For better or for worse, our lives are full of stress. The weather, our jobs, the economy, financial woes and poor health can all contribute to stress. In addition, for most of us, the biggest stress is simply that there are not enough hours in the day. Add prepping and learning new skills to the mix and life can get dicey.
Whatever the reason, many of us are under a relentless cloud of stress that never lets up. We find ourselves enveloped by an undercurrent of tension that exists as we go about our day, even during normal times. I can only imagine what stress will be like following a disruptive event such as a disaster or collapse of some sort.
I am here to tell you that comfort foods can be a great stress-reliever, expanded waistlines notwithstanding. For better or for worse, comfort food can, for a short period at least, bring back nostalgic memories of better times. For lack of any other reason, that alone, dictates that comfort foods belong in the survival pantry.
Comfort Food to the Rescue
Before we jump into 20 comfort foods for the survival pantry, let me give you some personal background: I have a reputation for being a food snob. I prefer natural foods, preferably fresh and organic and simply prepared without excess adornment. Even so, I recognize the value of comfort food when life is not going according to plan.
What do I mean by comfort foods?
As I stated above, these are foods that take us back to a time when we were carefree and stress-free. For many this was childhood and before the big “R” (Responsibility) became a part of lives. It should come as not surprise, then, that many comfort foods are soft, smooth, soothing foods that go down easy and make you feel happy.
The bottom line is that coping after a disruptive event is going to be difficult. We may be confined to our homes and unable to get to the store to purchase fresh food. Even if we did, the shelves are likely to be bare. Over an extended period, we may have to settle for a diet of rice, beans, oatmeal and other bulk foods that are supplemented by whatever we have growing in our gardens.
If that happens, comfort foods are going to be necessary not only to add variety to our daily fare, but also to mitigate food fatigue and boredom, and to serve as a stress reliever. Although comfort foods transcend our quest for proper nutrition; it becomes “mental health” food, and I make no apologies for that.
What Are Some Common Comfort Foods?
I am so glad you asked.
Here are 20 of the comfort foods in my own survival pantry. Note that this list includes many items that are suitable for short term storage and, although with proper packaging and storage conditions, may be viable for a lot longer than that. I am purposely not including specialty freeze-dried foods (brownie mixes, ice cream bars, and the like) but of course, they too would be a welcome addition to the food storage pantry.
1. Popcorn to prepare the old fashioned way in old pot sitting on top of the burner or the campfire2. M & Ms or what I like to call, “Survival Tranquilizers”3. Hard Candies such as butterscotch drops or Lifesavers4. Chocolate Pudding Mix5. Dark Chocolate Bars6. Granola Bars7. Kraft Mac & Cheese8. Hot Cocoa Mix9. Coffee, or in my case, French Roast Beans10. Raisins, Craisins, Trail Mix and Other Dried Fruits and Nuts11. Biscuit Mix to enjoy with jam and honey12. Hostess Cupcakes – don’t laugh; they never go bad13. Mashed Potatoes made from Instant Potato Pearls14. Peanut Butter15. Spaghetti and Pasta Sauce16. Chicken Noodle Soup17. Campbell’s Tomato Soup18. Canned Chili and Baked Beans19. Oreo Cookies20. Organic, Unprocessed Honey – so good, you can eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar!
The Final Word
Food rotation is especially important with your comfort foods since most are not easily packaged for long term storage. Once exception is popcorn which stores extremely well.
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