 Wednesday, August 22, 2012
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com |
(NaturalNews) With food prices skyrocketing and food supplies looking increasingly questionable for 2013, you'll be happy to know I've selected and assembled a list of recommended storable foods from a trusted discount source. All the foods listed below have a great shelf life, from two years to a decade. In this article, I've listed two sources: 1) Things you can buy at your local grocery store, and 2) Things you can get at a discount at an online organic foods retailer.
Remember: The U.S. government is stockpiling food (and ammo, too) like crazy. Even the government's website
www.Ready.gov encourages citizens to stock up on emergency supplies and "make a plan." The word "stockpiling" used to have a negative meaning, describing "hoarding" behavior. But these days the word "stockpiling" simply describes
smart people who are intelligently preparing to protect themselves, their families and even their local communities (church groups, neighborhoods, etc.) from the possibility of serious disruptions in the food supply.
Keep in mind that not everything I list below is organic. Although I'm a huge advocate of organic foods, when it comes to storable foods I often bend my own rule and allow for non-organic because
it's for emergency use. (I'm not eating these foods every day, so I'm not as concerned about the non-organic status.)
The second list focuses on items you can buy at
any grocery store, right now!
Shopping list items selected by the Health Ranger
•
Bar Harbor brand - Clam Chowder, Fish Chowder, Fish Stock, Whole Maine Cherrystone Clams - I'm really liking the Bay Harbor brand of clam chowder and fish chowder. Although not certified organic, this is the only chowder I've ever found that isn't salted to death. The quality of the chowder is excellent, the spices are completely natural, and they use no MSG or chemical garbage. Personally, I've stocked up on 48 cans of their clam chowder and 48 cans of their fish chowder, and this will be my backup supply of chowder in case the food supplies get disrupted.
•
Sensible Foods - CherryBerry Crunch Dried Fruit, Tropical Blend - Although not certified organic, this provides a long-term storable supply of fruit nutrients which are crucial if you're living in stressful times. Lots of natural vitamin C in these fruits, and the shelf life is at least 2 years.
•
Artisana - Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - This is a very high quality brand of 100% Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil. I like coconut oil as a preparedness item because it's a food, a topical healing substance, and it can even be used as a mechanical lubricant in a pinch.
•
Bob's Red Mill - Bountiful Black Bean Soup Mix - It's a great way to store a large quantity of "soup potential" in a small space. It's made of Black Beans, Black-Eyes Peas, Pearly Barley and Navy Beans. Add some coconut oil to the soup mix and you've got a healthy fat.
•
Bob's Red Mill - Vegi Soup Mix - I like this soup mix because it's delicious, easy to make and uses no MSG or other weird chemicals. Ingredients include Green Split Peas, Yellow Split Peas, Barley, Lentils and Vegetable Pasta (Containing Whole Wheat Flour, Dehydrated Spinach, Tomato, Celery, Onion, Beets, Garlic).
•
Bob's Red Mill - Organic Creamy Buckwheat Hot Cereal - A super healthy, high-protein cereal that's great for survival and preparedness. Better than oatmeal for this purpose.
•
Carrington Farms - Organic Milled Flax Paks - 100% Organic Cold Milled Micro Cleansed Flax Seed - I've found these to be outstanding portable packets of flax seeds, an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. Most flax packs are too large, and flax tends to go rancid very quickly, so these small packs are perfect for portable food storage. You can use these in oatmeal, smoothies, salads, bake mixes, and practically anywhere.
•
Coconut Secret - Raw Coconut Crystals - These are very handy as a natural sweetener. They contain far more minerals than processed white sugar, and in a collapse scenario, natural sweeteners will be a fantastic barter item.
•
Newman's Own - Raisins - Believe it or not, raisins are a fantastic form of portable nutrition and healthy calories. They should be part of any food preparedness shopping list.
•
3 Tray Stackable Sprout Garden - Perfect for sprouting, which is one of the most important methods for growing your own nutrition and having live foods during hard times. (Also be sure to acquire a good supply of sprouting seeds. I like alfalfa the best.)
•
Wild Planet Foods - Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil - A great source of omega-3 fatty acids from fish. Long shelf life, portable and easy to barter, too. More valuable than gold when people are starving...
•
Fine Ground Celtic Sea Salt in Resealable Bag - Don't skimp on the salt! Salt will be hard to come by in a food supply collapse. You'll need more salt than you probably think, and salt stores for a long, long time as long as you keep it dry.
•
Sprout Baby Food - Beef & Vegetable Lasagna - Believe it or not, these "Sprout Baby Food" products are better than most storable foods. They're only lightly salted, so you'll need to add your own salt. The ingredients are mostly organic, and the small packs are very portable, easy to carry (even in your pockets), and easy to barter.
•
Essential Living Foods - Superfood Smoothie Mix - This is an excellent smoothie base, into which you can add fruits or other items. Ingredients are: Raw Hemp Seed Powder*, Brazil Nut Powder*, Mesquite Powder*, Coconut Sugar*, Raw Lucuma Powder*, Raw Goji Berry Powder*, Raw Acai Powder*, Raw Vanilla Bean Powder*. *Organic
•
Camu Camu Powder - An excellent, natural source of vitamin C. Very potent. Store this in the refrigerator or freezer, if possible.
•
Acai Powder - Powerful nutrients for sweetening any smoothie. Loaded with antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Store this in the refrigerator or freezer, if possible.
