When thinking of the end of the world, food is one of the priorities to have in mind. This is mostly due to the fact, that no matter the wide-scale emergency situation there will probably be a collapse of infrastructure. With no one coordinating items to be packaged and delivered, and no one getting behind the wheel to drive them to their locations; the entire delivery systems of our supermarkets, restaurants and fast food industry, vanishes overnight. As for that simple supplies will run out. Once it is cleared out, that is it.
No more packaged chips, drinks, meat, fruits, water, or anything. There will not be any trucks carrying food to your door. There is no way to resupply after the end of the world unless you make the item yourself, trade it out, or find it naturally in the wild. This is why allocating and storing long-lasting foods for survival is so crucial.
While it is not the end of the world yet, there is still plenty of time to prepare. For the meantime, I’m here to provide information that will both help you and your odds of survival.
In the past 20 years, there have been more and wider reaching emergency situations. From Y2K to the threat of war with the Middle East, North Korea, and even another modern civil war. Nevertheless, for this reason, it might be prudent to be wary of the future. Fortunately, this means one of the many modern innovations have today can really shine, and its name is Preservation Technology.
Over a 1000 years ago, the Egyptians were able to successfully dry out and store grains for a drought or emergency crisis. However, this was limited to staple foods and certain meats. Nowadays, technology is so much farther advanced, that you can find just about anything either freeze dried, dehydrated, or vacuum sealed.
Thankfully though, with the packing and storing technology of the 21st century, it is possible to stock supplies for the next 5-10 years. But what kind of packaging technology is the best? What kind of food items is going to be the most helpful and useful to pack away? Together we will be exploring many different long lasting food for survival.
Types of preservations
Freeze dried items are created by quickly freezing food and then as it begins to thaw, subjecting it to a vacuum. This leaves the food items in a vacuum sealed dehydrated state. This leaves the food lighter and more calorie packed. Fruits freeze dried sacrifice vitamins C, A, and E. Although Fiber, antioxidant properties, and fibers. This is often regarded a the longest lasting survival foods group.
Adding water can revitalize almost all types of food, to near fresh state. As for the shelf life of these food items, they tend to vary from 2 years to 25. 2 years apply to fresh fruits, meat can last from 5-10, and staples like grain and rice can last up to 20.
Dehydrated items are made by the process of applying high amounts of heat to a food item, and then a current of air is applied to dry the food items evenly. This is one of the oldest versions of food preservation, dating to the time of Egypt. This type of This type of food preservation leaves food with a different taste, and usually, these food items can not be rehydrated.
Think of these items as well baked. As such, these items have a shelf life that varies but usually, last within the range of 5-10 years. Grains can last 8-10 years at 70 degrees, longer if kept at cooler temperatures. Rice and seedlings, however, do not last that long. They tend to break down within 2 years of dehydration.
Vacuumed items are created by the use of completely removing the oxygen from a package, this creates a completely airless environment that does not allow for food to rot or mold to grow. This is probably the best tasting preservation activity, as this item is left almost completely untouched. Allowing for most of the flavor to remain unchanged. However, vacuum sealed items do not last long. Time can range from a couple of days when it comes to fruits, to a couple of weeks when it comes to certain meats.
What you should be thinking of, Nutrition
Food is the fuel for life, it is as simple as that. Without food for an extended period of time, usually 1-2 your body begins to cease function. With a diet of too much meat, it will cause you to become afflicted with multiple adverse health symptoms due to an overload of protein. Too many vegetables may leave you in the same situation with health failing due to protein.
Not enough fruits, can lead to scurvy and not enough vitamins can lead to rickets. As all of these sound more than just a little nasty, so keeping your own physical needs in mind at all times. Balance is also incredibly important, a little bit of protein, a few vegetables, supplemented with vitamins should definitely help your health in the long run.
The average man needs 2200 calories a day, and the average women need just about 2000. Composed of these calories are 56 grams of protein for males, 46 for females. Carbohydrates are needed in quantities of 225-325 grams regardless of gender, and sugar should be supplemented at 36 grams for men and 25 for women.
As vitamins and minerals are also important, it should be noted that the best way to gain this kind of nutrients is to eat multi vitamins that also contain minerals. Most vitamins do not survive the transition of freeze drying or dehydration. The biggest question is what type of food can give you the most nutrition, and possibly fill other needs in your daily diet?
What foods are the Best to have?
Fresh fruits and vegetables can be the best choice, these items are usually the easiest to eat and require little prep or cooking. Granted there are beans, onions, and nuts that might need water in order to eat properly. Meats are the next priority as the protein packed into dehydrated meat is still the best source of protein you can get.
Just be sure to correctly prepare these items beforehand, and there are many places to find out how exactly to do so. There are also other options ranging from dehydrated MRE’s used by military personnel, to other types of nutrient-rich supplements. Vitamins will also be important to ensure you will not succumb to such disease as scurvy or rickets.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to finding the longest lasting foods for your personal survival, there is a difference between just surviving or actually living. Food is the most important item that every single person on earth needs in some capacity. Without proper care and knowledge, you will not last long, as such this means having something for an emergency will definitely make or break your chances of survival.
