Portable, Non Refrigerated Food List

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by Ganado, Jun 19, 2020.


  1. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Scenario: Cant cook, have water and traveling for a week. Need a weeks worth of food that doesn't require refrigeration.

    Here is my list ...What would you add?

    Non-Refrigerated Foods
    PROTEIN

    Peanut butter (or any nut butter)
    Cheese (cheese whiz)
    Cured meats
    Jerky
    Nuts Seeds
    Cheese crisps
    Cold fried chicken
    Single serving tuna
    Potted meat
    Canned soup
    Canned beans

    CARBS
    Crackers
    Muffins
    Bread
    Tortillas
    Naan
    Granola
    Potato chips
    Pretzels (cover in chocolate for dessert)
    Fruit leather
    Fruit cups
    Wasabi peas
    Apple sauce
    Instant noodles
    Rice noodles
    Vegtables (brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, tomatoes are good for a few days without refrigeration)

    MRE’s (i put this because its obvious but pretend we are not using MRE's)
    Condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard)
    butter
     
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  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Rice rather than the noodles. Less space needed.
    And chocolate on pretzels is top shelf (unless you forget the chocolate--)
    Salt
    Pepper

    And with that pile, you might need a prepared menu, by the day. If you are on the move, there may not be time to figure the next feeding out while tripping over rocks or steering around 18 wheelers.
     
  3. BenP

    BenP Monkey++

    Eggs
     
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  4. ED GEiN

    ED GEiN Monkey+++

     
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  5. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    "Cold fried chicken" Nyet! Can make for sick or dead Comrade...

    Chicken breast in a foil pack Da!

    I'm a fan of so-called food bars -
    make them yourself for the savings. Or buy commercial foil-packed bars.

    Instant noodles & rice both require cooking to be...eatable.
    That said, the folks at Tasty Bites (and Unka Ben) sell cooked rice in a pouch. You can cold-soak minute rice for the same effect and lower cost (shudder)

    Speaking of pouched Chow, there is a ton of offering from Pace and Prego (both are a Campbell's sub-brand)
    They are better heated in microwave or water bath, but in a pinch...use defroster setting in Das Auto and set the pouch over the vent - it works pretty good.

    Apple sauce - good. There are multiple "GoGo" brand 'stuff in a squeeze pouch' that are both tasty and contain real food. They offer a yogurt line as well. I use these myself and so can vouch for them being eatable.
    (Pro tip, the empty pouches can be washed and used to hold dish washing soap or people washing soap)

    Pita bread = tortillas = Naan = Chow

    The folks at Bridgford sells a line of sandwich in a pouch (very MRE-Like) that can be heated just by leaving them in the window/sunshine to heat. Not bad, but more bread than filling.

    Pop-tarts (ick, but popular)

    Cheeze-whiz (death in a can) isn't necessary. Any hard, wax covered cheese is a better choice, to include Baby Bell snak sized cheese.

    Taking nuts? Make GORP with raisins - or dried canberries - .peanuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and raisins. .

    Dried figs, dried apples, dried... well, just about everything these days.

    I now carry freeze-dry coffee with the creamer and sugar in a sachet. You can dump this in a water bottle, shake and have your caffeine fix...

    Any number of dry mixes (low to zero calorie) make water more palatable. (products like Mio also make a coffee flavor with caffeine that is not too bad) There are any number of 'water drops' to flavor water as well.

    Somewhere on the board here, I've posted a fairly long list of no-cook Chow for if/when one must beat feet.
     
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  6. TnAndy

    TnAndy Senior Member Founding Member

    Can't cook at all ? How will you deal with canned soup and some of that other stuff that is far better heated than not ? No coffee/tea/coccoa ?
    Not hard to throw a small sterno stove in the pile.
     
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  7. hot diggity

    hot diggity Monkey+++ Site Supporter+++

    I have a tough time imagining a scenario where I can't cook for a week, but lots of the items on the list are super high in sodium. If you don't eat a diet like this all the time you might want to test the health affects. Any way you work the food you'll need plenty of water and more when eating salty foods and stuff like cheese and bread that could lock your bowels up and make you miserable.

