Survival Food - Freeze Dried & MRE

I found this great food storage calculator at;

LDS Food Storage Calculator

As I mentioned previously LDS has alot of knowledge on preparedness and many survival food stores main customers are members of LDS who are looking for a year supply of food.

Fortunately the calculator allows you to input decimals for number of people. If you want to know how much for for one person for 3 months, just enter 0.25 into the number of people box and select calculate.

Now as readers of my blog know that for disaster preparedness for most of us, freeze dried food is the better choice.

Most people do not have the time or inclination to start storing staples listed on the site and spending 4-5 hours a day cooking with them regularly while you use up and replenish your storage. Eating one year old food all the time does not appeal to me nor is it necessary. However some may have a lifestyle that supports using stored staples and that is great for them.

Some however may not be able to afford the amount of freeze dried food and MRE they desire to be prepared. There is also some value in diversifying your food storage. So you may want to consider some stored staples that you can reasonable consume and replenish without it going bad and throwing it out.

So the LDS food calculator is a good tool for your calculations. Please note however that you should be accustomed to the food diet that the staples will provide as many survival experts agree a significant change in diet can cause severe health problems under stress in a disaster or desperate time.

I did a calculation on one year for a family of 4 with children over 7 years. The results were ;

Total Grains     1200 lbs

Total Fats            52 lbs

Total Legumes    240 lbs

Total Sugars       240 lbs

Total Dairy         300 lbs

As you can see foods with the water in them are quite heavy. With freeze dried food 98% of the water is removed and can either be stored separately or gathered from rainwater over a year, there is much more flexibility and portability options. The calculation on the website indicated only 56 gallons which way off, you will need a ton of water to prepare and cook these food staples.

Freeze dried food as a survival food is a better choice for most.

Here is a great comment on being prepared from Tricia. We all learn from experience, and those who have experienced the worst are wisely the best prepared. Thanks for sharing, Tricia.

Hi, my husband and I have been building up a supply of food for about 8 years. After Hurricane Ivan hit and left us with nothing we had to start over. Red Cross didn’t get to us for over a week, when the military came in they passed out mre’s and water. We ate the mre’s and going on the second week I was having trouble getting them down. I found it very hard to continue eating them. When we finally found a home (8 mths later) we had been lucky enough to have a whole lot of space (we had to start over). We purchased freezed dried #10 canned ( Honeyville) of veggies (onion, carrot, celery, peas, corn, potato flakes) fruit (strawberries, apples, peaches, raspberries, blue berries, bananas), eggs (egg whites, egg yolks, whole egg). I filled the pantry with alot of things like Olives, large can chicken, tuna, #10 canned tomatoes, chili, all kinds of canned fruit, baked beans, our thing was we need enough for family, our animals and neighbors. We buy rice in 50lb bags and we vacuum seal gallon size amounts along with oxygen removers (this is very important), we do this for noodles, sugar, flour, grits, dry milk, etc… Next is the beans, every kind, beans go along way we put them in a quart size zippie bag and again we vacuum seal with oxygen removers. We stocked up on everything we use from bathroom supplies, toliet paper, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, etc… to cases of canned bread (special order) & cases of canned butter (special order) I think you get the point. We vacuum seal everything but the cans. I have everything we need to enjoy our meals. I bought Bulk Foods (sams club & other stores that sell the #10 cans). We have the convenience of not needing to go shopping for 7-10 years. Since we lost everything we started over with furniture, we did not buy any end tables, etc.. instead we bought those nice big blue buckets with lids. I have stacked (2 high) 8 full containers behind my sofa (the fit was perfect just under the full length of the sofa) my husband cut a pcs of plywood to fit the top next I put a nice cover (sheet) over it and put some nick nacks on top so you don’t even know its there, did the same thing with the love seat and my end tables are containers. When our pantry was loaded and my laundry room cabinets where full I had to put the food some place. I also use a dehydrator for jerky and fruit (short term). For the question about how would we move this if we had to move no problem, because of Hurricane Ivan we had to purchase an RV (30′) it would be easy to move these items into the RV. Anything major hits us either by Mother nature or by Man we have our list, Animal & Things (every day items), Medication, Cleaning Supplies, Emerg 1st Aid, Emerg 1st Aid for snake bites, bathroom items, Lots of Bleach, Food, Water Purifiers (2), Rechargeable Batteries, Extra Gas, Elec & Duct Tape, Flash Lights & Lanterns, Propane, Propane Heater, RV and/or Tent & Supplies, Tools, Solar Panel, Camouflage Clothes & Nets, Generator, Oil/Gas, Candles, Matches, Batteries AA, AAA, D’s, C’s,
Extra Water Filters for Purifier, Entertainment (brd games, dice, cards etc…), Protection (ect….). We do expect the worse to happen and I have an evacuation plan list that we sent out to our close friends and family that is more detailed (a place to meet up, road maps that are marked and several ways to get where we need to go. Some people may think this is really bad but thats okay because there are a whole lot of people like us doing the same thing (food for thought).

