Rate my food supply
Posted by No-Ideal-6662@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 144 comments
This is for me (26 yr old 6’1” 280) and my wife (27 yrs old 4’ 11” 115lbs). Let me know what you think and what I should be adding
36 Gallons of Water: 6 boxes of 6 1 gallon bottles
2 boxes of Humanitarian Aid MREs
4 buckets of 120 ReadyWise Entrees (impulse by when I first started prepping)
1 bucket of ReadyWise powdered eggs (7lbs)
6 #10 can of white rice (approx 30 lbs)
3 #10 can of instant oats (10 lbs)
2 #10 can of egg noodles
1 #10 can of pancake mix
2 #10 can of whey protein powder
20lb of dry black beans
12 regular cans of corn
16 regular cans of kidney and black beans
8 regular cans of chicken
12 regular cans of tuna
12 cans of spam
12 regular cans of corned beef hash
24 packs of maruchan ramen
12 cups of Shin ramen
12 cans of Hormel chili
12 cans of Rotel tomatoes
10 pounds of salt
5 pounds of sugar
A box of unopened bullion cubes, seasonings, and hot sauces
Total Approximate Calories and Macronutrients:
• Calories: 311,480
• Protein: 13,988g
• Carbs: 50,859g
• Fat: 7,689g
With sufficient water from filtration and (hopefully) filling up the bathtub I think this should be enough for 2 months assuming a sedentary lifestyle. I want to bump that up to 90 days. What do yall think? Any holes in my dietary plan? Should I focus on some foods over others?
Odd_Can_4313@reddit
sounds good.... I didn't see any pasta??? 20 boxes of spaghetti is very cheap... and cans of spaghetti sauce ??? all you need is boiling water and you can have a nice spaghetti dinner??
Putrid-Ad60@reddit
Water! Filtration. Strategies to find, transport and store more water (siphon, saddle valve, ?) and purify the water you can find. Also plan human waste strategies
SurvivalNews@reddit
Pretty Good! Might want more Mres though due to the self contained heaters etc
These Mres are pretty good https://survivalwarehouse.co/collections/mre-meals-ready-to-eat
SgtPrepper@reddit
You have an excellent selection here, but Ramen has usually been flash-fried so it can go rancid over time.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I never realized ramen is fried… hmm interesting. Would throwing the packs in Mylar with oxygen absorbers help? They’re the only thing not vacuum canned by the company in my preps (except my black beans which I threw in mason jaws with oxygen absorbers)
SgtPrepper@reddit
Fats usually go rancid over time, no matter what. Your best bet is to find a variety of Ramen that doesn't fry their noodles. There's a huge number of brands out there.
pete200215@reddit
That looks like a good supply of food. The only thing I would add is a little bit more meat and one more meat option. Happy prepping.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Thanks! Do you have any recommendations for nonperishable meats that have a long shelf life? I don’t eat canned food in my normal diet so all of this is going to my abuelos towards the end of the foods shelf life and I’ll have to replace it.
babyCuckquean@reddit
Tinned tuna, salmon, sardines/anchovies, corned beef, freeze dried beef, tinned chicken, freeze dried chicken, spam, tinned leg ham (not spam), freeze dried bacon bits, jerky etc etc. Try to think up meals youd normally have and buy a tinned/dried substitute. It wont be as good, but it will be familiar and better than MREs
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the recommendation! I love corned beef and spam so definitely leaning into it. My wife hates canned meat so the apocalypse may not be too fun for her now matter what. It’s why I have so much protein powder so she can still get protein at least until the powder runs out
babyCuckquean@reddit
Ive heard nothing but good things about freeze dried beef and chicken, that might be worth giving a go plus theres an american company that does a whole range of canned meats, they do a variety 12 pack i was looking at but cant get posted bc im in Australia - 😮💨 cant get any of the MRE's, freeze dried foods or long life cans i want. Its an abysmal state of affairs. Without a US based card and matching delivery address cant get anything. Still spend my time browsing though haha.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Oh man Australia doesn’t have a lot of freeze dried products? That’s wild! I really want freeze dried meats but that may be a bit down the road cause of how expensive they are. Being in Australia, how do you store enough water? It’s dry out there
babyCuckquean@reddit
Well i live in the driest state, in the driest continent in the world - i was raised on water restrictions, to me a lot of water use people talk about blows my mind. A few years back i lived on a mountain (in another state) in a tent for 8 months, during a drought. That was hard, especially once our car died on the side of the mountain. We had to walk 30 mins to collect water and then hike back up 45 mins carrying every kilo of water we needed for 2 adults, a teen and 4 dogs. Had tarps set up for water collection but our capacity to store was the issue with rainwater, only had 2 60L barrels. We learned to shower the 3 of us using less than 15L, and we only washed our clothes once a week. When the whole farm ran out of dam water, thats when we left. They could drive to fill 1000L IBCs, at the nearest RV point in town(30 mins drive from the farmhouse) but we couldnt. The creek was long gone by then too. Was a bit rough.
