Basic Prep 3: Food
The average person can go quite some time without food or nourishment and survive. On average a person can survive without food for up to two months! This is the main reason why food is number three on the list of basic preps. The goal of Basic Prep 3 is to get you prepared for up to a month of food supply and introduce you to important things to consider when starting to prep food. Your neighborhood grocery store has on average a 2-3-day supply for the surrounding area. If deliveries stop running, shortages will begin! The recent COVID-19 pandemic showed us that our system is not as stable as most think. You need to be prepared for shortages long and short. During an emergency, you will most likely not feel hunger until after the start of the event has passed and maybe even until it has passed completely. Depending on the severity and your proximity to the emergency, your adrenaline will be going full steam and food most likely won’t be on your mind. There are dangers to this of course, as your body will quickly consume energy and the fat you have stored up. Just as with water, a lot can play into the amount of time one can survive without food. To understand and ensure you are prepared to have enough nourishment, you first should have at least a very high-level understanding of the basic science behind how the body works in starvation mode.
Physical health
Your health plays a major role in how the body defends itself against starvation. This doesn’t mean physical fitness, so much as it does your overall health. They are of course related, but for fighting starvation there are things to consider, such as your starting weight and fat content. For example, leaner individuals can sustain a weight loss of 17-18%, whereas someone with a higher BMI can sustain a weight loss of 20% or more. This is due to how the body fights starvation. When your body goes into starvation mode, usually after about a day or two with NO food or sugar intake, it begins to make glucose on overdrive. Then it begins to consume fatty acids while adjusting the requirement of glucose to the brain. Once your body has consumed all the fat that it can, it will begin to breakdown the protein. Which is the last step and happens later in the process. During the initial start, or first week of whatever may be occurring, your goal is to sustain a healthy weight long before going into the final stage of protein consumption. Once the body begins to consume protein, from your muscles to start, the organs eventually will be shut down one by one and it’s lights out.
General Calorie Count Rule
During an emergency or situation of panic, you aren’t going to want to stop and make a sandwich. You most likely won’t even have the time or tools to do so. When you are in a panic, or your body is in survival mode, you WILL burn a lot more calories than you typically do. The average 1500-2000 calorie diet may not be enough depending on your activity and health. Try and have at least 2000 calories per person each day. As stated previously I cannot stress how important it is to focus on the quality of your food preps, as protein and calories are key!
Have a tiered system for food prep
I recommend have a 3-tiered approach to food preparation.
Short-term: two weeks to a month food supply
Midterm: 3 to 6 months food supply
Long-term: 6 months+ food supply and developing a self-sustaining food resupply system
Since this is a Basic prep, the focus here is to get the beginner prepared to the first tier. The other two will be explained in detail in a later post.
When deciding what kind of food to prep
The most important thing to consider is quality. Having food rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as the correct amount of protein and calories is essential. I cannot stress enough how important this is! When most people think of preparing for a food shortage or emergency, they think of things like bread, noodles, and milk. While they aren’t bad things to have, you cannot survive off bread and milk alone. Not to mention those items spoil or mold quickly. If you need to leave your home or vehicle behind, are you really going to bug out with a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread in your pack? Probably not. You may be stuck in the home, may not be able to get home, and maybe need to leave your home, so keep that in mind when you are planning. Think about the science of how the body works. Realize that your body is basically a big chemistry set. You can eat ramen noodles for days, but you will be sick, malnourished, and maybe even be dehydrated as ramen noodles are crazy high in sodium. It’s also a good idea to focus your two-week food plan on products that you can access quickly and are easy to tote.
Two Weeks to a Month of food prep
You don’t need the most expensive survival food with a 25yr shelf life out there to survive for a few weeks. However, it makes it easy and most options last for a long time. This keeps you from having to create a rotation schedule and dealing with spoiled foods. There are unlimited options as to what kind of food to prep. Food prep is an expensive step in being a prepper, but it can be done on a budget if you plan! There are three schools of thought when it comes to the kind of food to prep. Regular consumables, mid-term foods such as canned foods, and survival food or long-term food supply systems. For the basic prep we will discuss regular consumables and survival foods in smaller quantities. Again, I stress, regardless of the type of food you prep, the calorie count and quality of protein is key.
Regular consumables: This is using the food you currently have in your home as a base prep. Bread, noodles, milk, eggs, chicken etc. Managing this type of food takes a bit more effort and usually the creation of a rotation program. Also needing refrigeration and relying on delivery trucks or grocery stores to stay open adds even more complexity! You can use this method by ensuring you consume the perishable items while having a robust rotation program mentioned above to reduce waste. Freeze drying food, buying cans or canning your own food are great options, but it takes effort and time. Whatever you decide, just use the rule of having 500 calories per meal, per person, for up to two weeks and you should be fine! Make sure you have plans to power necessary items such as deep freezers or refrigerators. Power supply will be discussed in a separate post, so I will not dig into the subject here. Do not expect grocery stores to be open or delivery trucks to be running! I do recommend that you have a few quick access items for the bug out bag and vehicle, as you may not be able to get home or stay home. Having a 72-hour emergency survival food kit is a great option to supplement this type of plan! You can view some product recommendations on the “Survival food’ tab.
Survival food products: This is usually freeze-dried food that prepackaged and has a very long shelf life. Not all survival food is created equal, so pay attention to what you are buying! Yes, high calorie survival food is more expensive, but it’s worth it in the correct quantities. This is the easy, but more expensive route to take. Not having to rely on power or having the need for a rotation program make this method attractive. Note that some kits do not break down each meal individually and come in large containers. Things like protein or survival bars are great supplements that you can grab on the go. Individual survival meals or 72-hour emergency food kits are another great option and you can view my recommendations on the “Survival Food” page with this site. I recommend that you get some samples and try out different brands. The food I recommend here on the site I have personally tried and enjoy!
Once you have prepared for two weeks, you can duplicate your efforts to reach one month of food supply. I will cover more detailed food prep methods in later posts and will go into greater detail. For now, get prepped for two weeks of food supply and then for one month! In summery here are my recommendations to begin. Keep in mind the quantities are per person!
One-three days: Have four meals of 500 calories each. This can be homemade freeze-dried products or a 72-hour survival kit. It’s a good idea focus on light items too as you may have to be mobile. Protein bars, such as Clif bars or Datrex Bars, are a great option.
One week to a month: The quickest and easiest way to reach this level is to buy one-week survival food kits with a good calorie count. Keep in mind most kits are for one person! Yes, you can use the first food system mentioned above, but I recommend you get prepped to a one-month supply and then focus on more involved methods later.
You can view my recommendations for the topic discussed above on the “Survival Food” page! Please don’t forget to “like” and “share” this post and follow on Facebook!