Why Freeze-Dried Foods Should Be Part of Your Food Storage Plan

Today there are many options open to people starting or building their food storage plan.  I believe that it is wise not to put all of your food storage dollars into one basket.  That being said, I believe that freeze-dried foods should definitely be a part of everyone’s plan. 

Why I like freeze-dried foods for food storage:

1.    When sealed, they can be stored for up to 25 years at room temperature.  Note: Extreme heat reduces shelf life.

2.    Their reduced water content inhibits the growth of microorganisms, and spoilage.

3.    The freeze-drying process preserves the nutritional content of the food.

4.    They maintain their natural shape, size, color, aroma and taste

5.    They speed up the process of food preparation because they are already sliced or chopped and they rehydrated quickly.

6.    They are delicious right out of the can if circumstances required you to eat them that way.

7.    They fit well into a food rotation plan. 

8.    They are easy to use in everyday cooking.

9.    They provide good nutrition, variety and convenience.

When I was first introduced to Shelf Reliance Thrive foods, I could see the possibilities.  I already had food storage, but I always wondered how we could survive without getting food fatigue (tired of eating wheat, rice and beans).  With Thrive Foods, we can eat just about what we always eat even if I can’t go to the store.

I have found that as I rotate my food storage in my everyday meals, Thrive Foods make cooking fast, easy and fun.  I don’t have to worry about unexpectedly running out of eggs.  My can of Thrive Whole Egg Powder is in my pantry and ready to use.  I waste less because I can use the exact amount of Thrive foods like celery or mushrooms without worrying how I might use the remaining fresh ones.

What is the process used to freeze-dry Shelf Reliance Thrive foods?

1.    Fresh quality foods are chosen at the peak of perfection.

2.    Meats are cooked, some vegetables are blanched and all foods are cut into small pieces.

3.    The foods are flash frozen at -50 Degrees F.

4.    The foods are immediately placed into a vacuum chamber and 98% of the moisture is removed through sublimation (changing liquid into gas).

5.    The food is sealed in moisture and oxygen proof cans.

It makes sense to make Shelf Reliance Thrive freeze-dried foods part of your food storage plan.  If you would like to shop for Shelf Reliance Thrive foods, just visit my Shelf Reliance website at:

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Emergency Food Storage for Short and Long Term Needs

Building and maintaining a viable food storage program requires knowledge and determination.  When I first started working on my food storage plan, I had no idea of where to begin.  In order to be successful, you need to educate yourself in:

1.   The nutritional needs of your family. 

2.   Storage properties of various types of foods

3.   Equipment and preparation methods that can be used in emergency situations

4.   Recipes that are adaptable to emergency situations.

How much food do I need to store

• At least a 2 weeks supply is recommended by FEMA
• Other organizations recommend up to 1 year’s supply of food

What kind of foods is best to store

1. Foods that are high in calories and nutrition
2. Require no refrigeration
3. Require no special preparation
4. Special consideration needs to be made for babies, elderly, nursing mothers and those who require special dietary needs

When I first began building my food storage, it was popular to simply follow one of the plans put out by various organizations.  These plans usually calculated a persons needs by age and sex length of time.  The plan would give you the number of pounds of grains, legumes, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey and water a person needed for the given time.  The exactness of this type of plan gave people security in that nothing was left to your imagination.  However, when people got to thinking about surviving on that type of plan, it was obvious that surviving would not be pleasant.  Most people in today’s society are not used to eating in the manner that those types of foods alone would provide.  As time passes, it has become a more acceptable philosophy to store what you eat on a regular basis.  This makes food storage more palatable and desirable.

Sources of knowledge that will help you with your food storage plan:

1.  Food Guide Pyramid – Gives average daily guidelines for a healthy diet

2.  Food Storage Calculator (many can be found on line) – gives quantities needed by age, sex and sometimes activity level

Where do I begin?  Make a Plan.

