Food Storage Lies, Myths and Tips

When most people think of long term food storage, pantries filled with canned goods is what often comes to mind. However, we have to be very careful with what we store and buy. Things are not always what they seem when it comes with food storage many products claim to be made with the famed 25 year shelf life, but start to read the label and you will find ingredients that will not last more than 2-3 years. This article will teach you what to look for.

When looking at long term storage, you must first look at the ingredients. Can you pronounce every ingredient? Do you see words like hydrogenated, hydrolyzed, or Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)? These words, along with many others indicate artificial flavorings, colorings, and preservatives that can be very harmful to your body, not to mention unstable.

Read the Label

If you have bought food go grab it and let’s look at the label. If you see things like cake flour it only has a shelf life of 8 months to a year. Keep looking; do you see soy bean oil, canola oil, hydrogenated oils or hydrolyzed syrup? Those all have a shelf life of only a year or two, yet they are being sold as 25 year food storage! Don’t forget to also look for things like whole eggs or dairy as well. These ingredients simply cannot last as long as these food storage companies claim and you need to be aware.

To be shelf stable, there also has to be the minimum of water content in the food. The FDA suggests that dehydrated food, using any form of dehydration, must have a water content less than 7%. The problem most companies find with following this mandate is simply cost. Making sure the food actually gets under 7% of water content requires extra time, effort and power, creating a path for shortcuts to be taken which most companies do.

When shortcuts are taken, added preservatives have to be used. By putting in the hydrogenated oils, food storage manufacturers can extend the shelf life of lower quality oils such as vegetable, soy, and safflower oils.  These oils have a natural shelf life of 18 months under preferable conditions. When chemicals and artificial preservatives are introduced, they can store for several years, but they have been altered to an unhealthy form to accomplish it.

When purchasing your food, make sure you do your homework and read the label. It may literally save your life.

Finding a manufacturer that believes in using natural, shelf stable ingredients means that they don’t have to use the artificial chemicals to preserve their long term food storage. The food is just as flavorful, healthy, and nutritious as when it was originally sourced. When you are looking for good ingredients, look for real food products that have been freeze dried and prepared to last. For example things like tomato or onion powder chopped or grated vegetables. Also look for whole foods like whole beans in the food, products that contain these types of ingredients will be sure to provide you the nutrition your body will need, when you need it.

Is Your Food Protected?

Another thing to look for is packaging, this isn’t always the easiest thing to see because many products now come in the large white buckets. While the buckets look good they are not what actually is protecting the food from the elements. When you open up the bucket you will notice that the food is individually packaged in plastic or Mylar type bags. This is crucial to long term food storage because if your packaging fails your food will spoil long before its shelf date. A few things I like to look for is the quality of the bag itself. Is it flimsy and folds easily? That’s a bad sign, look for solid, quality bags at least 5.4 mm think so it will stand the test of time. I also really like the resalable option so you can one use a little at a time and still seal off your food.

The next thing to look for when it comes to packaging is how the provider is eliminating oxygen from the food. This will again provide the product a long shelf life as well as keep it fresh. If the company only provides an oxygen eliminating pack in its product, that’s really not enough to keep the food fresh. Look for a producer that fully nitrogen flushes its food to eliminate all oxygen in each bag.

Getting your food storage doesn’t have to be difficult. Don’t make the mistake of buying from the first food storage company you see and getting food that won’t be edible in an emergency.

He Lives

Occasionally the Church sends out new messages to spread the word. We enjoy these messages even as members; they are a great way for us to shore up our testimonies and remember why we are here and why we are doing the things that we are doing.


Watch a new Mormon Messages video, "He Lives " to see and hear modern-day Apostles testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior and that He lives today.

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Our first adoption meeting is scheduled for the end of the month. I am nervous. All of a sudden I am having insecurities pop up that I was not aware I had; What if they don't like us? What if we live too far out of town? What if... What if... I have to keep reminding myself that we are guided on this path and that we receive daily promptings that this is the path we are to follow. Our faith will sustain us. We know there is a Mother and Child out there for us and that some how, some time we will find each other.

Our baby goats are due in 2 weeks! It is getting closer and my excitement is growing. what kind of babies will we have? What will they look like and what will their personalities be?! I am so excited! (remind me that I said that when I am complaining of lack of sleep!

