Recommended foods for stockpiling
When stockpiling foods as part of a risk mitigation strategy, it is important to understand the two key requirements:
- The nutritional contents of different foods
- The longevity of specific foods
We should also bear in mind whether you are expecting your stockpiled foods to be your own only food source or whether this is complemented by others - for example you might have fishing access, or hunting capability, or you might grow your own fruit and vegetables.
From a nutritional perspective, it is essential that your key nutrients are provided including:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fats
- Fibre
- Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins and minerals include potassium, sodium, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, fluoride, calcium and vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K.
| Average Adult | |
| Calories | 2,000 - 2,500 |
| Carbohydrates | 260g |
| Total Sugars | 90g |
| Total Fat | <70g |
| Protein | 50g |
| Fibre | 25g - 35g |
| Sodium (Salt) | <6g |
Why purchase foods from us?
Specialist long life food retailers like us stock products have been treated and packed in such a way that normal food degradation timescales do not apply.
For example, freeze dried foods when appropriately packaged, prevent any microbacterial activity, decline in the nutritional or organoleptic properties for many years.
The downside of this is that the food can often be expensive to produce, and we encourage our customers to complement these foods with non-specialist natural foods prepared and set-aside for future use.
As a useful reference guide, we have collated a list of 40+ natural foods that can be stockpiled and stored for up to one year: Note that in the majority of instances, the maximum shelf-life is achieved through freezing.
|
|
|
The shelf-life of each of these foods is affected by a wide variety of factors, but in order to maintain their organoleptic properties for the longest time possible the significant ways you, as the end consumer, can achieve this is through packaging and storage conditions.
For example, for honey, if this is packaged in a glass container as opposed to a plastic container, then the shelf-life can be increased almost indefinitely.
Again, for Bran Flakes, repacking the cereal into a Mylar bag (multi-layer metalized laminate) with an oxygen absorber and then resealing, could extend the shelf life by an additional year.
Freezing foods is obviously an excellent way of extending the shelf-life of certain products, but note that in the event of an electricity outage you may find your foods rapidly defrosting, and hence a back-up generator may also be a wise purchase.
Finally, please bear in mind that water is the ultimate essential requirement for humans - ensuring you have a safe and clean supply is absolutely crucial.