But back to my current situation, i live in a 2 br apartment with my dad so my ability to store water is limited. Ive currently got 2x12L water bottles, 1x30L, and a scattering of 1 and 2L bottles in the fridge, filling the freezer, under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. I havent yet bought a water filter besides a pretty basic one you fit to your tap. And a brita water bottle i have a few extra boxes of discs stashed away.
Our toilets, and the gardens in the whole area use recycled water which is pretty common here. Recycled water taps are coloured purple so noone drinks from them. Our regular tap water is often so gross in colour and taste that its undrinkable on its own anyway so people drink bottled, or rainwater. LOTS of homes here have rainwater storage, its the best water around to drink and the govt encourages it, for a long time there was rebates on tanks and stuff.
Our state leads the world in renewable energy generation and storage, and our grid is constantly being upgraded but that cost is passed onto us somewhat, we do have really expensive electricity and water too bc of the desalination plant/upgrades. We're very much encouraged to have rooftop solar, with rebates etc so in a grid down situation im not too sure we'd be in too much of a bind as a society tbh. Someone would have power to share. The last major blackout we had in Australia was just last week! But here only 24 hours affecting 20,000 homes.
Prior to that was 2016 and politicians and talking heads are still talking about that haha the blackout has its own wikipedia page, even though most of the state was back on within hours despite multiple major transmission lines being down and damage caused widely to power stations. Lessons learned, however.
Not enough people store food or water or medicine here though, Australia wide. Its a plague of complacence and naivete. Weve never had any major interruptions to supply, well not since WWII. We have all the financial supports, safety nets, and food banks you could ask for. We struggle to comprehend the need to save money even. Average household savings here is like 1000. Im guilty. All my money is going into preps currently bc i personally dont believe currency will be as important to my family as food supply. We are very isolated as a capital city, our next closest state capital is 900kms and theres nothing inbetween us and them or us and anywhere else. If we're left to our own devices food and medicine and water will not last long and i dont want to have to fight for it. My ex husband, who has my children(almost 17 and just turned 18 with disabilities) has cash reserves, bitcoin, their house is on high land etc. Ill be heading there to set up my swag in the backyard, and exchanging my food stores for that safe haven. The area i live is just 3m above sea level. Its a drained swamp.
This became an essay! Apologies! Ill leave it all here in case anyones got an interest in it though lol.
pete200215@reddit
Look into freeze dried meat. Shelf 2 table looks like a good company. I have preserved some meat myself. Peak refuel is a company that sells freeze dried meals and they taste very good.
babyCuckquean@reddit
How/what are you going to cook it? I found a thing called a meal master mini, by kambrook. My energy plans involve solar and solar generator and or individual batteries, so what im looking at is the watts used and versatility. This lil thing runs on 210 watts which is awesome, can be used to make rice, soups, porridge, i read some people using it to make omelettes, even small cakes, all kinds of things. Takes 12 minutes to cook rice and 12 mins at 210w is not much of my battery capacity. Just a thought.
Also, with your food supply, you can get tinned butter from new zealand which will last 10years i think, coconut oil is the best vegetable oil to not go rancid, and no fat powdered milk if stored well will last a loooong time too. Okay so you dont like the powdered eggs in an omelette or the powdered milk as a glass of milk? All good, but you need those things to make other things with. Simple biscuits, cakes, breads, custard, things that can make all the difference to morale. Youll need white flour, baking powder, baking soda and yeast sachets, all very storable long term (not sure about the yeast actually but worth a shot. Im sure someone will correct me)
Ive got a few large blocks of 70% cocoa dark chocolate, not for eating as is, but bc its less likely to go rancid, and can be added to biscuits, added to custard, heck you could even make milk chocolate out of it with a bit of creativity. You could go to 90% cocoa bars or get cocoa nibs if you wanted.
Vitamins. Dont skimp, get good quality with long expiry dates. If you shop on iherb dot com they list the expiry dates of every bottle you buy.
Lastly, wheres your rainbow? Always eat rainbows. Tins of capsicum (peppers?) , green beans, pickles, all kinds of berries, mandarins and the rest plus dried apples, blueberries, raisins, cranberries, bananas, apricots. Go crazy. Find foods in every colour for your stash. Youd be surprised how important variety is to your mental health, and all those colours indicate the different nutrients the food holds. A lack of red foods can affect your levels of aggression i read once. The maori stopped eating a red coloured yam in favour of white potato for ages and when they reversed that they found aggression dropped. Thats what i heard anyway and it makes sense to me.
Honey from your local area can protect against allergens. Micronutrients sky high, and though it might crystallise its basically good forever. Be sure to get cold pressed, never heat treated. Can be used to treat wounds too.
Keep thermometers for your food stash too, and consider extra insulation/ventilation in the room its in.
Thats my four or five cents worth.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
These are great suggestions! At the moment I only have a Coleman 2 burner propane stove. This paycheck I am getting some propane indoor heaters and after that I am getting a power bank. Once I get that you absolutely make a good point, a rice cooker would be amazing! I use mine all the time and it would be super easy and quiet to pop meals in an instant pot or meal master. Great suggestion!
