Ultimate Survival Foods

When circumstances push your body to the limit, you need plenty of energy just to keep going. That's when having the right food can make life easier. Good survival foods are easy to prepare and transport, have a long shelf life, are nutritionally balanced and inexpensive. Many "superfoods" like goji and acai berries, maca, wheatgrass, bee pollen, brewer's yeast and hemp are good survival foods but cost, availability and shelf life can be a problem. There are, however, more practical foods that survivalists endorse.

  1. Chia Seeds

    • According to New York Times best-selling author and TV personality Dr. Nicholas Perricone, chia seeds are a new super food. Perhaps you never thought about eating your chia pet, but the seeds of the chia plant (a member of the sage family) have been a valued food source of indigenous people for generations. Some Native Americans of the Southwest survived on a diet of chia seeds and water when they ran from the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean. The Aztecs also consumed the seeds to get energy for hunting. Chia seeds have the highest Omega-3 levels of any natural product, according to Wellsphere.com, and they hold 10 times their weight in water. High levels of antioxidants keep them from going rancid, and they deliver essential B vitamins, calcium and minerals in a time-release form that enhances physical endurance.

    Pemmican

    • Pemmican has long been a food source of Native Americans. "NeanderThin" author Ray Audette writes that many of them ate an exclusive raw meat diet in the form of pemmican. At ZeroingInOnHealth.com, athlete and nutritional advocate Charles Washington reports that Admiral Robert Peary of the U.S. Navy was so impressed with pemmican that he believed it could keep a person healthy and strong for life. Peary ate pemmican for 20 years and never tired of it. Audette believes pemmican is the closest thing to mother's milk and says 1/2 to 1 1/2 pounds is all anyone needs to carry them through the day. This Native American food consists of raw, dried and powdered meat mixed with liquid animal fat in a one-to-one ratio. According to Audette, pemmican can last for decades without spoiling and its perfect ratio of meat to fat makes it easy for the body to digest and assimilate.

    Ramen Noodles

    • You might not expect ramen noodles to make this list, but it's hard to beat them for survival storage. An obvious reason is their low price. You can often find the noodles on sale at prices of about 16 cents a meal. Since the noodles are dry and their flavor packet is sealed, ramen can keep for years. The packages also are lightweight and compact so it's easy to take them with you. Ramen noodles can't meet all of your nutritional requirements, but the fat, protein, carbs and salt your body can't do without are all there. For survivors on a budget they're a good place to start.