There are many different opinions about what is more important in an emergency: calories or nutritional value. The best choice is making sure you consider both in your food storage plan. Quite a few storage kits ignore proper nutrition and emphasize calories to sustain life. Empty calories that come from sugars should be kept to a minimum. A great many of these products give you mostly powdered fruit drinks, potatoes and other sugars. You should have a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and protein. And most importantly, make sure you can use the food. A 50 lb. bag of wheat might make you feel good, but do you know what to do with it?Before we go any further let’s touch on a few definitions: Nutrition is the science of foods and the nutrients they contain. Nutrition includes the study of the actions of the nutrients within the body, including ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism and excretion. There are seven major types of nutrients which are: carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals, protein, vitamins, and water. Fats, carbohydrates, and proteins provide energy but minerals, fiber, vitamins, and water do not. However they are vital for other reasons that promote health.A calorie is a unit of energy that, when applied to food, gives us an indication of the potential energy that food possesses. 1 gram of fat = 9 calories and 1 gram of protein = 4 calories. When it comes to the amount of calories an individual needs to stay healthy the requirement changes according the individual’s gender, age, weight, genetic predisposition, and also level of activity. The types of food storage that would be best to sustain one’s self or family in an emergency situation, even though having been stored for an extended period of time, should provide the highest amount nutrients possible. The amount of fuel provided is important, but if the bulk of the calories lack protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables you’re just taking in empty calories which are not easily digested and don’t provide your body with nutrients. Another thing to keep in mind is in most emergency situations the quality of sanitation decreases dramatically. In addition to this, if a person is dealing with extra activity, high stress, and less sleep they will need nutritious meals to provide their bodies with the health and energy needed to overcome and continue through the circumstances they face.Basically, for food storage as well as a regular everyday diet, the emphasis should not be based on the quantity of food consumed, but on the quality. That means storing good quality, nutritious meals and food stuffs is critical. However, if you are concerned that your food storage has lots of fruits, vegetables, protein and high quality meals, but may not have enough calories, you can always supplement or add calories. One way is by adding high calorie emergency food bars. They are compact, lightweight, require no cooking and are easy to use and eat. They are designed for high intensity, survival situations and are non-thirst provoking. You may want to consider adding a few of these food bars to your food storage if you feel more calories are necessary.The bottom line is that you need to balance your calories with nutrition. In stressful situations you don't just need to survive, you also need to maintain your health.
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There are many different opinions about what is more important in an emergency: calories or nutritional value. The best choice is making sure you consider both in your food storage plan. Quite a few storage kits ignore proper nutrition and emphasize calories to sustain life. Empty calories that come
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