Mountain House Food does NOT contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).

I saw a blog post suggesting some Mountain House meals did. They referred to a website (Inter-net grocer) that showed MSG listed in the contents of some of the Mountain House freeze dried food meals.

I was sure there is no MSG as I dislike any food that has MSG in it. I spend extra time when I am shopping to read the labels checking for MSG.

To make sure I had the correct information, I emailed Mountain House customer service and asked them to make a clear statement on their freeze dried food.

Here is the response;

Melanie

Here is the up to date ingredient list that was attached;

Mountain House Entrees

Chicken Stew:

Potatoes, Cooked Chicken, Carrots, Peas, Corn Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Soy Wheat Gluten Protein, Dehydrated Onions, Sea Salt, Chicken Fat, Sugar, Spices, Soybean Oil, Garlic Powder, and Spice Extract.

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat.

Rice & Chicken:

Instant Rice, Cooked Chicken, Corn Oil, Pimientos, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Soy Wheat Gluten Protein, Chicken Fat, Sugar, Onion Powder, Spices, Citric Acid, Soybean Oil, Turmeric, and Spice Extract.

Contains: Soy, Wheat.

Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce:

Enriched Spaghetti (durum semolina, niacin, iron [ferrous sulfate], thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Tomato Paste, Beef, and contains 1.5% or less of the following:  Textured Soy Flour, Salt, Sugar, Dehydrated Cheese (cheddar cheese [milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], cream, salt, sodium phosphate, lactic acid), Hydrolyzed Corn Torula and Brewers Yeast Wheat Gluten Soy Protein, Spices, Onion Powder, Flavoring, Garlic Powder, Soybean Oil, and Caramel Color.

Contains: Wheat, Soy, Milk

Chicken Ala King:

Cooked Chicken, Mushrooms, Pimientos, Green Peppers, Nonfat Dry Milk, Celery, Corn Oil, Wheat Flour, Chicken Base (chicken including natural chicken juices, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed corn gluten, dried whey, spice extractives and onion powder, autolyzed yeast extract, turmeric), Salt, Chicken Fat, Sugar, Modified Cornstarch. Yeast Extract, Safflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Onion Powder, Spices, Citric Acid, and Ascorbic Acid.  Precooked Noodles:  Durum Semolina, Whole Eggs, and Salt.

Contains: Milk, Wheat and Egg

Beef Stew:

Potatoes, Cooked Beef, Carrots, Peas, Corn Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Torula and Brewers Yeast Wheat Gluten Soy Protein, Dehydrated Onions, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Soybean Oil, Garlic Powder, and Spice Extract.

Contains: Wheat, Soy

Chicken Polynesian:

Cooked Chicken, Pineapple (contains sugar and citric acid), Precooked Rice, Worcestershire Sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, anchovies, tamarind, natural flavor), Modified Cornstarch, Brown Sugar, Green Peppers, Orange Juice Concentrate, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Sugar, Pimientos, Tomato Paste, Salt, Chicken Base (chicken including natural chicken juices, chicken fat, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed corn gluten, dried whey, onion powder and spice extractives, autolyzed yeast extract, turmeric), Soy Sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), Sesame/Soybean Oil, Yeast Extract, Safflower Oil, Natural Flavors, and Parsley Flakes.

Contains: Fish, Milk, Wheat and Soy

Beef Stroganoff w/Noodles:

Cooked Beef, Sour Cream (cultured cream, milk, whey, sodium phosphate, guar gum, carrageenan, calcium sulfate, locust bean gum, and cultures), Mushrooms, Modified Cornstarch, Corn Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Dehydrated Onions, Salt, Hydrolyzed Corn Torula and Brewers Yeast Wheat Gluten Soy Protein, Lemon Juice Concentrate and Lemon Oil, Beef Base (roasted beef and concentrated beef stock, hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy, corn, and wheat protein, sugar, dried whey, and yeast extract), Flavoring, Molasses, Spice, Garlic Powder, and Soybean Oil.  Precooked Noodles:  Durum Semolina, Whole Eggs, and Salt.

