I'm sure most people have heard all the news about obesity problems in America. So in the era of news stories that tell us that we are facing an obesity epidemic, talking about potential food shortages might seem a little strange. But there seems to be a problem evolving and the majority of America may not have grasped the hard truth. With the economic issues of the day - plunging stock market, unsure international crises, potential civil unrest within our country, and others - we need to rethink what we assume to be an unlimited abundance of food producers and distribution network. However, most people don't understand that how fragile this system is, with multiple stress points that could break. It's really simple: if trucks can't get through to deliver merchandise, there will not be food on the the shelves of food stores, and they will empty in a matter of days.

According to most government studies, most people have enough food on hand in their home to only get by one-three weeks. So if you have not taken care of long term food storage, you can get started relatively easy by purchasing pre-packaged food supply. Today there are multiple options available with all the specially prepared canned and dried foods available, making it fairly cheap and easy. Freeze dried foods, dehydrated foods and canned foods are the less expensive option. MRE's are another option but they are are more pricey. I prefer to have a a variety of food options so I have stocked up on a variety of all the above.

General Guidelines For Your Long Term Food Supply

-- Getting the right calorie requirements is very important, and the rule-of-thumb is to consume 1500 to 2000 calories per person/per day.
-- Optimize storage by buying bulk and using foods that pack a lot of volume in small spaces - in other words freeze dried foods, dehydrated foods and canned foods.
-- Spend the majority of your survival money on food that has long shelf lives, again with freeze dried foods, dehydrated foods and canned foods.
-- Keep some portion of your food lightweight in the event you need to evacuate.

The following are question that you need to consider as you finalize your long term food storage plans:

-- do you have space for food storage and how much?
-- are there any special dietary issues that you need to manage?
-- are you willing to make the necessary effort to prepare your food storage plan?
-- what is the emergency strategy you are most likely to make -- staying in your house or going somewhere else?

Although every person will have different issues to consider with long term food storage because of size of house, closet space, etc., choosing the right products will help you keep your family safe even in the worst of times.



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