When you are considering long term food storage, it is important to store to remember to store protein. You can get some protein from whole wheat; it is really not enough for your body to remain healthy. You have several options available when thinking about long term storage.
1) You can store canned meat as part of your food storage. There are several available products of stored meat ranging from tuna to Spam to canned hams. These are easy to store, and use. You simply need to keep the meats in cool location and rotate them in a timely manner. The disadvantage is that many of the canned meats are not very good for you. A lot of canned meat is full of preservatives. If you have young children or are pregnant you should limit the amount of tuna you consume as a family. They have begun discovering dangerous levels of mercury in tuna.
2) You can include freeze-dried meats in your food storage. These store well, and are easy to use. The shelf life is longer than most canned meats. The disadvantage is that these might be difficult to rotate. The freeze dries meats tend to be expensive. You will also need to store extra water so that you can prepare the meats.
3) You can supplement the protein in your food storage by storing beans. Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber. They are also inexpensive. You will likely be storing dried beans, so you should know the best way to prepare them. Beans take a long time to cook and prepare. If your family is not used to eating beans there may be an adjustment period for your family.
4) Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is another solution. This is easy to use. You can use it anywhere you use ground beef. Many families rotate this by using half meat and half TVP in their recipes. It is an economical addition to your food storage.
5) You may also consider freezing meat as a part of your food storage. If you have room this is a good alternative. The major drawback is that the freezer life for most meat products is about six months, so you wouldn’t be able to store an entire year’s supply. Ground beef should be rotated every three months. If you do this you will want to plan ways to replenish your supply.
The best approach to food storage is to include a variety of the items listed above to cover your families protein needs. This will help to add variety to your diet and help to avoid appetite fatigue. It is also safer to a have variety of protein stored, in case something happens to one of your sources.