Contains: Milk, Wheat, Soy, Egg

Beef Teriyaki:

Cooked Beef, Soy Sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), Red Peppers, Pineapple (contains sugar and citric acid), Waterchestnuts, Brown Sugar, Mushrooms, Modified Corn Starch, Sherry Wine (contains sulfite), Onions, Pea Pods, Onion Powder, Sesame/Soybean Oil, Seasonings (yeast extract, safflower oil, natural flavor), Garlic Powder, Spices, Salt.  Rice:  Precooked Rice.

Contains: Soy, Wheat

Chicken Teriyaki:

Cooked Chicken, Soy Sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), Brown Sugar, Bamboo Shoots, Mushrooms, Red Peppers, Green Peas, Modified Cornstarch, Sherry Wine (contains sulfite), Onions, Green Peppers, Garlic Powder, Spice, Salt.  Rice:  Precooked Rice.

Contains: Soy, Wheat

Lasagna w/Meat Sauce:

Tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, citric acid, calcium chloride), Tomato Paste, Enriched Macaroni Product (durum semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Cooked Beef, Dehydrated Onions, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Flavoring, Garlic Powder, and Dehydrated Parsley Flakes.  Cheese Blend:  Mozzarella Cheese Flavoring (mozzarella cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], calcium caseinate, corn oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium caseinate, salt, glucono-delta-lactone, maltodextrin, sodium aluminum phosphate, butter [cream], natural and artificial flavors), and Dehydrated Parmesan and Romano (made from cow’s milk) Cheeses (part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes).

Contains: Wheat, Milk, Soy

Chili Mac w/Beef:

Cooked Beef, Enriched Macaroni (durum semolina, niacin, iron [ferrous sulfate], thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Kidney Beans, Tomato Paste, Chili Seasoning (chili pepper and other spices, dehydrated onion and garlic, hydrolyzed soybean protein, potassium chloride, paprika, sugar, maltodextrin, beef extract, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, autolyzed yeast extract, caramel color, natural flavors, citric acid), Modified Corn starch and Contains 2% or Less of the Following: Salt, Dehydrated Onions, and Flavoring.

Contains: Wheat, Soy

Noodles & Chicken:

Precooked Noodles:  Durum Semolina, Whole Eggs, and Salt.  Noodles & Chicken Sauce:  Cooked Chicken, Sweet Red Peppers, Modified Corn Starch, Chicken Fat, and Contains 2% or Less of: Chicken Base (chicken including natural chicken juices, maltodextrin, dried whey), Salt, Sugar, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (hydrolyzed corn soy wheat gluten protein, soybean oil), Flavoring (autolyzed yeast extract, safflower oil, naturla flavor), Onion Powder, Dried Parsley, Spices, and Turmeric (for color).

Contains: Wheat, Eggs, Milk, Soy

Long Grain & Wild Rice Pilaf:

Long Grain White Rice, Mushrooms, Onions, Broccoli, Green Beans, Long Grain Brown Rice, Red Peppers, Wild Rice, Butter (cream, salt), Roasted Garlic Puree, Vegetable Flavor (yeast extract, natural flavors, wheat maltodextrin, sugar, soy sauce [soybeans, wheat, salt] dried onion, tapioca maltodextrin, dried carrots, salt, butter, dried garlic, spice), Modified Corn Starch, Broth Seasonings (hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, dextrose, maltodextrin, whey powder, autolyzed yeast, torula yeast, onion powder, turmeric), Salt, Mushroom Flavor (maltodextrin, modified corn starch, mushrooms, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, natural flavors), Parsley, Granulated Garlic, and Canola Oil. Parmeasan Cheese: Patsturized Milk, Salt, Cheese Culture, Enzymes, Powdered Cellulose (to prevent caking), Sorbic Acid (preservative)

Contains: Milk, Wheat, Soy

Sweet & Sour Pork w/Rice:

Cooked Pork, Pineapple in Light Syrup (sugar and citric acid), Green Peppers, Vinegar, Onions, Red Peppers, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Modified Cornstarch, Salt, Chicken Base (chicken including natural chicken juices, chicken fat, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed corn gluten, dried whey, onion powder and natural flavorings, autolyzed yeast extract, turmeric), Worcestershire Sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, anchovies, tamarind, natural flavor), Soy Sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), Corn Oil, Sesame/Soybean Oil, Seasoning (yeast extract, safflower oil, natural flavor), Garlic Powder, Spice, and Spice Extract.  Rice:  Precooked Rice.