1. Access the needs of your family – How many adults, how many children, any special needs, time period for which you want your storage to last
2. Create a list of food storage menus.  These should be menus that your family enjoys and is used to eating.  The menus should contain ingredients that are easy to store.  For example, a Chef Salad is not adaptable for food storage because you cannot store fresh lettuce.  On the other hand, menu items such as beef stew have ingredients that can readily be stored.  Menus containing commonly used ingredients are best suited to food storage programs.
3. From your list of menus, make a list of ingredients.  These are the ingredients you will need for your food storage.
4. Calculate approximate amounts of the ingredients that you will need for the length of time you food storage will last.  Compare this to the amounts suggested on a food storage calculator.
5. Consider all of the types of food available for storage and there costs and storage shelf life

Start Building Your Food Storage

1.     Make a weekly or monthly budget for food storage

2.     Start with the basics and consistently add to you food storage weekly or monthly

3.     Buy a variety of food storage items along rather than buying a large quantity of one item.

4.     Make sure you are storing all of the items you need. Don’t forget the oil, yeast, soda, baking powder, powdered milk, salt, spices, etc.

5.     It is wise to store vitamins and other medications you use

6.     Don’t forget to store stress relieving foods such as sweets or candy

7.     Be determined – if you stop for a period of time, it is easy to get off track

8.     Find a good place in your home to store your food storage

9.     After you have some food storage on hand, established a plan to rotate your storage.  The best way is to store what you eat and to eat what you store.

10.  Evaluate your storage plan as you rotate it.  Don’t be afraid to add new items and discontinue those you are not using up.

11.  Variety is important to avoid food fatigue

I highly recommend visiting http://EzineArticles.com/1308085 to see how adding a few items to your storage can improve the variety of what you can make from it.

I don’t recommend that you put all your eggs in one food storage basket.  It is best to have packaged, canned, bottled and freeze-dried foods in your storage plan.  Each has its benefits.  My favorite is freeze-dried food.  Although it is a little more expensive, it offers the benefits of high quality nutrition, rich taste and smell, beautiful color and an extended shelf life.  Not only this but it is very convenient to use.

Please visit my Shelf Reliance website at:

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

to find out more about the benefits of Thrive freeze-dried products or to purchase them.

Rotation vs. Static Food Storage

I have found that there are differing thoughts on the best way to get and maintain food storage.  Some believe that it is best to buy it and store it away until the emergency occurs.  I like the idea of buying my food storage along and rotating it.

Arguments for Rotation:

1. I don’t have to keep track of food expiration dates 10 – 25 years in the future.  Foods that have been stored for long periods of time often pass their time of usefulness unnoticed.  There is nothing more expensive than wasted food. 
2. I can enjoy using my food storage now as a convenience and because it has an extended shelf life, I can feel free to mix in fresh foods in season, making our meal plan more manageable and cost effective.
3. Because I am using my food storage now, I will know how to best adapt it in an emergency situation. Experience will give me the knowledge I need to make the best tasting foods.
4. I will know what equipment I need to use with my food storage.
5. I will know how to make recipes that my family will enjoy.  It is important that food is a comfort in an emergency rather than a stress.
6. If I rotate my food storage, I will be able to add new and improved products as they come out and won’t be stuck using or throwing away out dated, less convenient and possibly less nutritious foods in the future. 

Arguments for Static Food Storage:

1. It gives peace of mind just knowing it will all be there when needed.
2. Once it has been purchased there is nothing else to do.
3. With the long shelf lives of food available today, it may last for the time period that is left in the owner’s lifetime.
4. They feel it is more cost effective to buy it once and risk that their emergency will come before it expires.

  

At any rate, I believe that you should go with the method that fits your needs.  The most important point is to be prepared for emergencies that may come your way.  It may be something as small as a lost job or as large as a damaging earthquake.  The point is that none of us have a crystal ball to know what is in our future.   So, we need to prepare now.

For information on Shelf Reliance Thrive foods, rotation systems and emergency supplies, check my website:

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com