Thanks for showing the holes in my preps and such a thorough comment. I definitely need to focus on the greenery and plants in my diet. I only eat rice, beans, fresh veggies/fruit and fresh meat in my current diet so if SHTF today my preps would be much less nutritionally dense than I am used to (and back me up lol). Thank you!
shadow6654@reddit
Have you ever actually TRIED the HDRs?
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
No lol… but I’ve had plenty of military MREs and they’re pretty solid imo. I know the HDRs are vegetarian but they are really a last resort or a bug out food if we gotta skip town. Are they that bad?
MrHmuriy@reddit
Military rations are for the military and most of them are edible, regardless of the country of origin, more or less. Humanitarian rations are for people you don't know and are given to so they don't starve to death. I tried them once, apparently I wasn't starving.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yeah I think these just work well for a last ditch effort to avoid starvation. They were really cheap ($35 for 2 cases) so I’m not complaining too much
babyCuckquean@reddit
And hey when shtf theres bound to be some time you need help. Shitty rations might be good trades, or might save someones life. Id try to make them redundant though, over time, by bulking out your other food supplies.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yup every Costco trip I by 2 cases of bulk cans or pasta snd throw the pasta in jars with o2 absorbers. I think after this post I’ll shoot for some more canned fruit and meat
shadow6654@reddit
They’re bad. I ordered a case of MREs one time, as Canadian ones are nigh impossible to get ahold of and they’re what I’m used to.
Some wily bastard replaced them all with ratfucked vac-packed HDRs and I threw the whole case out
BarronMind@reddit
Jars of peanut butter and plastic jugs of vegetable oil and Karo syrup are cheap, calorie dense foods that can really stretch your food. A spoonful or two of oil can be added to savory foods like ramen or soup, and the same amount of Karo syrup can be added to sweet foods like oatmeal. Peanut butter can be creatively added such as to Thai dishes or just eaten as a snack. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how many calories you'll be adding to your pantry and how little extra space you'll need for just these three items.
Karo syrup and unopened peanut butter will last for many years (ignore the "Best by" date on the PB, I've eaten it at least 7 years past that), but you'll want to rotate out vegetable oil every couple of years if not sooner.
babyCuckquean@reddit
Coconut oil is apparently the solid oil least likely to go rancid. Just keep it below 25°C like you would any other stored food.
MrHmuriy@reddit
Are you sure you and your wife can eat 4 buckets of ReadyWise (and humanitarian MREs)? If you haven't bought any yet, try buying a week's worth of them first.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I bought 4 of them at the beginning when I didn’t know anything about preparedness. I cracked open the Mac n cheese and it sucked. Those will definitely be eaten last lol or maybe first when I have actual ingredients to make real meals that taste good and to mask the booty flavor of ReadyWise
Middle-Procedure-425@reddit
What no one is telling you here is that the hungrier you get the better that stuff's going to taste. Eat the tasty stuff first I guess, if you have to start rationing things I don't think the flavor is going to bother you anymore.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yeah I’m banking on it because I don’t eat any canned food in my diet. All chicken and steak and veggies and fruits. The only thing in my preps that I eat regularly is rice and beans. Everything else is gonna suck for a bit but oh well
Tendiesdropper@reddit
Honestly i think youre making a bit of a mistake here. You dont want to start eating things you hate only because its all you have left. You want to store things you like/enjoy so that youre not miserable. Morale/state of mind is pretty important in a time thats full of chaos or the unknown...
Id start trying to find or experiment with canned goods you do like and start storing them as well. Just my two cents
Middle-Procedure-425@reddit
I tend to agree, but a lot of people can't expend the resources like that. Freeze dried may suck, but it lasts for like 25 years so your cost per year to have food on hand is incredibly low. I understand the whole store what you eat and eat what you store mentality, but it's a lot of additional work given shelf life. And cost given how expensive food is now. Settlers ate pemmican, have you ever tried it? It's pretty bad. But they did okay.
Tendiesdropper@reddit
Im not saying freeze dried is bad. I have maybe 12 meals like that as i havent prepped enough myself. My daughter wont eat most things but i try to stash what she will (canned green beans, mandarin orages, etc).
My whole point was not to wait until youre required to eat what you have just cause you have it. Explore and stock other things so you dont make a miserable life worse
Middle-Procedure-425@reddit
This is a good point. But freeze dried is terrible though 😂, I just fully embrace my miserable meals to come.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yeah I have eaten canned things so I know I generally like the food (spam is delicious fried) but idk I just can’t figure out a way to consistently eat canned food in my diet when I have essentially unlimited access to fresh meat and produce. I would like to have some chef boyardee and those cheap canned pastas. I remember them being delicious on deployment when my wife would send them.
portland415@reddit
Another way to think about this is that likelihood that we reach complete desperate starvation is pretty low. If that happened, sure anything is better than nothing. More likely is that food supplies are disrupted, maybe it’s unsafe to go outside or go food shopping (civil unrest, pandemic, etc.). In that case there might be some food available at government distribution centers, or overpriced and understocked stores, but if you can live off your own food stocks then you don’t have to brave those conditions. But if your food sucks and tastes bad, there’s a good chance you risk going outside to get something better. So it all depends on what you’re prepping for but I’d caution against assuming you’ll be happy to eat anything in most scenarios.