Contains: Milk, Anchovy, Wheat

Turkey Tetrazzini:

Cooked Turkey, Asparagus, Enriched Spaghetti (durum semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Modified Corn Starch, Nonfat Dry Milk, Pimientos, Mushrooms, Corn Oil, Salt, Chicken Base (chicken including natural chicken juices, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed corn gluten, dried whey, onion powder and spice extractives, autolyzed yeast extract), Sugar, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Onion, Flavorings (yeast extract, safflower oil, and natural flavor), Hydrolyzed Corn Soy Wheat Gluten Protein, Spices, Sherry Wine (sulfite), Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Turmeric (for color), Soybean Oil and Spice Extract.

Contains: Wheat, Milk, Soy.

Vegetable Lasagna:

Tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, citric acid, and calcium chloride), Zucchini, Tomato Paste, Enriched Macaroni Product (durum semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), Carrots, Spinach, Modified Corn Starch, Dehydrated Onions, Sugar, Salt, Spices, and Garlic Powder.  Cheese Blend:  Mozzarella Cheese Flavoring (mozzarella cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], calcium caseinate, corn oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium caseinate, salt, glucono-delta-lactone, maltodextrin, sodium aluminum phosphate, butter [cream], natural and artificial flavors), and Dehydrated Parmesan and Romano (made from cow’s milk) Cheeses (part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes).

Contains: Wheat, Milk, Soy

Pasta Primavera:

Zucchini, Enriched Macaroni Product (durum semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Cream, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red Peppers, Nonfat Dry Milk, Yellow Peppers, Modified Corn Starch, Green Peas, Seasonings (hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, dextrose, torula yeast, soybean oil), Parmesan Cheese (part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), Onion Powder, Butter (cream), Maltodextrin, Salt, Culture Whey Powder, Autolyzed yeast extract, Spices, Natural Flavors, Granulated Garlic, Turmeric and Safflower Oil.

Contains: Wheat, Milk, Soy

Oriental Spicy Style Chicken with Vegetable:

Green Beans, Cooked Chicken, Precooked White Rice, Mushrooms, Waterchestnuts, Red Bell Peppers, Teriyaki Flavor (soy sauce [soybeans, wheat, salt], maltodextrin, yeast extract, salt, and spices), and Contains 2% or Less Modified Cornstarch, Brown Sugar, Flavoring (autolyzed yeast extract, dried torula yeast, safflower oil, natural flavor), Garlic Powder, Sesame/Soybean Oil, Spices, Salt.

Contains: Soy, Wheat, and Peanuts on pouches manufactured prior to year 2005

Seafood Chowder:

Cooked Clams and Clam Juice, Potatoes, Cream, Onions, Nonfat Dry Milk, Pacific Shrimp, Celery, and Contains 2% Or Less Of The Following:  Modified Corn Starch, Butter (cream), Salt, Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Worcestershire Sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, anchovies, tamarind), Cultured Whey, Spices, Corn Oil, Onion Powder, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Potato Starch, Safflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Calcium Disodium EDTA.

Contains: Clams, Milk, Shrimp, Anchovy.

Mexican Style Rice & Chicken:

Kidney Beans, Tomato Puree, Cooked Chicken, Instant Brown Rice, Black Olives, Green Peppers, Seasoning (spices, hydrolyzed soy protein & safflower oil, dextrose, onion powder, maltodextrin, beef fat flavor, nonfat dry milk, caramel color, spice extractive, turmeric extractive), Red Peppers, Modified Cornstarch, Dried Chicken Broth, Onions, Chili Powder (chili pepper, spices, garlic powder), Salt, Jalapeno Pepper Powder, and Red Pepper Powder.

