One of the most important considerations when preparing food for long term storage is the type of food that you select to store. Selecting the right types of food will ensure that you have quality food available in an emergency that will not spoil rapidly. It's also important that the food selected is shelf stable and does not need to be refrigerated or frozen.
Most of the foods that you should store are grains, dried beans and other staples. Grains and beans will make up the bulk of your food storage as they are cheap, easy to store and nutritious. Most of the protein sources that you will store will be canned or dried. Fats should be selected from sources that are shelf stable for a year or more.
Carbohydrates
Because of their low price and ease of storage, carbohydrates will probably make the bulk of your food storage system. Carbohydrates have four calories per gram and are utilized by the body for energy. Most carbohydrate sources will also provide fiber, which is important for the digestive system to function properly. B vitamins can also be obtained from many carbohydrate sources. Some carbohydrate sources will also contain sources of protein, although they will not be as functional for the body as an animal based protein.
Most carbohydrates in food storage will consist of grains, although beans and sugar or honey also store well and provide carbohydrates. Grains are great for food storage as they are inexpensive when purchased in bulk and store for long periods of time in food storage buckets.
Protein
Protein is one of the harder sources of food to store but is just as important as carbohydrates for survival. Like carbohydrates, a gram of protein contains four calories. Protein is a very important nutrient as it is the most abundant molecule in the body after water. The body uses protein to repair damaged muscles and also for growth.
Protein cannot be stored as easily as grains since many protein sources contain high amounts of moisture. Most of your protein will be in the form of canned meats, either that you purchase from the store canned or meats that you can yourself. Canned fish and beef are good protein sources that you should store and pair well with grains such as rice. Meats stored in cans should last several years, and even past the expiration date. Even though the taste will diminish it will still be a viable source of nutrition.
Fats
One of the most over looked sources of food for storage is fats. This is unfortunate because it is one of the most important food sources and also very nutritionally dense with nine calories per gram. Fats are used in the body for energy and also play an important role in maintaining healthy skin and organs. Additionally, fats provide vitamins that are not easily obtained from carbohydrates or protein. Fats will also enhance meals prepared from your stored foods as much of the food will be bland without it.
The biggest concern with storing fats and why many people lack sufficient fat sources in their food storage is the fact that many fats can go rancid quickly. Although this is true of many polyunsaturated fats, like vegetable oils, peanut oils, and other cooking oils, it is not true of all sources of fats. Coconut oil is a great fat to store for long term. Because coconut oil is composed almost completely of saturated fat it is solid at room temperature, very shelf stable and resistant to rancidity. Coconut oil also has a high smoke point so it is great for cooking various foods. Coconut oil can be purchased in grocery stores in smaller amounts or online in large containers. Coconut oil will store two or more years at room temperature.
Overall selecting the right types of food is imperative when implementing a long-term food storage system. Selecting the right food will be the difference between having edible food during an emergency or be left with food that has spoiled.