Dankreefer420@reddit
Do you mean physically digest them or the actual idea of eating them constantly with no real food? Cuz I dont think that 2nd part will matter too much.
MrHmuriy@reddit
ReadyWise is probably the worst thing I've ever tried. Humanitarian Daily Rations are designed to be eaten by someone you don't know so they don't starve to death. It's not something you should buy with your own money.
thunderscreech22@reddit
I would factor in that you’re extremely obese and that you have about 100 lbs of fat to burn as well.
3500 calories * 100 lbs = 35000 calories. That’s like an extra 20 days of energy, likely more.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Lol I wouldn’t say extremely lol I’m a power lifter at 28% body fat. That said I definitely intend on losing fat and muscle during the apocalypse
thunderscreech22@reddit
As long as you do cardio ig
xamott@reddit
How the fuck these two ppl gonna assume they know your fat vs muscle percentage. Fuckin Reddit.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Fuckin reddit man lol I think I’m an American so there’s a baseline assumption we are all unathletic
olympiadinsider@reddit
Unconventional but lemon juice… it tastes horrible but will provide enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy!
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Thats a great suggestion though! We have 2 mulberry trees with Tajín and lemon juice is delicious. Do you know the shelf life in lemon juice?
olympiadinsider@reddit
Not very long unfortunately. 9 months in the fridge if unopened.
GlitteryTangelos@reddit
Some tips from a Hurricane survivor...
Don't forget, a lot of your canned veggies and canned chicken and tuna have a fair amount of water in the can. That water can also be used to cook with - especially in rice or noodles. I posted a link in the comments also for a tub bladder. Canned broth will help with that as well and kill 2 birds with 1 stone as far as cooking and flavor.
If you're going to use sterno cans or any kind of flame, don't forget to stock up on matches and lighters! You can store matches in mason jars or baggies, and put some sandpaper in there to strike on.
Another thought - a lot of these foods are heavy sounding, and you'll get tired of that quickly, plus it can muck up your digestive tract. Something to consider would be more canned veggies and fruits for longer term, or fruit or jello cups and squeeze applesauce for shorter term for something light and refreshing without having to cook up something heavy. Another thing that helps a lot is just plain old gum and hard candies like peppermint, spearmint fruit flavor, etc, to help with dry mouth moments. Single serve drink mixes can go a long way to make water more appetizing. Also, hit the dollar tree for some easy carry snacks to help in between meals. Check your expiration dates, of course. Snack packs of nuts, jerky, crackers, etc. and juice boxes can go a long way as well. Carnation Instant Breakfast comes in single serve cartons that don't have to be refrigerated and most times has expiration dates more than a year out, and it's got vitamins and minerals and protein to keep you going.
You can also find decently cheap cooling towels - these are a lifesaver during the hot months!!! They stay cold for a while, too and don't use any kind of energy, just a way to get them damp.
And finally, Ziploc bags have many uses.
GlitteryTangelos@reddit
https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Container-Drinking-Hurricane/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=asc_df_B001AXLUX2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693128046662&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1023826217427755162&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9190786&hvtargid=pla-365377788888&psc=1&mcid=38a0922600683713830d717048ab52a5
MrTreasureHunter@reddit
Get more water. You’ve got 20 days of water and 90 days of food. Obvious disconnect
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yeah I also didn’t mention I have 20 gallons of bottled waters in constant rotation. I’ll edit the post, but you are right I need to get more water. I’m thinking those 5 gallon office jugs in the garage.
YourHighness1087@reddit
You need 200 drinking gallons of water for at least a month, especially since you will be rehydrating 95% of your food.
Good idea filling the tub, if you can in time before the water lines get cut in any situations.
Storage space becomes the immediate limiting factor when living in limited space as well.
_JohnGalt_@reddit
Lookup the water BOB. Basically a sanitary bladder with spout for your tub.
GlitteryTangelos@reddit
AquaPod Kit 2.0 - Bathtub Bladder BPA free and Made in USA! Water Storage Bladder, Hurricane Survival (65 gallons of water – larger tubs can hold up to 100 gallons of water) (packaged in bag) https://a.co/d/fZ0QHUc
This or something like it - you do NOT want to drink water straight from the tub. Yuck!
Environmental_Art852@reddit
Thank you
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yeah I don’t have a ton of space, I own a 3 bedroom ranch house but I can’t utilize the garage because we get all 4 seasons. It is very limiting for water just because of the weight and size of it. I know I am better off for a lot of people but still is pretty limiting when trying to store anything past 1 month of supplies
improbablydrunknlw@reddit
I don't know if you have a Costco membership, but they sell the 5 gallon ones at my Costco for $4.95 Canadian. We grab one every trip up, quickest easiest way to store water and I bought a little $10 pump that sits on top of them to make it easy to get out.
MrTreasureHunter@reddit
The other thing I’ll point out is that your food requires you to heat water, and you’ll need fuel stored to do that. Be it wood or stereo or propane or butane, it’s something you’ll need if the grid is down.