Contains: Soy, Milk

Jamaican Style Chicken & Rice:

Instant Rice, Cooked Chicken, Onions, Dehydrated Red Beans, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Corn, Red Peppers, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Molasses, Soy Sauce, (soybeans wheat, salt, molasses), Vinegar, Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Habanero Peppers (Scotch Bonnet), Natural Flavors, Spices, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Soybean Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Lime Juice Concentrate, and Salt.

CONTAINS: Soy, Wheat.

Macaroni & Cheese:

Enriched Macaroni (durum semolina, niacin, iron [ferrous sulfate], thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Dehydrated Cheddar Cheese Blend (cheddar cheese [milk, milk cuture, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto], cream, salt, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, yellow no. 5 and yellow no. 6), Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Oil, Salt, and Spice.

Contains: Wheat, Milk

Potatoes ‘N Cheese:

Potato Flakes, *Cheese Blend (cheddar, granular, and blue cheeses [milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], buttermilk solids, butter, sodium phosphate, lactose, lactic acid, yellow no. 5 and yellow no. 6), *Nonfat Dry Milk, Maltodextrin, Whey and Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Milk Protein, *Broccoli, * Onions, and Contains 1% or less of Citric Acid, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, *Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese (milk, cheese cultures, enzymes, calcium chloride, disodium phoshate), Modified Corn Starch, Mono & Diclycerides, Sodium Acid Pyrophoshate, Guar Gum, Butter Flavor, Cream, Buttermilk Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Flavor, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate, Annatto, Turmeric. *Dried.

Contains: Milk, Soy

Potatoes ‘N Beef:

Potatoes, Cooked Beef, Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Cornstarch, Dehydrated Onions, Beef Base (roasted beef and concentrated beef stock, hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy wheat corn protein, dried whey, yeast extract), Salt, Sugar, Corn Oil, Flavoring, Spices, Caramel Color, and Garlic Powder.

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat.

Vegetable Stew w/Beef:

Potatoes, Peas, Cooked Beef (Beef, Salt), Carrots, Corn, Corn Oil, Modified Cornstarch, Hydrolyzed Corn Torula and Brewers Yeast Wheat Gluten Soy Protein, Dehydrated Onions, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, and Garlic Powder and spice extract.

Contains: Wheat, Soy

Grilled Chicken w/Mashed Potatoes:

MASHED POTATOES WITH HERBS & CHIVES:  Potato Flakes* (potatoes, mono and diglycerides preserved with sodium acid pyrophosphate and citric acid) and Herb & Chive Seasonings* (nonfat milk, butter [cream, salt], chicken, modified food starch, salt, natural flavor, parmesan cheese [pasteurized milk, salt, cheese culture, enzymes], whey, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed wheat and corn gluten, onion, chives, yeast extract, spices, chicken fat, chicken broth, garlic, citric acid, annatto, and turmeric [added for color]).
GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS* Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets with Rib Meat, Seasoning (modified food starch, salt, corn syrup solids, dried chicken broth, soy protein concentrate, maltodextrin, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, chicken fat, soy lecithin, grill flavor, natural flavor), Sodium Phosphates, and Caramel Color. *Dried

Contains: Milk, Wheat, Soy

Flame Broiled Beef Patties w/Mashed Potatoes:

MASHED POTATOES WITH CHEESE & BROCCOLI*: Potato Flakes, Cheese Blend* (cheddar, granular, and blue cheeses [milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], buttermilk solids, butter, sodium phosphate, lactose, lactic acid, yellow no. 5, yellow no. 6), *Nonfat Dry Milk, Matltodextrin, Whey and Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Milk Protein, *Broccoli, *Onions, and contains 1% or less of the Citric Acid, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, *Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese (milk, cheese clultures, enzymes, calcium chloride, disodium phosphate), Modified Corn Starch, Mono & Diclycerides, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Guar Gum, Butter Flavor, Cream, Buttermilk Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Flavor, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate, Annatto, Tumeric.

FLAME - BROILED BEEF PATTIES*: Beef, Seasoning (corn syrup solids, canola oil), Salt, and Spice. *Dried

CONTAINS: Milk, Soy

Breakfast

Precooked Scrambled Eggs:

Whole Eggs, Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Food Starch, Corn Oil, Salt, Yeast Extract, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavor, and Safflower Oil.