    My work food usually fits this criteria. Apples, bananas, precooked bacon, Altoids (dessert), Cocoa pecans, Prairie Belt Smoked Sausage (can), smoked oysters, pork cracklins, canned chicken salad (DG brand). Mostly stuff I can eat with my fingers or on the point of a knife without taking my eyes off the firing line for more than a couple seconds.
     
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  8. runswithdogs

    runswithdogs Monkey+++

    I eat very low carbs & dont eat “grains/sugar” so the second part of that list would be scrapped to leave space for more protein & fats.

    My list would look something like this.... Nothing that needs cooked or refrigerated or glass packaging (cause you know.. theres the tripping and the breaking.... followed by the bleeding...... )

    Tinned sardines in olive oil
    Tinned Salmon.
    Smoked oysters
    Boiled duck eggs.
    Precooked bacon
    Hard cheeses
    Jerky
    Droewors
    Biltong
    Butter &/or Gee (keeps better than butter if its hot out)
    Macadamia/Pecan/almond nuts &/or butters
    Pine nuts
    Pemican
    Dark chocolate
    Lots of cured meats like Salami, chorizo, pepperoni etc.
    Olives
    Avocados & lime
    Himalayan pink or celtic sea salt)
    Coconut cream blocks
    Cocoa butter & cocoa mass drops (can eat as is or if your lucky & can boil water, add alone or with some coconut cream for hot chocolate. (Bring preferred sweetener if you want it sweet) Or pair with nut butters.
    Pickles

    Possibly some Bone broth (you can get good ones in the shelf safe “boxes” but its expensive, cheaper ones usually have crappy ingredients added, at least the ones ive found)

    if factoring hubby into the equation then add coffee, dried or uht cream and stevia sweetener, and figure out a way to have hot water cause am sure he'd expire without his coffee fix LOL :p
     
  9. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    High caloric density, high protein and high fat foods only would be on my list.
    sardines / herring / salmon in pulltab cans
    pouched meats single serving with salmon being first.
    other canned meats (pull tab preferred)
    nut butters
    cheese
    jerky / pemmican
    dried fruits/veggies, nuts, chocolate
    maybe beans.
    sport drink powders to add to the water.

    Hey, it's only a week I don't need a salad.
     
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  10. Lancer

    Lancer TANSTAFL! Site Supporter+++

    Life boat rations.
    Light, storage times out to decades.
    Do not make you thirsty!.
    They're not high one the calorie count, so best used for relatively sedentary situations. But they'll keep you alive.
     
  11. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Though they aren't foods, don't forget vitamins - stressful times increases your needs. Same with goes for your favorite analgesics. Also, for drink mixes I'd get ones that have electrolytes.
     
  12. DKR in # 5 suggested using auto defrost setting to heat foods. MANY (read that MANY) yeas ago Pop Mech's printed a tutorial on using car exhaust manifold to cook on the road meals while vacationing. Cat convertor gets hot also, (but less accessible)..
     
  13. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    I can do canned soup cold if i have too. Its not too tasty but doable.:eek:


    @DKR i looked for a post like that and couldnt find it. Love to see it if someone can find it.
     
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  14. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    My folks and many of my aunts and uncles did this. I wish I had paid more attention.
     
  15. john316

    john316 Monkey+++

    Life boat rations.................................CRAP

    [​IMG]Laughing Cow Cheese IS very good
     
  16. john316

    john316 Monkey+++

  17. Oddcaliber

    Oddcaliber Monkey+++

    Spam and Ramen noodles! Not the best but it will keep you alive.
     
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  18. SB21

    SB21 Monkey+++

    You can also , in the fall , or winter time ,, place your hot canned beer in the grill of your car , truck ,,, and in about 15-20 minutes of driving , you've got cold beer . Or soda's ,, if that's your choice .
     
  19. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Wrap it in a wet towel, it'll cool ever quicker.
    So far as heating stuff on the exhaust manifold, the way things are these days, reaching it could be a problem. That said, trying it is well worth experimenting in case you need it some day.
     
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  20. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Just do not do it (car motifold heating, with a can of beans, and forget to stop after a few miles.....
     
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