Today’s post will be a brief one.
Those of you who have been here before know that while I advocate prepping for an emergency food shortage, I also advocate for doing so mostly in a way that is not overly complex or that causes you to go outside your comfort zone very much.
That means stocking up on long-lasting food that is typically found in mainstream grocery stores, is inexpensive, and easy to prepare. Or at least what you are accustomed to preparing.
That does not mean there is no place for things like MREs and, if it is in your budget, perhaps you should stock some of those as well. But the point is that prepping does not need to look any different from your regular grocery shopping.
To that end, enter squeezable fruit pouches.
If you have kids, you are probably very familiar with these already.
In about the past ten years or so, the food manufacturers seem to have discovered to beauty (or at least the retail beauty) of squeezable food products.
Who knew we liked to squeeze our food so much?
At first it seemed like a bad deal.
Why buy a small pouch of squeezable yogurt or applesauce when I can buy a jar of it, spoon some out into a bowl like a neanderthal, and save some money?
In a normal environment, that still makes a lot of sense and helps your budget.
But when it comes to emergency or survival food, the rules change.
Now, pureed fruit with a long shelf life in individual serving pouches is a gift from God.
When choosing long-lasting storable foods for your emergency supply, you naturally want to fill it with inexpensive staples like rice to serve as a base for meals and to help fill you up and provide calories. You also want to cover your protein and fat needs inexpensively, which can be done with items like canned fish or chicken.
Canned vegetables are an obvious choice to add more fiber and phytonutrients to your diet, and canned fruit is a great addition for the health benefits fruit provides as well as to satisfy any sweet tooth cravings you might have.
But again, a whole can of fruit may not be what you need and could prove wasteful. You also may not be able to get as much variety as you would like.
Which is where squeezable fruit comes in.
At first you may have been limited to simple pouches like applesauce, but today the market has expanded to include an emergency food prepper’s paradise.
Now you can get combination pouches of fruits and vegetables, ranging from apples, pears and phytonutrient-rich berries to spinach, sweet potatoes and all sorts of fruits and vegetables in between.
They come in excellent single serving packages so you do not waste any, contain a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, come in a variety of flavors so you do not get bored, and can be shared with the whole family with something to suit everyone’s tastes.
To be honest, there are so many high-quality, simple options with no or little additives in long-lasting, inexpensive storable food that sometimes I think my diet almost consists entirely of them.
It’s just that easy now.
As far as squeezable fruit pouches go, GoGo squeeZ makes great, varied options and comes in packaging that your kids might enjoy. Your grocery store may also carry their own packaged brand that works great as well. We like both for the variety.
So, if these work in your budget, be sure to take a look and see if they are a good fit for you or your family. With great, all-natural ingredients and no added sugar (unlike many canned fruits), you may just find yourself adding them to your non-emergency food pantry as well.
For more advice on how to prepare cheaply and easily, please see this article.
Happy prepping!