Adol214@reddit
Plus you will water to cook it.
You are probably short on stocked water to eat all this. If you have filter and fuel, that may not be a problem.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Grid down is what I am looking for, it’s imo the most likely “end of the world” scenario and all the numbers I read show a 50-90% mortality rate after a few months. Scary shit. Do you have preferred method of heating the food? I have a power pack and rice cooker and a butane single burner just to get me through a winter blackout or something but do you have any recommendations?
MrTreasureHunter@reddit
Anything that heats works right? I’m in on chafing fuel and freeze dried food as a combo. But I’m not an expert. Chafing fuel is cheap and my nightmare is two weeks of nuclear fallout, so I need something that burns indoors reasonably safely.
Better_Island_4119@reddit
I would add some canned fruits. Vitamin c is important.
rmannyconda78@reddit
Fruit prevents scurvy
Tiny430@reddit
Underrated. Wounds will also reopen.
jkubus94@reddit
You can also boil pine needles to make a tea that's high in vitamin C. Depending where you are there is no shortage of pine trees.
thepeasantlife@reddit
Fun fact: bean sprouts are a decent source of vitamin C, as are dandelion greens or other greens. Not as much as an orange, but easy to grow from lentils.
factory-worker@reddit
I would add a bottle or two of vitamins
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Man I never thought about that, thank you!
BallsOutKrunked@reddit
I'd add psyllium husk powder to get more fiber. Hard to overdo it, and really bad to underddo it. Fecal impaction can kill you.
crystal_smith_159@reddit
Love this. Does psyllium husk expire?
BallsOutKrunked@reddit
conceivably, but it's just fiber so I'd put it in the 10+ year category. it's also cheap af.
smiley1437@reddit
Where do you find it cheap?
iwannaddr2afi@reddit
One reasonable option.
https://bulkfoods.com/fiber/whole-psyllium-husk.html#/size-1-lb-zip-bag
WishIWasThatClever@reddit
Very cool website. So many ingredients I’ve never considered before. Thanks for posting.
iwannaddr2afi@reddit
You're very welcome. I've ordered from them once and will again.
Middle-Procedure-425@reddit
It's a complex carb, so... Maybe? I mean eventually it will but I bet it's a long long time.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I’ll look into it thank you!
xamott@reddit
Worth mentioning that it does require a lot of water. Can’t just eat it dry, need at least 8 oz but yeh it’s something I’ve been considering as a prep. Makes all poops and toilet paper situations way easier/more efficient.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
Nice!
Some thoughts…
If you drink milk, or use for cooking, powdered and/or canned milk. It has decent protein and dried non-fat milk has a very long shelf life.
Some vitamins with a long shelf life.
Your fats are mostly in the foods. Depending on how you prepare things, you might want canned/powdered butter or coconut oil (which lasts a really long time if you keep it in your freezer.
Your sodium is pretty high. Your fruits/veggies pretty low. You might want to add some canned or freeze dried fruits. Also dried onions and tomato powder has a lot of uses.
FYI… LDS has the best prices I’ve found on powdered milk and dried apples.
If you buy more dried beans, consider lentils, they don’t need soaking so take less water to prepare.
Anyone who is being critical to you… yeah, that’s Reddit for you and everyone has an opinion. But I think it’s great you put this together, and if everyone put together whatever worked for them for a couple/few months of food we’d all be much better off in a big disaster.
derickj2020@reddit
Evaporated and condensed milk are some of the fastest spoiling canned food. So fast that I don't even bother to stock any . Better get uht for using until spoiled, or powdered milk (tastes like boiled milk to me). From experience.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
This is good info. I have not had expiration issues, but generally have used any evaporated, canned milk within a couple of years of purchase, (so not much past best by date, if at all). How long until yours went bad? Was it canned or boxed?
I like making Thai food so tend to keep a lot of canned coconut milk in the deep pantry fashion. I’m thinking that’s a decent source of stored fats… maybe. I’m not sure about real long term, but I’d think they’d be good for a few years after manufacture. I just used a can of coconut cream that was a few months past best by date, and it was fine.
I know the storage life doesn’t compare to non-fat powdered, which is supposed to be good for 20+ if packed and stored well.
derickj2020@reddit
No problem with coconut milk. Evaporated and condensed milk were very old and turned yucky brown. I'm going to retest it, trying to figure out how long they last. Powdered milk does keep for a very long time but I don't like the taste.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
I don’t either - yuck! I did read that adding some vanilla and powdered butter improves that a lot.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I’ve tried to buy from the LDS store but online when I go to check out it won’t let me enter my address. It’s really annoying because I really want their milk and strawberries.
Vitamins is a really good suggestion! Thank you
Charmd2@reddit
I had to use internet explorer. Theor site does not like crome.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I tried Safari, Edge, Chrome and Firefox lol it doesn’t work for me. I submitted a complaint hopefully it gets resolved cause their prices are amazing
SunLillyFairy@reddit
Bummer! Happy prepping.
roppunzel@reddit
Get yourself a way to provide clean drinking water should your supply become compromised.