Contains: Egg, Milk

Precooked Scrambled Eggs w/Bacon:

Freeze Dried Precooked Scrambled Eggs:  (whole eggs, egg yolks, nonfat dry milk, modified corn starch, corn oil, salt, yeast extact, sunflower oil and smoke flavor, xanthan gum). BACON: Bacon (cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), and Smoke Flavor

Contains: Eggs, Milk

Granola w/Blueberries & Milk:

Granola (rolled oats, brown sugar, unsweetened coconut, soy oil, sesame seed, wheat germ, natural vanilla flavoring), Nonfat Dry Milk, Freeze Dried Blueberries, Dry Cream (sweet cream, lecithin, and tocopherols), and Natural & Artificial Vanilla Flavor.

Contains: Soy, Milk and Wheat.

Precooked Eggs w/Ham & Peppers:

Precooked Scrambled Eggs (whole eggs, egg yolks, nonfat dry milk, modified corn starch, corn oil, salt, yeast extract, sunflower oil and smoke flavor, xanthan gum), Ham (ham, salt, dextrose, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium erythorbate, smoke flavor, sodium nitrite), and Red and Green Peppers.

Contains: Egg, Milk

Raw Egg Mix – Butter Flavored:

Whole Eggs, Nonfat Dry Milk, Salt, Propylene Glycol, and Flavor — Requires Cooking

Contains: Egg, Milk

Desserts & Snacks

Neapolitan Ice Cream:

Milkfat and Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Mono and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum and Carrageenan, Artificial Flavor, Red #40, and Annatto Color.

Contains: Milk

Ice Cream Sandwich:

ICE CREAM: Milkfat, Sugar, Nonfat Milk, Corn Syrup, Whey, Mono and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Artificial Flavor, and Annatto Color.
CHOCOLATE WAFERS: Bleached Wheat Flour, Sugar, Carmel Color, Dextrose, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Corn Flour, and Contains 2% or Less of Cocoa, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Baking Soda, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin.

Contains: Milk, Wheat, Soy

Raspberry Crumble:

RASPBERRY SAUCE MIX:  Sugar, Freeze Dried Raspberries, Modified Corn Starch, Nonfat Dry Milk, and Corn Oil.

CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUMBS:

Sugar, Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cornstarch, Baking Soda, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin (an artificial flavor), Chocolate, and Whey.

Contains: Milk, Wheat, Soy

BlueBerry Cheesecake:

CHEESECAKE MIX:  Cheesecake Powder (sugar, dried baker’s cheese [skim milk, lactic acid, culture], dried buttermilk, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, modified food starch, dextrose, whey, corn syrup solids, sodium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium caseinate, lactic acid, salt, sour cream powder, calcium lactate, artificial flavor, glycerol monostearate, maltodextrin, lemon juice solids, yellow no. 5, yellow no. 6, natural flavor, BHA [preservative]), Vanilla Pudding, (sugar, food starch modified, dextrose, disodium phoshate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and contains 2% or less salt, nonfat dry milk, partially hydrogenated soybean oil with BHA [preservative], mono and diglycerides with propyl gallate and citric acid [preservatives], titanium dioxide [for color], natural and atrificial flavors, yellow no. 5, yellow no 6) Whole Milk Powder, and Lecithin.

BLUEBERRY TOPPING MIX:

Sugar, Freeze Dried Blueberries, Blueberry Powder, Modified Food Starch, Citric Acid, and Corn Oil.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS:

Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, roboflavin, folic acid), Graham Flour, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Molasses Preserved With Sulfur Dioxide, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Leavening (baking soda, calcium phosphate), and Salt.

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat

Chocolate Strawberry Crunch

CHOCOLATE PUDDING (dextrose, modified food starch, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup solids, Dutch processed cocoa, sodium phosphates, salt, xanthan gum, potassium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, calcium sulfate, sodium steroyl lactylate, carrageenan, caramel color, titanium dioxide, *aspartame, artificial flavor, mono and diglycerides)

TOFFEE (sugar, palm oil, dairy butter, almonds, salt, artificial flavor, soy lecithin)

FREEZE DRY STRAWBERRIES

*Contains Aspartame: Phenylketourics:
Contains Phenylalanine

Contains: Soy, Milk

Strawberry Fruit Snacks:

Freeze Dried Organic Strawberries.

Mango Fruit Snacks:

Freeze Dried Organic Mangos

Apple Fruit Snacks:

Freeze Dried Organic Apples.

Banana Fruit Snacks:

Freeze Dried Organic Bananas.

