Happy National Preparedness Month!

Another great e-mail from Lisa Bedford that I had to share....

Many people believe that most Americans will be on starvation rations, at best, following a massive crisis, but you might be surprised to learn that your food storage pantry may actually ​improve ​your diet and health in 7 significant ways.

If you haven't started storing food, it may be the most important step you take toward preparing for a future that will certainly include, "everyday disasters," such as freak weather events or a long-term job loss as well as worst-case scenarios. The price of food continues to increase and every year there are reports of devastating events that affect our food supply, such as this year's drought.

 

With a solid 3 months (minimum) of stored food, here's how your diet may be healthier even after the S hits the fan:

1. You and your family will be eating homemade meals 100% of the time. Food shortages and rising prices impact the restaurant business and any worst case scenario will cause the closure of virtually every restaurant. Homemade is almost always a healthier route than restaurants.
2. If you've been following my advice to store mostly ingredients rather than prepared foods, you're already a step ahead in the healthy-eating game since most freeze-dried and dehydrated foods contain no additives. A #10 can of dehydrated carrots contains...carrots! Your meals will be healthier because you have healthy ingredients in your pantry.
3. Fast food meals will be a thing of the past, the distant past. No more 700 calorie Whoppers with 37 grams of fat or fries soaked in oil. You may drop a quick 5 pounds in the very first week post-SHTF!
4. You'll likely be eating far more homegrown produce, either direct from your garden or preserved by canning or dehydration. Additionally, your produce won't be genetically modified and it won't contain unwanted additives.
5. Your body will be healthier because you'll be consuming far fewerprocessed foods and the various additives they contain. Say goodbye to high fructose corn syrup, massive amounts of sodium, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, artificial colors, MSG, pyrophosphates, and the list goes on. 
6. In order to avoid food fatigue, many Survival Moms (and dads) get creative with their food storage choices by including out-of-the-ordinary grains, such as quinoa and millet, many varieties of beans, etc. These types of choices can greatly increase the nutritional value of your meals.
7. Your serving sizes will be in the normal range rather than the massive servings many restaurants offer. Today I shared a salad with my daughter at a favorite Italian restaurant. The salad was served on a platter that could hold a small turkey! After the SHTF, we'll be watching our food supply carefully and sticking with serving sizes that are friendlier to our waistlines.

I am NOT suggesting that an epic crisis is something to look forward to, but if you focus on growing your food storage pantry around healthy ingredients, store them correctly, and know how to make dozens of different recipes, your family's nutrition will be one less thing to worry about.

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Some very good points Lisa!  Thanks so much!  :-)