Such as : https://lifesaverusa.co/collections/jerrycans
Eredani@reddit
I'm not a fan of Readywise. Mountain House is much better.
I would store more water and not depend on the bathtub. Maybe a few 7-gallon Aquatainers from Walmart. One gallon per person per day is the bare minimum. Rice and beans need a fair amount of water.
I would add a can or two of Nido. Or if you need a longer shelf life, powdered nonfat milk.
It never hurts to add more meat. I highly recommend Keystone brand.
I'm assuming you have a sustainable cooking solution. For me, this is a robust solar generator and an efficient induction cooktop.
AverageIowan@reddit
I think you’re way low on water.
Environmental_Art852@reddit
You mentioned iodine tabs. I need to know how long you take them or is it just once?
derickj2020@reddit
Take iodine tablets ? I thought it was for disinfecting water !
Environmental_Art852@reddit
Also, in anything other than a grid down situation, you might prepare an inventory of seeds. I have been pratice gardening and have had success with a few. I live in Tennessee and have really bad soil. Mainly clay and sand from limestone.
I am older. retired and don't imagine I will be one who bugs out unless it is ordered. I am stock piling books on first aid and medical,, planting, prepping and lots of other subjects so they are available to my youngest son, 43, who has a lovely young family. I am also going to start growing and making herbal medicine. I have books on that and foraging and have found I have at least 20 edible weeds on the property. I inventoried them.
Environmental_Art852@reddit
In a different situation it is used for protecting your thyroid from radiation harm. I here a toddler dose is 66. Half that for and infant. I'm assuming 100 or 112 would be proper for teens and adults. You need chlorine or pool shock to keep your water clean
Environmental_Art852@reddit
And there are fancy filters that can clean muddy creek water. Or there are, in an emergency situation life straws which have a somewhat limited life
juststuartwilliam@reddit
I'm sorry but I have to ask: Why on earth do you think that this is relevant?
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
It’s just a guide for my caloric need calculation
juststuartwilliam@reddit
Your wife's height has no impact at all on anyone's caloric needs.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Have you ever used a basal metabolic rate calculator? It is one of the main ways to calculate caloric needs. Age, gender, height, and weight. I don’t know why you want to argue on the internet when your opinion is objectively wrong and easily researchable
juststuartwilliam@reddit
Yes, they're fundamentally flawed, they use bmi as their base point. Bmi is notoriously poor as it doesn't take into account body composition. You don't need to know your wife's bmr, you need to know how much food she needs.
thepeasantlife@reddit
As a short woman, I can attest to the need for far fewer calories than my tall husband. I need less than half of what he needs.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Yup less body to feed less food one needs
Traditional_Ad_7090@reddit
The water in the plastic cartons will start to leak after 6 months to a year, guaranteed. Better to store ways to treat water then horde water like that, plus the plastic will eventually leach into the water. For short term water storage, Aquafina containers.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
You think? I’ve already had 2 boxes for a year and they’re fine. They are in cardboard boxes so they don’t have any weight on the bottles and they’re stored inside in an interior wall closet. I’d think I’d get 2 yrs out of them at least, could be wrong though
YourHighness1087@reddit
I bought a similar stockpile to what you've got listed. Ended up having to eat everything when it all expired five years later.
Let me tell you, after about a half lb of oatmeal, I was sick of it. Lol Same with the dry eggs, no matter what I mixed with them, I'll never touch those again. Haha
My favorite was the beans, rice and MREs (I had mil surplus ones)
If I would add anything, it would be c HARD CANDIES. They will keep you sane at times. Just remember to rinse well after with a bit of salt water, you don't want cavities in a shtf situation.
BallsOutKrunked@reddit
Just a note that I almost always eat 1/2 cup of steel cut oats every day. But lentils? No way. So just make sure to store things you actually want.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
oThats a good idea. My wife loves those Tajín Mexican candies and she may flip if we don’t have those on hand. Yeah this diet is gonna suck but I am trying to make it as edible as possible. Sugar, protein powders, seasoning, and hot sauces were some of the first preps cause I can’t do flavorless food
boobookitty2@reddit
Was about to write up then saw this...
Guy-with-garden@reddit
How do you live? And at that age… wifeys overies will start to itch soon if not already, so consider adding some for any future kid(s)?
If you have any land available, or some relatives or friends have available land, consider to :
Add some nut and fruit trees and berry bushes for canning/preservation. Would also reccomend a garden for perenials and some anual crops. If nothing else then to add to your stored supplies. Fresh produce is VERY good to have if you are eating mostly stored food.
Bee keeping is good for the honey.
Go out and forrage in your local area, so you know what is out there in case of need, but you might store some too..
Obviously in some scenarios rain water tanks are poluted and the garden is dead, but in most scenarios it will survive and be a good supplement. And you always have what you have stored..
Multi vitamins is also one thing I did not see in your list.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Oh they’re itching alright lol we are actively trying for a kid now. That’s a good point, powdered milk and canned fruits like another commenter would be really good plus more staples like rice and flour.
Really good point with the fruit and berry plants I’ll do it!
