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Keeping track of vitamins and minerals contained in food storage supplies doesn't appear to be a top priority among respondents so far. I think I will stick with supplements to meet any deficiencies in my diet.

The other two benefits of low calorie vegetables (fiber and water) will be provided elsewhere in diet.
I was having similar thouhts - multivitamins, fish oil, vitamin D. Don't forget salt and electrolytes. During even a relatively brief disruption the additional physical labor and stress will place a lot of demands on you physically that you don't normally have. Also consider sleep aids and pain relief meds.

Also don't overlook water filtration and purification. Identify at least three places nearby you can get water naturally in the event that city water fails. Keep buckets for drinking water (filtered/treated) and sanitation water (raw) - toilets will continue to work so long as you can keep the tank filled. Also only put filtered/treated water in the "clean" bucket, so you will need two or three. with one reserved for safe water and the other one ot two for water retrieval.

You will die from dehydration much faster than starvation ( three days vs. three weeks).

For food storage in a minimal space go fat heavy. The most stable fats for long term are coconut followed by EVO. Peanut or other nut butters should be high on the list as well. Again, avoif processed fats like "vegetable" oil, canola, corn, anything hydrogenated, mono unsaturated, etc.

The extra activity and stress will mean a need for more than usual calories, especially during cold weather. Canned meats, especially those high in fats are great choices, so Spam, corned beef, and others are good. Canned fish would ideally be packed in oil as opposed to water.
 
It strikes me as interesting that there seems to be two schools of thought here, one being to prep up for everything, food, first aid, ammo, guns and whatever. The other school of thought is that I'm just going to live life already ready for whatever as best I can. I wonder if it's an age thing or maybe a country bumpkin vs city slicker thing.

 
It strikes me as interesting that there seems to be two schools of thought here, one being to prep up for everything, food, first aid, ammo, guns and whatever. The other school of thought is that I'm just going to live life already ready for whatever as best I can. I wonder if it's an age thing or maybe a country bumpkin vs city slicker thing.

In my case it may be that I have never experienced a truly bad economy (like great depression) or SHTF type of event. Currently my focus in life is on eating or lack there of. My mind is constantly looking forward to the end of this weightloss challenge so I can binge on all the foods I have been missing. I imagine it's like the feelings the Minnesota Starvation Study participants had.

By doing another back to back challenge like eating on $3 a day it will help me control the binging while still allowing me to have some of the macro nutrient ratios I wasn't allowing myself very often for the last year.

I am worried about the economy and whether or not this is going to be the big one (another great depression like event) or if it will be another bump in the road like 2000 and 2008? Food is the easiest thing for me to solve right now so that is what I am focusing on. If the next SHTF requires food for a year or more it's likely I won't be around for the next year unless my morals change.
 
It strikes me as interesting that there seems to be two schools of thought here, one being to prep up for everything, food, first aid, ammo, guns and whatever. The other school of thought is that I'm just going to live life already ready for whatever as best I can. I wonder if it's an age thing or maybe a country bumpkin vs city slicker thing.

For me personally, it's more age related. As I've pushed into the AARP/60+ arena, I'm more likely to hunker down and protect, including stores of water and food.

I believe the wise individual has several months of usable foodstuffs on the shelf, sufficient to feed the family, as well as water and what medications can be stockpiled. I also believe that one should put equal preparations into arms and feeding and caring of arms.

My preparations are more focused on short term disruptions, like covid initially brought us. When rice, beans and lentils were in short supply in the marketplace, I pointed to our shelves. That was the instant the wife finally understood my concerns of food supply disruptions. And although she still thinks I over buy, the lectures have become infrequent.

Would my small brood survive a years disruption of "normal life" and "normal food supply", perhaps, not happily, but not starving either.

Keeping them safe, healthy and fed are always my top concerns.
 
I think for me, my parents were born in the early 1930's so their parents had to live thru the great depression and rationing of world war 2. The welfare state hadn't been created yet so everyone had to take care of themselves. Those values were instilled into my parents and then passed down to me and my wife. Both of our Moms are too old now but it used to be a thing for the womenfolk to get together and can, make jam and vacuum pack the bounty of the harvest whether it be from hunting, fishing or gathering. The same for grocerys, we buy in case quantities and when we get down to less than a half of case we buy another. That way we don't run out and have plenty "just in case".
 
Arakboss I have to admit I'm curious as to why you just don't go for a well balanced meal, exercise portion control, and speaking of exercise, get out and get physical, definitely improve your mood. I've seen a few people jump on the latest fad diet, lose a impressive amount of weight, plateau and then give up and gain it all back. Takes discipline, cut out the processed crap and work out to burn the extra calories. I've noticed, in my advancing old age, my metabolism is slowing down, I can't eat as much as I used to, really sucks, because I love good food.
 
Arakboss I have to admit I'm curious as to why you just don't go for a well balanced meal, exercise portion control, and speaking of exercise, get out and get physical, definitely improve your mood. I've seen a few people jump on the latest fad diet, lose a impressive amount of weight, plateau and then give up and gain it all back. Takes discipline, cut out the processed crap and work out to burn the extra calories. I've noticed, in my advancing old age, my metabolism is slowing down, I can't eat as much as I used to, really sucks, because I love good food.
If I knew the answers to those questions, I probably would have never gotten fat. I love junk food for starters. Food that many consider "garbage" are like delicacies to me. I am a veggie hater too, so that doesn't help. I don't like to cook or exercise, I am lazy. I like long walks on the beach to sit around and hang out on the internet. The list of poor habits is longer than both my arms probably legs too:)

Edit: Did I mention I am cheap and don't like paying my hard earned money for low calorie foods. When I am buying food low micronutrients doesn't bother me, low macronutrients does.
 
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If I knew the answers to those questions, I probably never would have gotten fat. I love junk food for starters. Food that many consider "garbage" are like delicacies to me. I am a veggie hater too, so that doesn't help. I don't like to cook or exercise, I am lazy. I like long walks on the beach to sit around and hang out on the internet. The list of poor habits is longer than both my arms probably legs too:)
The biggest health improvement you could possibly make is considering highly processed and junk foods to be the enemy. They are the killers of American waistlines as well as a source of carcinogenic matter.

I've just recently learned this myself. We've gone from prepackaged, flavored snacks like chips and popcorn, to homemade. Popcorn popped in olive oil with salt and pepper, yum. Homemade tater chips, olive oil and russet taters, cooked as dark or light as you like 'em. Beats the heck out of anything in a bag.

Veggies can be beet chips, sweet tater chips, zucchini chips, all home made. It does take extra effort to eat healthy, but it'll add years to your life to get off that poison being pumped out by corporate America…
 
As for exercise, if you've got a dog you've got the catalyst for exercise. If not, think about getting a dog. I walk our dog three times a day myself, each walk a mile to a mile and a half. Consistency is the key. Walk before work, walk at lunchtime, walk after work, walk later evening.

Make each walk at least a mile, get comfortable with the distance, then work on cutting down the time.

Think about this, 3 miles a day is 21 miles a week, and 1,092 miles in a year. That's a good foundation for exercise, is non-stressful and will do your heart wonders.
 
I don't have room for that much food. Finding room for two months worth will be a struggle.
I can fit most of a 2 month food supply in 3, 5 gallon buckets. If you can find closet space for that, you are mostly there. What you will have to add to that are water, and animal proteins. [ canned meats, sausage pasta sauce, etc...] The rest are beans, peas, pasta, etc. dry powdered cheese, powdered eggs, etc. don't take much room. if need be to cut space take the sealed bags out of the boxes. DR
 

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