AFP Health Reviews

There are many different opinions about what is more important in an emergency: calories or nutritional value. Ideally, you want to consider both in your food storage plan. Quite a few storage kits ignore proper nutrition and emphasize calories to sustain life. Sugars, that are made up of empty calories should be kept to a minimum. A great many of these products give you mostly powdered fruit drinks, potatoes and other sugars. Just like in your daily diet, you should have a balanced food storage diet that includes: vegetables, fruits, protein and carbohydrates. Make sure you know how to use your food storage. A bucket of wheat might make you feel good, but if you don’t know how to use it, it most likely will not be used.

Nutrition is the science of foods and the nutrients they contain. Nutrition includes the study of the actions of the nutrients within the body, including ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism and excretion. There are seven major types of nutrients which are: carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals, protein, vitamins, and water. Fats, carbohydrates, and proteins provide energy but minerals, fiber, vitamins, and water do not. However they are vital for other reasons that promote health.

A calorie gives us an indication of the energy that a food possesses. 1 gram of fat = 9 calories and 1 gram of protein = 4 calories. The amount of calories an individual needs to stay healthy changes according to weight, gender, age, genes, and activity level.

The types of food storage that would be best to sustain ones self or family in an emergency situation, even though having been stored for an extended period of time, should provide the highest amount nutrients possible. The amount of fuel provided is important, but if the bulk of the calories lack protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables youre just taking in empty calories which are not easily digested and dont provide your body with nutrients. In addition, most emergency situations sanitation decreases in a big way. When an individual is under high stress, exerting more than usual physical activity, and getting less sleep, they will need nutritious meals to provide their bodies with the energy needed to continue through the circumstances they face.

Your diet, for food storage and everyday life should be based on food quality not quantity. You should store nutritious, quality meals. You can always add extra calories if needed. One way is by adding high calorie emergency food bars. They are compact, lightweight, require no cooking and are easy to use and eat. They are designed for high intensity, survival situations and are non-thirst provoking. You may want to consider adding a few of these food bars to your food storage if you feel more calories are necessary.

The bottom line is that you need to balance your calories with nutrition. Food Storage doesn’t just have to be there to help you survive, but also to maintain your health in stressful emergency situations.