Meats, Veggies & Misc Items

Instant Long Grain Rice:

Precooked Long Grain Rice

Cooked Diced Beef:

Beef and Salt.

Diced Pork:

Pork and Salt.

Pork Chops Uncooked:

Pork

Ground Beef:

Beef, Flavoring, and Salt.

Cooked Diced Chicken:

Chicken Meat, and Salt.

Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn:

Whole Kernel Corn.

Garden Green Peas:

Peas and Salt.

Garden Green Beans:

Green Beans.

Pilot Bread Crackers:

Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Leavening (sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), Salt

Contains: Wheat, Milk

Cottage Cheese:

Cultured Skim Milk, Cream, Milk, Salt, Whey, Guar Gum, Citric Acid, Carrageenan, and Locust Bean Gum.

Contains: Milk

Nitro-pak’s owner, Harry R. Weyandt has written an interesting article on how to prepare for a depression or severe recession.

It goes beyond just food preparedness but survival food is a key element.

I have looked at a lot of preparedness & survival websites recently on this subject. I have read many articles on preparing for a depression and this article has very good advice, covers a lot, but is a quick read.

Here is a link;

How Do I Prepare for a Severe Recession/Depression?

Thanks Harry.

KT

There is a need and great value of having a food reserve for tough economic times. The chances of a depression have increased greatly since I wrote about it on September 15th, and many will experience hardships for sure.

Some are stating that if there is a depression it will not be as severe as the “Great depression” that occurred last century. Of course the same people were saying just a few weeks ago the worst of the bank troubles were behind us.

So is there need for a food reserve? What type of food reserve is the best value?

First, the need for a food reserve is greater now than in the past. At the worst part of the great depression unemployment reached a high of 25%. Anyone who read John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” will have a feel for what it was like for people in rural areas trying to survive.

However there is a big difference between now and then.  Then much of the population was rural and able to revert to a sustenance economy to get food to just barely survive the crisis. Now most of our population is urban. Most people will be totally dependent on food supplied in markets. Adding to this is the fact many foods are imported. Further, even non-perishable food is managed with tightly controlled “just in time” inventory to maximize profits. In a global crisis food imports are likely to dwindle as nations focus on self preservation. Food stock-outs will be more common. There may difficulty in getting food and prices will rise.

What food reserve is the best value?

For the same reasons that I strongly recommend freeze dried food for disasters, it is also the best value for hard economic times. It is easy to store, only needs water, no preparation or cooking required, and has long storage of up to 25 years. It can provide food insurance protection for a long time.

It is also better from a community perspective because when you buy freeze dried food you are actually increasing the future food supply for all by utilizing food available now before there is a shortage.

By having a food reserve to draw from in hard times with food shortages,  you will be able to leave food on the store shelf for those who do not have a food reserve.

A lesson from “The Grapes of Wrath” is that we all do better as a community helping each other.

Having a food reserve will enable you to make a contribution when the time comes, either by leaving food for others at the supermarket and also by sharing the reserves you have with those most in need.

An important final note is that freeze dried food while readily available now, has earlier this year experienced long lead times of 6-8 weeks, during heightened concern about high oil prices and related food price increases.

The ReadyStore is have a National Preparedness Month Sale now until September 30th.

You can save 20% to 30% off everything including one year supply food reserves.

MREs, Survival Kits, Mountain House #10 cans, are all on sale at The ReadyStore.

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I monitor keywords that visitors to this blog use to end up here.

Just now I saw someone was searching on “survival plans for depression”.

Is a three month food supply for 4 people a good idea as insurance in hard economic times?

Yes I think now more than ever it is a good idea to be prepared for a disaster and at the same time be ready for hard times.

Many years ago I was a volunteer for a food bank and there I discovered that a wide variety of people can suddenly find themselves in need. Some people go weak from hunger first because their pride makes them hesitate to ask for support.

As we saw with the recent “peak oil survivalist” run on Mountain House freeze dried food causing shortages for months till a few weeks ago, it may be a good idea not to wait until things get worse to get a survival food reserve.

Freeze dried food is not as cheap as say bulk rice, but at about $10 per person, per day, for a balanced diet it is not far off from typical grocery budget.

Getting a one year food reserve supply for one or more then is a good investment especially considering rising food costs. Since it lasts 25 years it is a better value than other food reserves.