A new calling and an old mission

Emergency preparedness is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. One of the many reasons we moved to the country is to enhance our ability to be self sufficient; and in doing so we will be better prepared for emergencies and disasters that may be coming our way. I was honored to speak sacrament on the importance of emergency preparedness and how we as individuals and families can be prepared. I learned so much more about preparedness during the preparation of my talk and felt compelled to really start working on some of the things on my list. I updated our 2010 goals to include emergency preparedness.

The following week I was called as the Ward Dry Pack Canning Specialist; how perfect is that?! Now I get to work on our food supply each month; no excuses!

If you are unsure if this is something you should be doing, check out this pamphlet that is put out by the church. It will help you get an idea of why food storage is necessary and how to start. I ask that you read and ponder the message from the first Presidency contained in the pamphlet that states:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.
We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.
We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage. Some of you may be prohibited by law from storing large amounts of food. We encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow.
May the Lord bless you in your home storage efforts.
The First Presidency

I know that I am not alone in needing to finish my year supply of food and other emergency essentials. I have attached a few of my favorite links to get you started. When you have a spare moment or two, take some time to just browse the sites - become aware of what is available and what you will need. There are several great spreadsheets that will automatically calculate what you need and how much for the number of people in your family - If you need one, let me know and I can email you a copy of the one I use (it is the best); in the mean time I will try to figure out how to post it on the blog (don't hold your breath!).

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/start-here/
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1706-1,00.html
http://beprepared.com/

It is best to start with a goal of 3 months - - then work up to a year. That way, in an emergency, you will have everything you need for 3 months and won't be living off your year supply of wheat and only wheat (yuck!)

If you don't have the money right now to start on food, you are not off the hook! As we are working on our adoption paperwork, we are having to provide documentation of almost everything. Since we have moved several times, I have most of the paperwork in one place. While it is not organized, it is all together in one folder in my 'records' drawer in the office. During this process of adoption, we are making copies, and putting them into our Grab-and-Go Binder, we are also making scanned copies to a CD AND a USB drive. Three copies? Really?! I feel confident that you can never have too many copies of important things, and they should be stored in different places.

Grab-and-Go Binder
What the heck is a Grab-and-Go Binder, you ask? A Grab-and-Go Binder is a vital part of any family preparedness plan, and is one of the first things you should put together. This binder will contain all of your most critical information in one place for any type emergency, even if it’s just a quick trip to the ER.

For this project you’ll need a 1″ three-ring binder, a set of tabbed dividers, paper protectors and a copy machine. The binder you create will be unique to your family, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Label a divider for each of the following sections, and then begin inserting copies of your documents.

Financial Documents
1. copies of the fronts and backs of debit/credit cards
2. copies of house and vehicle titles and registrations
3. copy of your will or living trust
4. names, addresses and phone numbers of all banks
5. other important documents related to employment and/or a family business
6. copies of your insurance policies (life, health, auto, homeowners, etc.)
7. copies of tax papers
8. copies of retirement plans

Personal Documents
1. names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of relatives and close friends
2. copies of:
* marriage license
* temple sealing certificate
* birth certificates
* drivers licenses
* CCW permits
* pet vaccine records
* passports
* Social Security cards
* Fingerprint cards for each family member
3. a list of firearm serial numbers
4. legal documents pertaining to child custody or adoption
5. recent photos of each family member and each pet
6. color photos of your house and each room in the house
7. photos of anything of particular value
8. military documents
9. diplomas and transcripts
10. appraisals
11. copies of funeral/mortuary plots and plans
12. real estate documents

Medical Documents
1. copy of health insurance cards
2. a list of blood types for each family member
3. names, addresses and phone numbers of all doctors
4. medical histories of each family member
5. immunization records
6. a list of current prescriptions, dosage, and pharmacy contact information

With your finished Grab-and-Go Binder, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your family can focus on a quick evacuation without trying to retrieve scattered family records.

What to do with the originals? It’s probably best to keep them in a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box. Also, be sure at least two other trusted people have access to that box in case you become incapacitated.

Good luck getting started and let me know if you need help! We will eventually have all of this posted on our website; eventually.