Recommended storable foods you can acquire at any grocery store
These items are very low cost, loaded with nutrients, and are easy to store:
• Sugar (not to eat, but to barter with. Never eat white processed sugar.) Buy coconut sugar if you can.
• Pepper (a basic spice, easy to store, easy to barter).
• Mustard (excellent nutrition, believe it or not. Made from mustard seeds.)
• Raisins (easy to store and barter)
• Lard (yeah, lard. On a cold winter's night when the heat is off, you'll wish you had some soup made with lard... and it's healthier than "vegetable oil" which is mostly GMO soybean oil anyway.)
• Butter
• Pickled vegetables (all kinds, including sauerkraut)
• Coffee (even if you don't drink it, you can barter it. People will be desperate.)
• Coffee filters (can also be used to help filter water, cooking oil and other items)
• Brown rice (large bags)
• Steel-cut oatmeal
• Local honey (stored practically forever)
• Sardines and anchovies packed in olive oil (excellent storable omega-3s)
• Sea salt (you almost can't have too much salt stored away...)
• Yet more sea salt
• And even MORE sea salt, because you will run out in a prolonged collapse scenario.
• Peanut butter (portable, high calories, which you'll need)
• Canned meats (long shelf life)
• Canned vegetables (you'll need the nutrients)
• Natural dried meats (AVOID all MSG!)
• Nuts and nut mixes (almonds, cashews, etc.)
• Cans of coconut milk or coconut fat (adds delicious flavor to any meal)
• Spare can openers, kitchen knife, small cutting board, etc.
How to store these foods
For things like the soup mixes, you can't just store the bags without protection from rodents. You'll need to acquire
5-gallon pails with sturdy lids. You can get these locally at a hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowe's. Pack the foods in the pails, then attach the lids securely. This will keep out mice, ants, and so on.
You can also sprinkle some DE (diatomaceous earth) in the pails, around the floor, etc., to discourage insects and ants. DE is harmless to humans unless you inhale it. You can actually eat small quantities of it quite safely (some people actually use it as a detox supplement).
Obviously, do not use chemical insecticides of any kind, as they are likely to contaminate your stored food.
Store all your food in a cool, dry, dark place. A dry root cellar is ideal. Refrigerate foods if you have refrigeration space.
Items like salt and honey can store literally for thousands of years under the right conditions. Beans and grains can typically be stored for 5 - 10 years. More perishable items such as raisins are usually only good for 1-2 years. Canned foods and items like sardines are typically good for 2-3 years, depending on the item.
If you do eat some of your preparedness items on a regular basis, make sure you eat the older items first. Many preparedness experts recommend "store what you eat, and eat what you store" in order to keep your food supplies rotated and fresh. Personally, I differ a bit from that because I tend to eat fresh foods while storing non-fresh foods.
The important thing is to get squared away now, while foods are cheap and readily available. Through Green PolkaDot Box, I've selected items that I recommend for preparedness, and that list of what you'll see on the page at
www.GreenPolkaDotBox.com.
(Use coupon code
NN50 to save $50 off your first order.)
Shipping is free on orders over $75 (see their website for details), so you pay nothing for shipping. With the help of Green PolkaDot Box, many of my own friends and family members have been able to
get stocked up while saving money on storable foods. This has been a real money-saver for many people I know.
Get started there today while the $50 credit remains available (using coupon code NN50 at checkout). If you're already a member, review the list of the foods I've selected there, and see if any of those make sense for you as preparedness items.
For the record, by the way,
this list I've shared here is NOT a complete list of everything you need. It's just a list to get started. Beyond this list, you will obviously need a water filter, a light source, a heat source, self defense items, communications gear, cooking utensils, emergency medicine herbs and tinctures, and many other similar items. Keep reading NaturalNews for more preparedness ideas and recommendations, as we will continue to cover this topic on a regular basis.
Final thoughts: Beyond food, you also need garden seeds
One thing I know without question is that, throughout history, every collapse scenario has caused a
food crisis where people went hungry. The best way to insulate yourself from that -- and to promote calm during a crisis -- is to have a supply of several month's worth of food already squared away. Most of us who are into real preparedness have at least one year's worth of food stored for the entire family. (That's a lot of food, and it takes a lot of space.) But even if you're starting from scratch, you can at least store up a few weeks worth of food to get started. From there, you can add to it as you find the funds.
Oh, and by the way, if you're looking for what I believe to be the world's best selection of 100% heirloom survival garden seeds, the answer is right here:
http://www.supplysource.com/surthrival-seed-can
Description from the site:
The SurThrival Seed Can contains the finest collection of pure non-hybrid open pollinated seeds for the health and survival of you and your family. These organic heirloom strains will produce a delicious array of fruits, veggies and grains in your home garden for optimal nutrition including important proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes with extra greens for a boost from life force promoting chlorophyll plus varieties that provide essential oils, herbal medicinals, and even nectar for your garden pollinators and forage for chickens, horses and cattle. The SurThrival Seeds Collection provides seeds for barter including the highly prized and rare Hopi Tobacco seeds -- the original cultivar of North America.
All protected inside this steel can in moisture resistant packaging to keep these live embryos fresh and long lasting for years of planting productivity. Sow, harvest and learn to save seed -- your personal seed bank will support a lifestyle of food independence with the pleasure of fresh picked home grown goodness. Harnessing sun energy direct through your very own efforts -- for your health freedom and safety!
“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. … If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts” (All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances).
