When creating your stash of long term food storage, it’s easy to make mistakes.
From buying unnecessary things, inferior products, or just not understanding exactly what you need, it can be challenging to get started.
Lucky for you - we make it easy for you here at Valley Food Storage.
Today, we'll go through the top 5 mistakes most people make when buying long term food storage and how to avoid them.
Download our free Survival Guide book today, for you will be armed with the knowledge you need to make the best long-term food storage choices for your family.
1. Buying “Food” Instead of “Fuel”
You see, the body cannot live on just any food. It is an engine, and it runs a specific type of fuel - Calories.
Luckily there are four grades of fuel that calories come in - Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates, and Sugars.
Think about it like this - you can buy McDonald's for food or you can make your fuel at home.
Don't get me wrong, I love McDonald's... in moderation.
In terms of long term food storage, you want to be filled with more protein and vegetables as opposed to fillers.
That is the pitfall that most food storage companies live in.
Most companies will cut corners to decrease their costs upfront.
Luckily - Valley Food Storage doesn't.
I know firsthand how out food is made and packaged as I have worked on the line myself!
I even use our long term food storage options to feed myself and my family.
For me, the easiest way to start a long term food storage plan is to check out our long term food kits.
They come in multiple different sizes in water-proof containers, and the food will last for up to 25 years (which I’ll get to in a moment.)
Click here to check out our survival food kits now!
2. “Unleaded Fuel” Instead of “Premium Fuel”
Getting in your calories, or macronutrients as you might think of them, is a need to run the engine, but what keeps all the parts working are the micronutrients.
I am going to tell you six micronutrients that I think you should be looking for when buying long term storage food.
So here is the rundown...
Iron
Iron is what your body needs to create hemoglobin and neurotransmitters.
Deficiencies affect your ability to think sharply and to get oxygen to the muscles.
Look for Legumes like beans, Lentils peas, and soy to help keep your iron high
Folate
Folate is the next one that helps regenerate cells. Your body is continuously killing off old cells and replacing them with new ones.
If you stop the material used to build new cells, it doesn’t stop your body from cycling out the old ones anyway.
Look for Folate in Legumes, Asparagus, Eggs, and Bananas.
Zinc
Zinc fights viruses and bacteria and keeps a healthy immune system.
Look for it in meats, legumes, dairy, eggs, whole grains, and potatoes.
Iodine
Iodine is responsible for maintaining your thyroid, which manages the hormones that affect your metabolism.
Without Iodine, your body will be less efficient at metabolizing the other micronutrients.
Look for this in Dairy and Iodonized sodium. Yeah, not all salt is terrible. You need it.
Magnesium
Magnesium supports muscle growth, your immune system and balances your glucose.
Eat Legumes, Whole Grains, and Bananas to get your needed amount.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is found in eggs, breakfast cereal, fortified milk, carrots, and broccoli.
Vitamin A regenerates your eyes and replenishes skin.
3. Paying for Fillers
I just told you that legumes like beans, lentils, peas, and soy are excellent sources of so many micronutrients.
But they are usually less expensive to buy locally at a store near you.
They are freeze-drying a product that will last just dried for 20 years on its own.
That is like putting a life jacket on a seal - it is already going to do what you want without it.
Instead, just buy them locally and account for the calories, then when you make your purchase, you can buy based on 1800 calories a day instead of 2000.
I guess you could pay them to waste science on a product that is already shelf-stable and pay them to pack it up in costly bags or cans, then put it on an airplane to your house.
Download our free Survival Guide book today to start stocking your long-term food storage the right way!
4. Buying More Than You Need
Too many people get scared at the cost of buying a year's worth of food.
Part of the sticker shock comes from not knowing how much they spend on food already, and the other part is that they may be overestimating the amount they need to get started.
After buying the staples locally (Grains, legumes, rice...), start to build your pantry with canning and jarring.
Grow and jar your own food, purchase just an extra can or two at the grocery store each trip until you have what you need, and then rotate through it.
Finally, purchase Freeze Dried Vegetables or any Freeze Dried Food to augment what you have and reduce the need for rotation.
Pro Tip: Use a spreadsheet to understand how many calories you need for the number of people you are feeding. Account for the calories on hand as you start to put it together. I bet you will only be buying 1200-1600 calories per person per day. That will shave off 25% of the cost.
5. Understanding How Long It Lasts
Your best long-term food storage method is our long-term food kits because it’s the only food that will last up to 25 years.
Now you will see companies toting a 30-year taste guarantee.
Well, they are just betting on the fact that either they or you won’t be there for that long.
I will tell you that food will still deteriorate over time.
Don’t plan just to store it that long. You should be sampling it along the way.
Work it into your regular meals. Make sure to buy things you're going to eat. If you need a vegetarian emergency food supply, or dairy free survival food, make sure to buy some!
It's cheaper than some of the stuff you are eating each week anyway.
Find the things you love to eat and buy more of that over time. Here is the last thing you need to know, and it’s a biggie.
If it doesn’t say freeze-dried, then it is likely just dried.
Just remember that dried foods in the best conditions last half the time that freeze-dried foods do, with limited exceptions, as I noted above.
It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy pancake mix from a vendor; it just means understanding how long it will last and work your way through it accordingly.
Conclusion - Top Mistakes When Buying Long Term Food Storage
As I said before, it’s easy to make mistakes when creating or maintaining your long term food storage.
Now, you’ll know to avoid these five mistakes when you begin your journey toward independence.
- Buying “Food” Instead of “Fuel”
- Settling For “Unleaded Fuel” When You Need “Premium Fuel”
- Paying for Fillers
- Buying More Than You Need
- Understanding How Long It Lasts
Now that you know what mistakes to avoid when buying long term food storage, you should check out our long term food offerings.
We strive to give you the best product possible and to avoid all of the normal pitfalls of other long term food supply companies.
Our food has no GMOs, no fillers, no artificial ingredients. Basically, we cut the bullshit out of long term food.
On top of all of that, our prices are amazing and it lasts up to 25 years!
We also have the best customer service around - if you aren't 100% happy with your purchase, we will make it right. Whatever it takes.
Click here to check out our survival food kits to begin building your emergency food storage today!