I take a lot of vitamins now but for long term prep I’d imagine things in oils like vitamin d and omegas will go rancid. Any recommended vitamins?
Guy-with-garden@reddit
Well vitamins here have a best by date for a year +, and you plan on building up food/water for 90 days, so no problem there.
Considered bee keeping? Honey lasts forever and have alot of benefits..
But remember to use your stocks, so when you buy a new bag of rice, you put it in the pantry and take the oldest out, that way you do not need to throw away things not shelf stable anymore. I see that too often where I live, ppl stock up and have all kinds of preps but do not maintain and use it, so when they test run or need it they fail.. so be a prepper, not a hoarder.
NickMeAnotherTime@reddit
What I would add: Honey Some whey protein. If you work physically you will need some protein substitute. I feel the balance is currently off in terms of carbs to protein Salt A wide range of sp.ices Vitamins Freeze dried or canned fruits
mlotto7@reddit
Personally, my body doesn't do well on carbs, sugar, and processed foods so my stores are a lot of meats, beans, powdered eggs, etc. All those noodles, oats, ramen aren't good - IMHO....empty calories.
I'd be adding dried and canned fruits. Honey. Lots of honey. Canned salmon, beef. Lots of canned vegetables.
I recently picked up two cases of jarred peaches and apricots (no sugar added) at the dollar store. They have a long shelf life and are full of water. Vitamin and fiber content is minimal but better than nothing.
I think the biggest thing that jumps out at me is the empty carbs in your store, little nutritional value, very very high sodium and preservatives, and lack of water.
xamott@reddit
Why so much honey if you don’t want carbs and sugar? And, if you look at the nutrition label on canned fruits it’s as you said worthless. It’s not better than nothing, it takes up space that could be used on things with actual nutritional/protein value. That said, a lot of ppl do say they’d kill for a can of peaches if it’s the end of the world etc
mlotto7@reddit
While I don't eat a lot of sugars and carbs, I do eat some. I said my body doesn't do well on them -- I didn't say I never ate them. Honey can be used in a variety of things like making breads, savory meals and mead. It's also a great trade item and can be used for wound treatment as it has been shown to inhibit bacteria growth and speed wound healing and has been known to keep for generations. Also, I am not just prepping for myself. I have a wife, two kids, and care for my elderly mom who has dementia. We moved her in to our home four years ago. They love honey.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22968977/ Canned/jarred peaches, apricots and other fruits have been evaluated to have nearly the same nutritional benefit as fresh when looking at C, vitamins A, C and E, folate, antioxidants, total phenolics and total carotenoids. This study has been duplicated numerous times. Most people prefer fresh but SHTF they are fine. I prefer jarred vs canned. Canned or jarred fruit are better than none and OP has none.
Canned and jarred foods take up space? Everything takes up space and based on OPs current inventory, they need to add some fruit and more vegetables. Personally, I own a 4,000+ SF home with food pantry and numerous closets, plus a three car garage built for large vehicles with built in storage on each side and the front of garage. I'm not worried about space. I have a large garden area and things grow well well I live so I can harvest fresh vegetables but not as many fruits. I also own land and a private lake that is stocked with catfish and bass and attracts ducks, geese, and tons of wildlife including herds of deer so I have a good source of natural proteins as I have been an avid hunter/fisher/outdoorsman and am highly capable of trapping and preparing game for harvest.
I would much rather eat food out of jars vs cans. I personally don't prep for end of world, I prep for disruptions in supply chain.
newarkdanny@reddit
What's your cooking / heating plan?
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Right now it’s not amazing. I have butane burner with a few tanks and a fireplace with some wood (not nearly enough). I plan on getting a propane burner and stock up on propane tanks because butane doesn’t work in the winter, at least not as well.
Onehundredyearsold@reddit
Just a heads up on the maruchan ramen. You’re probably already aware but since they fry the noodles they do go rancid after a while. I’d make sure to donate them or use them up on a regular basis. I know you like fresh foods so I’m guessing you don’t normally eat a lot of ramen. Ramen is a great add to your food storage. Quick, satisfying and a comfort food for lots of folks. You might even be able to barter with it. Good job on getting prepared! So many people don’t.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Thanks! I actually didn’t know it was fried. Figured it was the same as barrilla or regular pasta so thanks for that! I’ll definitely look at donating it or taking it camping eventually towards the end of its life.
derickj2020@reddit
Concur on ramen going rancid because it's fried. I once found non-fried instant ramen noodles, but it's very rare.
derickj2020@reddit
From experience, anything and everything beans, seeds, grain products has bug eggs in it. After a while, they hatch and start life cycles, meanwhile eating thru the staples. To avoid that, I keep those products in fridge and freezer and it takes space. Frozen food doesn't last long anyway if it isn't very well vacuum-sealed. So I'm only stocked for a short period of substance.
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
Thanks for your suggestions! I am working on getting a chest freezer. To get my priorities right I need to get an indoor propane heater (winter is coming), some antibiotics (I have some fish antibiotics but I’d rather go with Jace), and a 12 gauge shotgun (I have defensive firearms that I could hunt with but no decent dedicated game gun) before. Then hopefully the chest freezer will come next.
silasmoeckel@reddit
Your in the short term still so deep pantry and supplement vs freeze dried and powdered.