I personally don’t believe we are headed for a depression now, however it is a much greater possibility then at any time in my life. There are many people in the highest places of the finance world who at this moment are not sure what the course of events will be next.

Nitro-Pak says orders with Mountain House #10 cans are now shipping 24 - 48 hours.

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Nitro-Pak offers several food reserves but their premiere food reserve is the Ultimate-Pak™.

The Ulitmate-Pak™ is a one year supply for one person or 3 month supply for 4 people. It consists of 204 #10 cans, about half of which is Mountain House freeze dried food. FYI - #10 cans are 5/6th of a gallon restaurant size cans that most long storing food reserves come in.

The Ultimate-Pak™ supplies an average of 2440 calories per day which is above the RDA requirement and much higher than most other food reserve packages sold online.  As you can see from the analysis chart below the diet is a big breakfast, light lunch, and large dinner.

Ultimate-Pak

One thing that sticks out in this food reserve is it’s completeness and variety. It has good variety of vegetables and fiber as well as carbs and protein. There are 18 #10 cans of Nutty Breakfast Granola, 12 Cans of  6-Grain Cereal Blend, and 12 Cans of Quick Cooking Rolled Oats in the breakfast part of the reserve. This variety also lowers the average daily sodium intake that other food reserves run into trouble with (Detailed contents of the food reserve are list on Nitro-Pak’s website).

Also important is that it has 20 cans of beverage mixes, something that other food reserve packages overlook or have too little of.

The 38 cans of dinner entrees come in 18 different varieties. Having variety will help keep morale up in a stressful situation and this amount of variety is probably as much as most people eat normally. However to take advantage of this variety of entrees it will be better if you are using the food reserve for 3-4 people. Once you open a #10 can, it will last only a few weeks. So if you are using it for one person don’t expect to have cans of each of the 18 varieties open at any one time and expect the reserve to last a year.

Especially of great value is that all the contents of the food reserve are no-cooking, no-preparation foods that can be ready in a few minutes. Your time will be much more valuable in a disaster to be used in other activities than cooking meals.

Other food reserves choose lower cost raw ingredients so may have a lower average cost per #10 can, but have an enormous total cost in terms of your time.  Also a food reserve of raw ingredients instead of fully prepared Mountain House freeze dried food will require cooking equipment and energy (gas, oil, electricity)  that might not be continuously available or even desirable to use in some situations. Mountain House freeze dried food requires only water to prepare the food. If hot water is available so much the better but it is not necessary to have anything else other than water.

The Nitro-Pak supplied contents (indicated by “NP”) of the food reserve that are not Mountain House freeze dried food will have a shorter shelf life than 25 years. Most of these NP items being sealed in #10 cans will have 10-15 years shelf life. However items such as the breakfast grains mentioned above are items you can consume periodically (8 -10 years) and re-order with the cost not being much more than what you would buy from the grocery store. As indicated in the chart above all these “NP” items are also instant no-preparation foods other than adding water or hot water which is what makes the food reserve so useful.

Overall I can easily say that the Ultimate-Pak™ food reserve from Nitro-Pak offers the most complete food reserve online and has the highest value of food reserves I have looked at to date.

I just received the email notification from Mountain House below, confirming only 3 online dealers are being supplied, Nitro-Pak, The ReadyStore, and Emergency Essentials;

Updated: 7/31/2008

Dear Valued Customers:

This is an update on Oregon Freeze Dry’s #10 can situation. Because sales remain high, we continue to be unable to meet all #10 can needs. OFD is continuing to allocate as much production capacity as possible to this market segment, but we must maintain capacity for our other market segments as well.

We are able to meet demand for Mountain House pouches and most of these products are available for purchase on our website. For a list of locations where you can purchase #10 cans, which should enable you to obtain product from reputable dealers NOW, or at least in the very near future…click hereWe also want to again clarify inaccurate information we’ve seen on the Internet. This situation is not due to sales to the government domestically or in Iraq. The reason for this decision is solely due to an unprecedented sales spike in #10 cans sales.

We expect this situation to be necessary into 2009. We will update this information as soon as we know more. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience. We sincerely hope you will continue to be Mountain House customers in the future.

Sincerely,

OREGON FREEZE DRY INC.
CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT
1-800-547-0244

The 3 online distributors on the list Mountain House provided are;

• Nitro-Pak
• The ReadyStore
• Emergency Essentials