The danger of appetite fatigue

 

Not only should you have long term food storage, you should always have a good variety of food items stored. If your long term food storage is not done properly, you could find yourself suffering from a very real threat, the danger of appetite fatigue.
  

Appetite fatigue occurs when there is plenty of food available but a lack of variety. Your mind will eventually tell your mouth " I refuse to eat that again". If this happens, you may find yourself losing your appetite; children and the elderly are particularly susceptible. This could even cause you to stop eating, even though you may have plenty of food to eat, this will endanger your ability to survive.

While basic food staples are good to have on hand, you will need to incorporate various other food items into the planning of your long term food storage.

 

A good combination of other food storage items should include spices, seasonings, flavorings, sauce and gravy packets. You should also keep on hand things like flavored instant potato and pasta packets, muffin and biscuit mixes and other "just add water" items. These items are great for those "I'm too tired to cook" moments or if you are ill or mentally fatigued. Even older children and most husbands can make these without messing them up too badly.


 Don't forget snacks, yes they are a luxury but when things are at their worst you'll be glad to have something to brighten the day. Instant jello and pudding mixes, brownie and small packets of cake mix for cupcakes, hard candies and dried fruit are good to have on hand. Even if there is no disaster, you'll be prepared for those "Hey Mom and Dad I promised we'd bring the after sports event treat this week" (told to you two hours before the game starts).

Adding a flavor packet or a bullion cube to rice or beans could help to avoid the problems caused by appetite fatigue.

You would do well to have dried, dehydrated, canned and preserved items, this will give you a greater variety and more choices in your diet. If you have freezer space take advantage of "pick-your-own" farms and fill it up. A full freezer is more efficient than a half full one. Bottled water in the freezer can also help keep items frozen longer if you have a power outage and will fill up any empty space. If you have canning supplies, food dehydrator or drying racks, use them.

If you have a garden, you should also plan to supplement your food storage with fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs. Learn how to grow food year round so you always have something fresh to pick, it makes a big difference. Keep seeds for sprouting; something you can do in a mason jar or between layers of paper towels. These add a bit of freshness to meals without having to brave the cold. Just make sure the seeds are not kept vacuum sealed, seeds are living things and need to breath.

A good seed bank would be something to think about? When making your purchase for the new season pick up extra seeds and put them in a cool, dark, dry place, they will be good for several seasons this way. Just use the oldest first and test for germination by sprouting a few seeds between damp paper towels.

 

Don't risk throwning away good food because your family simply refuses to eat the same thing again, vary your diet and have happy appetites. Remember variety is the spice of life.
 

 

 

Got spice?