Your Top 5 Food Items to Store

Che,
Well said.

I disagree on one point, well kind of - "This is because it doesn't matter what you enjoy eating. What matters is what is going to make you the most effective, clear-minded, energy-driven and healthy individual in a situation where you'll likely need such attributes more then ever. That's where my current focus is at where food preservation is concerned."

If you don't enjoy eating something, you are not going to eat it no matter how hungry you get. After my jaw surgery several years ago I stopped eating. It was only my doctor threatening me with putting me in the hospital that got me eating again. Mind you that was before I heard about food fatigue. So if you don't like eating something, I think that finding a way to make it enjoyable is needed. For example: if you hate eating cauliflower, it can be cooked, mashed and mixed in with mashed potatoes and you wont taste it.

Having a top 5 is great but you also need a way to vary the flavor too. Not really a "food" item but I think spices need to be part of the top 5.

Thanks Old School. I'm sorry we missed you at Harvest. The logic behind my reasoning is subjective. In a nutshell my personal rationality stems from a point of focusing on nutrients rather then comfort with respect to the immediate situation. I highly doubt that I (personally) would starve to 'death' rather then eat something I don't like. While I could stock pile plenty of 'Mac 'N Cheese' (which I do already have) it makes more sense from a survivial and prepper standpoint to initially focus on high nutrient-based foods which will and can only enhance my chances of survival. That's what it's all about, right? Trust me. I hear what you're saying. I definitely love my homemade burger with mayo. However, I'm confident and smart enough to recognize that that in a SHTF scenario were to occur that having food that will lag you down will decrease your chances of survival - that's where I was coming from and that's where I stand. "Bugging out" to a good cache of cookies may seem all and good but being hungry and forcing yourself to eat something that's going to give you an optimal edge from a nutrition perspective was/is my position.

Thank you and so very true. Your preps need to be high in nutrients & calories.

I just found that I was no longer hungry when only faced with a few choices and as a result I stopped eating. Mom has only been able to "eat" smooth soups for over a year now. It wasn't until she went into the hospice that her appetite disappeared. I guess until you try eating the same foods for a month you won't really know if you will end up with food fatigue.

i have a very picky eater, so i dehydrate and powder things to sneak in the nutrition...in muffins, donuts even, in the mac/cheese lol.

my top 5:
oil(coconut/olive/ghee)
pickled what-have-you (fermented and ongoing) for probiotics
rice/potatoes for starches - i cant pick just one
honey
meat - dried, canned or fresh caught...we'll eat it!

not to mention herbs and spices work wonders to liven up 'the same old thing'

1. Potatoes
2. Tea
3. carrots
4. Pasta or flour/wheat berries
5. sugar, homemade maple syrup, honey

Whenever I'm asked about what items are the most vital, the very first thing that comes to my mind is water. Then the means to make more water drinkable.

Here's why I say this. Because I've been on farms that have wells...but the water isn't drinkable. I live in between two of the 5 Great Lakes, but it's not like you can go down and draw a bucket or two and drink up without getting stomach aches or sick. Almost all of the remaining water around me is either pond water or standing wetlands...so stagnant kinda water.

If any recent disaster has taught me a lesson it's even your water systems - municipal for example - aren't that safe. One could have a cistern or water storage, but a flood or tampering could contaminate it easily.

So, in my opinion, every conversation about anything top 5 should automatically start with potable and the means to get more potable water. Food is very easily figured out tbh. There are many numerous examples of foodstuffs that were used by long range travellers and long term storage that can be drawn from.