A Week Living Off Rations

[jennyjj01]

I'm not totally sure of my meal plan, so I'll enter my week with arbitrary amounts of some foods and I'll weigh in what I use as the week progresses....

Today, I started assembling the list of proposed foods, but It just looked way too much for a week!!!
3 tins of fruit will become 1
Too much veg. I'll lose the tins of peas and carrots and sub in some dried carrots and broth mix.
Too much protein. Lose the chicken.

I don't intend to eat at survival, rice and lentils, level: Just a realistic and 'pleasantly and sustainable' diet based on long life food. I'll be permitting myself to dip in and out of other reserves as directed by my appetite. I'm hoping that the experience will show me what I need to realistically buy much more of.

[pseudonym]

Jenny don't forget "cheat days/meals" where you stop your cravings for a day/meal.

[jennyjj01]

Jenny don't forget "cheat days/meals" where you stop your cravings for a day/meal.

Meals out are one of the reasons I've deferred this. Post SHTF, cheat days might not be possible.
The cravings are part of the experiment: I want to experience them and see if some long shelf life solutions are called for. So far, the best I'm offering myself are a couple of tinned ready dinners, and some beer and chocolate.
As an aside, I'm thinking I'll do some batch preparation: Don't want to be faffing about every day.

[Frnc]

My diet's been blown the last few weeks. I've put about 5 pounds on. Got no willpower at the moment. Always thinking about next meal. Got about 6 of those mac and cheese packets to sample.

Last night and tonight I had/will have Spice Tailor Chickpea Masaala, which is a prep food as it has a year shelf life typical. I get 5 from Amazon for about £14 and each does 2 meals plus maybe a small snack. Long live naans have about 2 months shelf life, so I only stock about 4.

[jennyjj01]

And so the Week long experiment begins. Today is Day #0: The Day before.

Day 0: Before the adventure

For now, prepare some trifles. ( I'll be making bread tomorrow )
Take
1x400g Tin Fruit Cocktail
1xblock Hartley's Jelly
500ml Water.
1 Sachet Custard Powder
1 Sachet Sainsburys Powdered Milk Made up to 2 Litres of Milk

Make 6 small pots of Fruit in Jelly in the morning and later, add Custard made with 500ml of the milk.

These 'trifles' will be one a day either as breakfast or as a dessert.
Each trifle gives about 180kCalories.

I've set aside ten tins of assorted staples, assorted rice, pasta, oats, flour.
I'll eat what I fancy, when I fancy it, so long as it's in my long term store. If I discover I get fed up of rice, mash or whatever, then so be it: I'll add in and account for herbs and 'extras'.

The Milk Really Did Expire 2019 and the Oats 2018.

[Arzosah]

Your staples tins are nicely varied, good one.

Can I ask about hot drinks? I know most of my family would throw a fit without some tea or even instant coffee ...

[jennyjj01]

Your staples tins are nicely varied, good one.

Can I ask about hot drinks? I know most of my family would throw a fit without some tea or even instant coffee ...

Sure. I drink Coffee & Mr JJ drinks Tea. My extended pantry has approx 30x200g Jars of instant coffee and 1500 Teabags: Over a year's worth. There's also a limited store of hot chocolate. Some, but not enough, milk powder.
For lighter refreshments, there's half a dozen beer kits and four wine kits.

For this week's experiment, I'll be drinking four or five coffees a day.

[pseudonym]

And so the Week long experiment begins.

Good luck, looks like a great start.

The Milk Really Did Expire 2019 and the Oats 2018.

Amateur.

I had some Morrisons grated cheese on my spag bol yesterday. Best before 2012

Nowt wrong with it

[Frnc]

Very rare will I eat anything past best before date. Maybe a month or two for unopened dried pasta or similar. But I normally eat it before the date, anyway. Is one reason I don't have vast stockpiles. Rotation is the key. One or two things like Nido I might give to a foodbank when it only has a month left, and I don't fancy it.

Good luck with the rations week, Jenny. I still have several of those cheese mac packets to sample at some point.

Just had a delivery of 30 x Koka Vegetable flavour noodles. I have one around once a fortnight, so they get used up.

[mcprepper]

What an interesting experiment…! Good luck with it and look forward to hearing how it goes - love the little trifles!