Look at this this way do you plan on eating through this in the next two years before some of those fats go rancid?
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I am honestly just going to give it all to my abuelos in 3 yrs and replace them. I only eat meat, veggies, fruit and beans everyday so a dry pantry is next to useless. That said I store all my cans in an interior wall closet with constant AC and low humidity so I bet I can at least 5 years out of the canned goods before I replace them no?
derickj2020@reddit
Cans can last longer than 5 years. Got to watch for bulging and rust eating thru the metal. Some content may dry up because the tops are not soldered anymore, they are glued and the seal dries up after a while. From experience.
DwarvenRedshirt@reddit
Yes, depending on the item. Acidic things like tomatoes and pineapple have a habit of eating through the cans over time.
redditsucks1213@reddit
I'd add 30 minutes of cardio a day, 5 days a week, and remove the corn syrup.
xamott@reddit
And you are why “reddit sucks”
GreyBeardsStan@reddit
How about foods you actually like, lmao
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
I do like most of it, but my daily diet is fresh meat, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, rice and beans. I don’t even remember the last time I cracked open a can of anything except salsa for chilaquiles. SHTF is going to be a shitty time for me regardless
xamott@reddit
I posted something like your comment and someone said “stop bragging about not eating canned food”. Like wtf how is that a brag
MadRhetorik@reddit
I always advocate for more water into people preps.
premar16@reddit
canned fruits, freeze dried fruit, canned pie filling,etc
Gravy mixes, tomato sauce, salsas
drink mixs to make the water more interesting
things to add to the oatmeal to make it more exciting or to make granola
my pantry is catorgories
drinks and mixes-cocoa,tea, electoryte mix,ensure,water,shelf stable mix
sides-rice,potatos,pasta
condiments and saucces,gravy mix
canned fruits,meat,veggies
breakfast-oatmeal,cereal,pancake mix,granola,egg powder,etc
then the stuff in my freezer
I try to think in terms of meals. How many meals can be put together with the things avilable
Certified_Goth_Wife@reddit
Snacks! Peanuts, M&Ms, chips, protein/ granola bars I even keep boxes of cake/ cookie and muffin mix. The essentials are essential, but food can also be a huge morale boost too. Think about Tallahassee and his Twinkies lol. Everyone else has good practical advice for survival but don’t forget to add “enrichment” to your preps :)
Middle-Procedure-425@reddit
If you have a generator and a dehumidifier, you can keep that water supply running quite a bit longer. Just filter the result as it's condensed on a coil.
Onehundredyearsold@reddit
That’s a great tip! Thanks!
Middle-Procedure-425@reddit
Yw! It was a random thought when I bought it to dry out the basement storage. I was emptying it and realized it was a resource not a pain!
BleedMeAnOceanAB@reddit
this. my big dehumidifier needs to be dumped out daily.
Lost_Poem7495@reddit
4’11” wow
No-Ideal-6662@reddit (OP)
You gotta be under 5 feet to ride this ride partner
DwarvenRedshirt@reddit
I would test out a few weeks of meals with those items. Just having them in the pantry doesn't mean much if you can't cook your way out of a paper bag with it. Mid-disaster is a bad time to find that out.
TheLostExpedition@reddit
I'm a fan of those artificially flavored Kool-aid type just add water things. They make coffee ones, energy drink, blue raspberry etc. Also salt. Its good for cleaning, sanitizing, flavoring food, and you die without it.
If you are stuck in sedentary isolation, its the little things that end up making the biggest difference in the end.
ATF8643@reddit
I’d look at expanding your water supply. They say one gallon per person per day but realistically it’s 3. One for washing yourself or equipment, one for cooking, and one for drinking. Remember if it’s shtf you’ll be doing more manual labor than most people are used to. You’ll need a lot of water. You can theorize auxiliary sources like the hot water heater but you better learn how to do it prior. Personally I stocked a lot of gallon jugs and constantly have stacks of bottles. I also installed a rainwater barrel that I don’t actually use, it’s just storage I can use for things like flushing the toilet (on a septic tank), thus reserving my clean water for drinking. If you have a well and pump you could also look into a bailing bucket for it. They insert into the narrow opening and manually retrieve water. Water is one of the biggest vulnerabilities we face and it’s worse when you consider natural causes of shtf in the first place, like hurricanes in stinking hot weather or ice storms that cause local sources to freeze.
jkwasp_man@reddit
Looks very good!
Adol214@reddit
Try to plan menus with this. And dry run it.
. During a few days, eat only from this (not the MRE, but all the dust and instant ramen stuff), and cook it using your emergency setup.
You will probably face minor issues, which you can fix prior to crises.
One issue I find when doing a dry run: the pot get very warm and manipulating it was tricky. Leather gloves fixed the problem. Also, my alcohol burner was difficult to turn off.
TylerBlozak@reddit
Probably lower your daily caloric intake so you can live longer on less supplies.