Sunday, November 10, 2013

Keep Shelf Stable Meals On Hand For Emergencies

By Katrina Wheeler


Disasters happen all the time and while no one wants to think about what might happen, it is best to be prepared. Shelf stable meals are an excellent way to ensure that you are well set in the event of a disaster. It does not matter whether you have a hurricane coming through or a massive snow storm, food can help you survive it. Your family will stay strong despite the circumstances as long as they have food.

Food storage requires having long lasting food that will be easy to prepare. If you select the right products, you will not have to deal with switching food out every few months. Most shelf stable foods are freeze dried or canned to help them last longer. Without moisture or with the correct processing, these meals can be kept for years in your garage or basement.

In a bad situation, food can help keep morale high. While some nutritious items will make you feel better, it is also good for increasing energy levels. People without food will find that they feel hopeless faster and will wear down physically and mentally. Even a small amount of food can make things seem better.

While you should have a variety of items in your emergency preparedness kit, food is certainly one of the more important supplies to have on hand. You should consider whether or not you will have a way to cook food or add water to it. This can influence your decision as to which items to keep on hand.

In a bad situation, you could easily be without any way to cook your meal. To prepare for this, choose items that can be eaten as is. MREs or ready to eat meals are a great way to get the energy you need without having to prepare anything. You can also look at canned vegetables and energy bars, which do well in any preparedness kit. You will find lots of options.

Rather than buying tins of fruit or vegetables and meat separately, try looking for complete meals. Not only are these more interesting to eat, they make it simple to get a meal ready. You can just heat or open a package and have everything you need. If you do have a way to heat water, you can have hot meals. It really helps to eat something warm in the middle of a disaster. Assume that you will not have heat and stock up on fuel and a camping stove.

Test everything before purchasing large amounts. You will have favorite MREs and it is a good idea to only buy the ones that you enjoy most. You can usually purchase sample kits with a variety of meals from companies that offer stable food.

You will also find it helpful to have shelf stable meals along when camping. They can be kept in the car for emergencies, too. Be prepared by ensuring that you have long term food supplies ready to go in your home and vehicle. When things go badly or a disaster hits, you will be ready for it.




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