Nutrient Dense Food for Disasters

A thread on keeping nutrient-dense food stores for disasters and outbreaks.

One mistake I see is a total focus on sheer caloric density. Calories matter, but so does health. You don't want your family to develop nutrient deficiencies, especially kids hitting development phases

You want to be at your best. You need to retain muscle, avoid unnecessary fat gain, and maintain cognitive function—not just "scrape by."

Some of these options might cost more than "beans and rice and spam," but if you can swing it, it's worth it.

SARDINES: omega-3s, selenium, B-vitamins, vitamin D, calcium (if bone-in), bioavailable protein.

200 calories (more if you use the oil), 22 grams protein, 12 grams fat.

Buy in water or olive oil.

https://www.amazon.com/Season-Sardines-Pure-Olive-4-375-Ounce/dp/B000HDMW8S?th=1

Costco often has good deals on quality sardines. Wild Planet is another brand to look for.

Plan for at least a can per person, per day.

SALMON: omega-3s, selenium, B-vitamins, vitamin D, astaxanthin (good for brain and eyes)

I like the Trader Joe's wild pink salmon, bone in, skin in. $3.50. Impressive stats.

84 grams protein, 70% RDA calcium, more omega-3 than you need in one can.

Few cans per week.

OYSTERS: zinc, iron, omega-3s, copper, selenium.

Canned smoked oysters retain more nutrients than canned boiled oysters.

Great brand right here.

One can every 2-3 people per day.
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Prince-Natural-Oysters-3-Ounce/dp/B00GJ0WW24/ref=sr_1_4

Canned seafood is nutrient-dense but isn't exactly "calorie-dense," but that's where stuff like rice and beans come in to fill in the gaps.

MEAT

If you've got power, generators, and access to fuel, great. Fill your freezers with meat. But don't count on that for long.

PEMMICAN: Problem with jerky is there's no fat. Good combined with other calorie sources, but lacking on its own. Enter pemmican.

Dried powdered lean ruminant meat mixed with rendered suet (beef/bison fat) in 1:1 ratio. Salt to taste. Sort of like a meat candle.

Variations?

Mix in dried powdered blueberries, tomato powder.

Mix in powdered liver (http://amazon.com/CurEase-Argentine-Undefatted-Desiccated-Pesticide/dp/B00N2YJNBS/ref=sr_1_13)

Use rendered marrow.

Keep wrapped, will stay indefinitely. Huge caloric and nutrient load. 2:1 fat to protein calories.

ERKY/MEAT STICKS:

Jerky is easy to make, or you can buy. Just use leanest beef you can find. Top round, etc.

Make liver and heart jerky if inclined. Nature's multivitamins.

Meat sticks are easy to buy and wrapped well for long-term storage. Also contain more fat.

BEANS (black, pinto, white, garbanzo, etc) and LENTILS (green, red, black, etc). They're all good sources of magnesium, folate, manganese, prebiotic fiber, thiamine, and potassium.

Store vacuum-sealed, lasts years.

Lentils cook quicker with less water.

Can also be planted.

Soak overnight before cooking.

Sprout for increased folate, improved absorption of nutrients, reduced anti-nutrients.

Sprout by draining soaked legumes and spritzing with water then draining twice a day.

Dry bulk beans are cheaper; canned easier, less nutritious.

WHITE RICE (easy starch, low in plant toxins, stores well long term without going bad)
OATS (soak, left for 24 hours will ferment)
WHEAT (whole wheat berries, crack, soak, ferment, cook like porridge)

Flour goes bad long-term. Okay for 2-3 months if stored well.

Get a manual grain mill if you want flour long term—half hour to mill 5-6 cups flour.

Refined flour lasts longest. Whole grain flour goes bad quicker.

I'm not a big grain guy and they aren't necessary, but people seem to love 'em.

POTATOES: Surprisingly nutritious starch source.

Fresh can keep for several months if stored properly in dark cool conditions.

Pretty easy to grow in barrels.

Dehydrated will last forever: http://amazon.com/Augason-Farms-Dehydrated-Emergency-Storage/dp/B00LBGQ1IC/ref=asc_df_B00LBGQ1IC/

Best fat loss “hack” you’ve never tried: eat only potatoes for a week.

