No Cook, No Refrigeration, Long Storage Foods

[sky]

I am looking for ideas for food that does not require cooking or use of a stove, and does not need refrigeration. Ideally the food should have a shelf life in years.

What I have in mind so far is:

Canned refried beans as bean dip, either plain out of the can, or with added canned chopped tomato with peppers, or canned corn.

Triscuits, which are the modern version of hardtack, but they actually taste good, and if you get the 100% whole wheat type, they are also a healthy food. The Aldi off-brand version is really cheap, especially when you consider they are completely dry and you are not paying for water weight.

Muesli made from rolled oats, dried fruit, seeds and nuts.

Dried fruit

Nuts

Sardines

Some ideas I have not yet explored: freeze dried food, cold soaking of food.

I would like to add fruit, vegetables and greens in some way.

[Ego]

Canned refried beans as bean dip, either plain out of the can, or with added canned chopped tomato with peppers, or canned corn.

Dehydrated (instant) refried beans are better than canned. Way better. They will 'cure' without hot water but it takes a long time and they are a bit crunchy which I kinda like.

Nut butters. You can make your own healthier version of marzipan.

Nori sheets are a very healthy green and can wrap around stuff but they are fragile. Dehydrated sliced mushrooms are inexpensive at Asian grocery stores and will also soften after an extended soak in cold water. They add a lot of nutrition to a meal and are very lightweight.

[basuragomi]

Parched corn, jerky, masa harina, commercial kale/vegetable chips, dried/smoked peppers, nutritional yeast, crackers, kimchi, tamarind puree bricks, creamed coconut bricks.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Pemmican?

[theanimal]

Instant potato flakes come to mind. Potatoes themselves can stay for about a year if dry storage is available.

Regarding veggies and fruits-there is always the canned variety.

[sky]

Thanks, these are some good ideas.

I did not explain why I was asking, which may have been confusing.

I am building a canoe which will require some ballast to be properly trimmed and to increase stability. I intend to use drinking water as ballast and would also like to pack "emergency" food for two weeks or so. This will make up my ballast and might remain in the boat all season. I will also take a camp stove and food which might require cooking as my normal pack supplies for a trip, but my ballast will serve as emergency food.

Other reasons for wanting "no cook, no refrigeration" foods might be:

Living in a dorm room or hotel room with no cooking ability, and a desire to avoid eating out.
Not wanting to spend the time or effort to cook meals, too busy doing other things.
Not wanting to use limited drinking water to cook meals.
Wanting a backup option if the stove fails.
Not wanting to build a campfire to cook meals, either due to fire bans or leave no trace ethics.
Needing food requiring no preparation in a chaotic environment, such as a tent in a windstorm or boat in a storm.
Trying to limit cleanup and waste after meals.

I am still and always looking for healthy and low cost solutions for food. This probably should also be added as criteria, but in this forum it is somewhat expected.

[Salathor]

I haven't seen anyone mention pickles and pickled things yet. Not a ton of calories but great tasting and probably good for you.

[Western Red Cedar]

I would add protein powder to the list. You can get a plant-based protein powder that includes fruit and vegetable servings. I regularly find them on sale for less than $1 per serving (20+ grams of protein) at my discount grocery store. I think they are cheap at Costco as well. I personally don't think these kind of supplements have all the benefits of whole foods, but would be a good addition to a canoe cache or a diet heavy in processed foods.

Ultralight backpacking menus would probably offer some good inspiration. I'll often ditch the stove and mess kit when I'm out by myself to cut weight, and eat a lot of bars, nuts, dried fruit, etc.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice ... cking.html

[sky]

Do you have a suggestion of a specific brand of protein powder? I see it sometimes but am never sure what it is for and how to use it. I have tried Breakfast Essentials powder but it makes my stomach growl and I am skeptical.

I have thought about the powder foods like Huel as an easy way to keep a few weeks of nutrition. I have never tried them.

The pickles and pickled vegetable idea is really good. My first thought is that I don't want glass containers. Although there may be some sold in other types of containers. Pickles and kimchi would be good to have along.

