The Power of Comfort Foods

Imagine that you have six full month’s worth of food stored up.  You have ample water and supplies set aside.  You’re ready for anything.

Now imagine that you actually have to rely 100% on what you’ve stored.  No more trips to the grocery store.  Restaurant meals, and even fast food, are out of the question.  It’s you, your family, and your stored goods.

Consider the events and circumstances that have caused this to happen.  A total collapse of our economy, perhaps?  A horrific natural disaster or civil war?  A complete and abrupt end to your income flow?  Whatever the case might be, when the time comes that you must rely solely on what you have stored, you can count on high levels of stress and anxiety.

image by wickenden

In the midst of the trauma, it’s dinner time.  The family sits down at the table for their usual dreary meal of beans and re-hydrated vegetables, and what do they see?  Why, a pan of hot, fresh-from-the-Sun-Oven brownies!!!!  This rare treat brings smiles, laughter, and in a matter of minutes, the pan is empty.  That is the power of comfort food and why I recommend that it be part of your food storage.

Comfort foods do, actually, bring a degree of comfort and reassurance.  The foods are familiar and are linked to happy memories.  Maybe for you, it’s a plate full of mom’s recipe meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy.  For the Paranoid Dad, it’s fried Spam and rice.  (No joke.) 

I’ve stocked up on macaroni-and-cheese (Kraft for short-term storage, #10 cans of macaroni and cheese powder for long-term) specifically because it’s my kids’ favorite meal.  A dozen or so boxes of brownie mix are tucked on a back shelf in the pantry, hidden because we love being comforted by brownies more often than we really should! 

What are the comfort foods that you and your family enjoy?  Make a list and begin adding those ingredients to your food storage.  Pay attention to which ingredients are short-term storage only and figure out ways to either store them properly for a longer amount of time or track down alternative ingredients that will yield the same results but are packaged for long-term storage.  This is one part of food storage you’ll be grateful for.

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