Not all survival foods are ready to eat. Some must be cooked in a pot over a heat source, such as offerings from My Patriot Supply, which sells a four-week kit providing 2,000 calories per day for $237. The problem is that every recipe, including Mushroom Rice Pilaf, Chili Macaroni, and Potato Soup, needs to simmer for 20 minutes on average.
That doesn’t work for some: “I’m looking for things that are portable, where I don’t need a fire to cook,” says Christopher Jensen, an Idaho Falls prepper. “I look for things that will last a long time. Lots of calories, things that contain nutrients. I try to get unprocessed foods because when you process foods you lose a lot of nutrients. Price is not a factor for me. I try to buy good quality food. But also stuff that I won’t get bored of.
Jensen, a former U.S. soldier who left the army a few months ago, says he has about two years’ worth of food. During the pandemic, while stationed in Italy, he spent about $1,500 a month on food to store.
Marq Israel, a prepper from Bradenton, Fla., says something about public perception has changed since the pandemic: “A lot of people are like, ‘OK, maybe they’re not so crazy after all.’ I kind of went into full swing at the start of the pandemic, started stockpiling things and doing a lot more research, but as a former military man and scout, I was always a little a preparer.
What is he preparing for? “The unknown,” he said. “In the short term, it’s storms and things of that nature, but a little bit longer term, at the moment, I don’t really know. There is a lot of speculation about what could happen. I’ve kind of diversified what I do as far as precious metals, defense, food, water. I have my bug out bag, but I don’t plan on going out unless I absolutely have to.
He says he has about a year’s worth of food stashed in different places on his property so that if someone breaks in and steals it, they won’t be able to take it all at once. He says nutritional value and taste are important factors to him, and he swears by Nutrition Survival: “Oh man, it’s fantastic. I actually visited their facility and they had a new batch of delicious lasagna,” he says. “Other survival foods, like My Patriot Supply and Mountain House, you can eat. But yes, it really is survival food. It’s like the last resort.
But would this fresh batch still be delicious after 25 years on the shelf? Israel says it has put some aside, just to see what happens: “Let’s see what it will taste like in 25 years.” »
According to Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, it will at least be safe to eat: “I see no reason why dry foods in completely closed, airtight packages wouldn’t last long. They will lose some nutritional value over time, but there will be plenty left and the calories will remain,” she says.
“If that’s all there is and survival is the issue, the survivors would be happy to have them. Whether people can accumulate enough to last a while is another question.