Boil/bake a ton of potatoes, keep in fridge, and eat when hungry.

Keep fat to minimum. Season with salt and vinegar (actually improves glucose tolerance).

Potatoes: complete protein, micronutrient-rich.

FAT:

Olive oil or avocado oil (general cooking, store in dark bottle)
Coconut oil (resistant to oxidation, anti-fungal)
Ghee (clarified butter, stores well)
Red palm oil (rich source of vitamin E, carotenoids, CoQ10, orangutan-free)

EGGS:

Fresh unwashed eggs will keep for several months under 60° F.

Pickled: Hard boil eggs, cool in ice water, plunge into sterilized jar containing vinegar/salt/spice brine. Keeps indefinitely. Recipes say to refrigerate, but Hessian mercenaries brought tradition in 1700s

FERMENTED VEGETABLES:

Can stay at room temp if cool, just check for mold. Flavor will deepen, texture changes.

Sauerkraut (helped sailors stave off scurvy), garlic, kimchi.

4-5 pounds cabbage, red and green. Red has more polyphenols, green is classic.

3 TB kosher salt.

2 large carrots, grated.

Head of garlic, peeled and diced.

Chop cabbage into shreds. Place in large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Get in there and squeeze the cabbage

Pickled garlic recipe: https://twitter.com/e_cdalton/status/1218931100069707778?s=20

Go to Korean markets, buy huge kimchi crocks. Make ferments and pickled eggs in them. Very affordable. Otherwise, mason jars

Peeled garlic in large mason jars.

Fill with 5% salt brine (50 grams salt, one liter filtered/spring/well water) until covered.

Use carrots or leeks wedged at top to keep everything submerged.

Cover top, wait 3-6 months.

Chopping garlic will probably speed it up.

DRIED FRUIT:

Whatever you like. Dates, figs, mangos, apples, berries.

Keep indefinitely. Provide simple carbs. Good polyphenols and fiber.

Will become like dessert if things go on too long.

SUPPLEMENTS:

Don't be an asshole. Supplements are nice to have around.

Vitamin C powder
Potassium citrate
Iodine
Kelp (great in soups and beans, too)
High quality multivitamin (Thorne, Primal Nutrition)
Gummy vitamins for kids
Vitamin K2
Magnesium

DAIRY:

I'm still looking for the best dried milk. Haven't found it yet.

Dip cheese in cheese wax and store for several years as long as it's not too warm: aged goudas (vitamin k2), cheddars, pecorino, parmigiano.

Those dehydrated 100% cheese crackers are good to have around.

BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES: Keeps forever, rich in magnesium, calcium (important if no dairy), potassium.

Only brand to get: https://walmart.com/ip/Brer-Rabbit-Blackstrap-Molasses-12-oz-Pack-of-12/22389329

KETCHUP: Yep. Sardines, oysters, white rice, with ketchup and kraut is a killer meal.

WHITE VINEGAR: Pickle/preserve foraged foods.

TIGERNUTS/CHUFA: Similar to tuber ancient hominids ate, nutrient-dense, fat/carb-rich. Delicious, very prolific if you plant. Great animal feed.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Chufa-Seed-50-Lbs/807504855

Currently expensive but if you buy seed stock, it's cheaper (and maybe edible right out the gate).

SALT: kosher for cooking, fine for everything else. Get more than you think you need.

HONEY: won’t perish. Great source of energy. Even has anti-bacterial properties, can use on wounds.

COOKING:

Stock propane. Doesn't degrade like gasoline.

These Japanese butane grills are fantastic. Get two and tons of butane canisters. Japanese/Korean groceries should carry for cheaper price.

https://amazon.com/Iwatani-Corporation-America-ZA-3HP-Portable/dp/B006H42TVG/ref=sr_1_8

https://www.amazon.com/Gasone-Butane-Fuel-Canister-4pack/dp/B000JORB2M/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/145-9094042-8037615

Stock charcoal, wood. Get a Weber off Craigslist. You can cook anything over fire or coals.

Get a charcoal chimney, matches, lighters.

Get cast iron Dutch oven—can go right on the coals. Heap coals on top to create oven effect.

Always boil water with lid on—saves fuel.