beans .

[Jamesey1981]

Beans contain protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals, all stuff you need to stay healthy, there are of course other sources of those things, but beans last ages, store easily and cost very little, if you look at the diets in countries like India where the poorer people survive on very little money and don't have fridges then beans and pulses form a large part of their diet, and you'd be well served to get in some of the spices they use to make their food more interesting too.
Also goes back to the pioneer days in America, beans were one of the staple foods they would carry with them, goes well with other things if you can find them but you'll be ok for a fair while if that's all you've got.

You could survive a lot longer just eating beans than you could just eating spam, you'd probably want to open a window though....

[sethorly]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of a balanced diet, and I know basic nutrition. However, if you don't eat a certain number of calories per day you are eventually going to starve. If you can maintain calories (~2k per day if you're only doing light exercise) with a balanced diet in a SHTF situation then great, but if not you're going to lose weight and energy and be more at risk from low temperatures etc, eventually starving. So if you're going to store food, the priority should be calories, then pad out stores with balanced diet considerations. If you say you have a year's worth of food but you don't have 2000 x 365 calories then you're going to suffer and possibly die depending on the deficit. Or am I wrong?

[Deeps]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of a balanced diet, and I know basic nutrition. However, if you don't eat a certain number of calories per day you are eventually going to starve. If you can maintain calories (~2k per day if you're only doing light exercise) with a balanced diet in a SHTF situation then great, but if not you're going to lose weight and energy and be more at risk from low temperatures etc, eventually starving. So if you're going to store food, the priority should be calories, then pad out stores with balanced diet considerations. If you say you have a year's worth of food but you don't have 2000 x 365 calories then you're going to suffer and possibly die depending on the deficit. Or am I wrong?

I suppose it depends on what you're prepping for and how long. Do you expect to be able to augment your rations with hunting/foraging or scavanging ? From what I understand people can get by on less than the 2/2.5K calories for quite a long time although as you say there will be consequences although I dare say some of us have a spare calorie or two stored internally anyway which will help for a while.

Personally my preps are primarily to keep as normal existence as possible so while I've got loads of tinned stuff I've also got dehydrated veg etc to add to them, the intention would be to stay in Casa Deeps although if I do have to run to the hills then so be it and I'll make the best of it but I'll be a grumpy boy with an even grumpier wife.

[unsure]

tinned beans , keep on average 2 years past the date on the can .
ive got a few cans that have started to show signs of swelling on top . from what i can gather , this is a good sign the contents have gone bad and could lead to food poisoning .

[Jamesey1981]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of a balanced diet, and I know basic nutrition. However, if you don't eat a certain number of calories per day you are eventually going to starve. If you can maintain calories (~2k per day if you're only doing light exercise) with a balanced diet in a SHTF situation then great, but if not you're going to lose weight and energy and be more at risk from low temperatures etc, eventually starving. So if you're going to store food, the priority should be calories, then pad out stores with balanced diet considerations. If you say you have a year's worth of food but you don't have 2000 x 365 calories then you're going to suffer and possibly die depending on the deficit. Or am I wrong?

You're not wrong, but I don't agree with you either, we just have different ways of looking at it.
For me personally, I would much rather have three months worth (I actually have considerably more, but just to make the point) of a balanced diet that will keep me healthy than a year's worth of high calorie low nutrition stuff that will have me suffering from vitamin deficiency inside a month or two.
However much food you have stored eventually it's going to run out, and when that happens I want to be able to obtain more, scurvy or something similar will prevent that happening.

Have the high calorie stuff by all means, I have a whole bunch of liferaft rations, they're as calorie dense as anything, but they are for when I've run out of other options.

[unsure]

you can soon supplement a bland diet with vitamin pills , a year`s worth takes up next to no room . that should be long enough to get you back on your feet , even if you grow your own .

[ForgeCorvus]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of a balanced diet, and I know basic nutrition. However, if you don't eat a certain number of calories per day you are eventually going to starve. If you can maintain calories (~2k per day if you're only doing light exercise) with a balanced diet in a SHTF situation then great, but if not you're going to lose weight and energy and be more at risk from low temperatures etc, eventually starving. So if you're going to store food, the priority should be calories, then pad out stores with balanced diet considerations. If you say you have a year's worth of food but you don't have 2000 x 365 calories then you're going to suffer and possibly die depending on the deficit. Or am I wrong?

Its not just about calories otherwise we'd just need to store 36,500 sugar cubes and call it done.
(And a bottle of multi-vitamins won't save you either )

We're designed by evolution to consume protein, fats and carbohydrates.
Beans contain fibre, complex carbs, protein* and B vitamins as well as storing well and being fairly inexpensive...... Now can you see why the Prepper community seems obsessed with the things




*Beans tend to be lower in essential amino acids methionine and cysteine which is why you also need cereals or nuts in the diet.

Baked beans on buttered toast..... The ultimate survival food

[jansman]

Beans are a superb food.Like all foods of course,beans need to be part of the mix.However, legumes are a great meat alternative, eaten by a large part of Earth's population. I am not a vegetarian by any means ( indeed I am a butcher!) but we eat beans regularly in curries and a Cajun rice dish that my wife loves. Link time...

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/articles/ ... of-pulses/

[sethorly]

Beans etc are high in fibre and will make you feel full, but you'll end up lethargic. Just make a comparison between the calories in a tin of beans and a small tin of ham - I know vegans who really struggle with energy levels. They're forced to eat buckets of peanut butter. Living in TEOTWAWKI without eating animals.....well.....good luck, but I'm highly skeptical.

[Jamesey1981]

Beans etc are high in fibre and will make you feel full, but you'll end up lethargic. Just make a comparison between the calories in a tin of beans and a small tin of ham - I know vegans who really struggle with energy levels. They're forced to eat buckets of peanut butter. Living in TEOTWAWKI without eating animals.....well.....good luck, but I'm highly skeptical.

No one has said they're not planning on eating animals, we have just said that we're not planning on living entirely on processed meat and tinned curry. I suggest you read the posts again.