the extra calories they are consuming.
It may also be a simple matter of including an extra serving of a food item to bring up the calorie levels.
Thanks.
RW
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