[white belt]

Do you have a suggestion of a specific brand of protein powder? I see it sometimes but am never sure what it is for and how to use it. I have tried Breakfast Essentials powder but it makes my stomach growl and I am skeptical.

I really like Bulk Supplements direct from the website for protein powder (I use their casein and whey). Unflavored, no extra ingredients, discount prices for ordering large quantities. Note that it will ship in sealed 1kg bags, which I imagine can store easily for about forever if they are unopened. It has about 20g of protein per 25 gram scoop, so you can do the math on the protein density of a 1kg bag.

You can make a whey protein shake by mixing with water which will just have a milky flavor if you don’t add anything else to it. You can also easily add the powder to various recipes to add more protein to soups, sauces, etc. I imagine it would be pretty useful in a survival situation in addition to foraged foods and any other rations.

Whey powder is also the cheapest source of animal protein and the cheapest source of protein period other than soybeans. It’s a byproduct from the cheese making process.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Have you done any thinking about how to keep mice and bugs out of your food? Repackage into metal containers?

[sky]

Anything not in cans will have to go in a "drysack in drysack" storage method to prevent water intrusion, which might be as simple as a ziploc bag in a silnylon drysack. It could also be in two plastic bags which are each vacuum and heat sealed. Both of which would be vulnerable to mice and insects. I save plastic peanut butter jars, which are amazing containers for the price, but not very space efficient.

I have two flotation chambers in the ends of my canoe where I would plan to store emergency food. Each has an access port which unscrews and is hopefully water tight, and therefore might be insect proof, assuming no insects got into the flotation chamber with the food before closing it off. I know Ursack makes a rodent proof food storage bag. I don't know how else to keep mice out, they are persistant, destructive little creatures.

[2Birds1Stone]

It's not cheap, but if you want to get a little variety, machaca stores pretty well and is easy to incorporate with some rehydration.

[Western Red Cedar]

As @WhiteBelt said, Whey protein is probably the cheapest and easy to find. I recently tried a bone-broth protein powder that was quite nice. Plant-based protein powders have improved a lot over the last 10 years. VegaOne is one of the most popular and one which I buy off and on. I think they have it at Costco. I typically buy whatever brand has good quality ingredients and is on sale at my discount grocery store.

Right now I'm using one called Amazing Grass that has 20g of protein and 2 servings of fruits and vegetables - all organic. The flavor isn't great, but I usually mix it with spinach/kale, along with some frozen berries and fruit. I drink them after I lift weights, and used to bring them into the office as part of my lunch. The key is finding something that you actually like, probably something that tastes good with just water.

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I'd also add chia seeds to the list of potential food. Lots of fiber and protein in Chia seeds.

[Lemur]

Lentils, rice, and some noodles I think as well.

[Gilberto de Piento]

I have two flotation chambers in the ends of my canoe where I would plan to store emergency food. Each has an access port which unscrews and is hopefully water tight, and therefore might be insect proof, assuming no insects got into the flotation chamber with the food before closing it off. I know Ursack makes a rodent proof food storage bag. I don't know how else to keep mice out, they are persistant, destructive little creatures.

Mice are ridiculously annoying. Maybe you don't even have mice in your area and I am overthinking this. I had a squirrel wreck part of a kayak and food wasn't even involved so I have a bit of a bias when it comes to rodents and boats. Are these canoe compartments made of a material mice can gnaw through? I wonder if storing the items in the canoe will encourage mice to eat through the canoe to try to get to the food that they can smell. Could the food be kept out of the boat until you need to travel? Then you could keep the food in metal canisters or something until you need to move. Or if the food doesn't need to go into the flotation chambers and could be in the bottom of the boat that would open up other solutions.

[EdithKeeler]

Nuts can go rancid over time—anything with oils can go bad. Nuts may not last longer than about a year. Things with oils can go bad sooner—like brown rice will get rancid before white rice, oats as well (I think rolled oats last longer than steel cut—rolled oats are steamed and dried).

Good resources are available from the LDS Church—info for food storage for 30 years:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/top ... y?lang=eng

More info:

https://homesteadsurvivalsite.com/30-fo ... -30-years/