Spreadsheet for balanced food stores.
Jan 29, 2014 4:41:30 GMT 10
SA Hunter, yeshi, and 3 more like this
Post by shinester on Jan 29, 2014 4:41:30 GMT 10
Here's the spreadsheet I use.
Shineyshooters food balancing.xlsx (15.95 KB)
At first I just went off other people's suggested storage charts. I couldn't find a single sources that looked anything like the recommended daily requirements as outlined by the nutrition experts. This information is taken from the recommended serving sizes and extrapolated from approximated food average food nutrition for each group [typically pretty similar]. Please note you can just skip reading all of it and look at the figures at the bottom for actual storage for a year and if you eat like this it would be one year in which you've probably eaten the most healthy diet ever
Energy - 8700kj is the national RDI. Your actual requirement will depend on how much energy you expend, but it ought to be a good starting point. If you're active then you will undoubtedly use more than this, so think 12,000kj if you're going to be farming all day by hand.
Rice, Grains, Starches - 3036kj, 180g [24% by KJ, 12% by weight]. This is much lower than most believe it to be, but a storage of rice & grains makes a lot of sense as it's a bit of a task to grow and harvest. With specialised tools such as sickles/scythes and threshing tools. Corn would be a little better, being hands on, though still requires a storage area [to dry it out] and preferably special tools to remove the dried cornels from the cob, though it can be done by hand slowly. Lastly whilst fairly easy to grow them if the soil is prepared right, it requires a large area for enough. Wheat is best eaten sprouted for a few days as it then contains a lot more vitamins [lots of C which we need daily] and is easy to digest. Grinding any amount really needs a good size mill to make the labor worth the results if aiming to have flow for bread. White rice and wheat last 30+ years, a staple storage item.
Beans / Meat / Protein - 300g meat/510g beans [53% by KJ, 34% by weight]. Meat's obviously a shorter term storage option, though beans have a very long storage life of 20-30years. A mixed variety is important, some can be sprouted some are poisonous for a time if sprouted!! With the right spices and herbs lots of variety can be made of beans. You can't have enough really.
Powdered milk/Cheese - 945kj, 100g cheese/62.5g milk powder [8% by KJ, 4% by weight]. I'm not entirely convinced that we need to have milk/cheese in our diets [though I normally do] though this is the information provided. Options include powdered low-fat milk which has 2-10years past used by dates according to HERE. Cheese and powdered milk product can be freezed for longer life until needed and it's highly recommended that the cheese be waxed and rotated, the traditional and effective way of storing cheeses.
Veggies - 1125kj, 450g wet/120g dried [9% by KJ, 30% by weight of wet]. Whilst they don't have a lot of energy per gram, they do make it for it by being packed with your vitamins and minerals. Dehydrating frozen mixed vegetables is relatively cheap and you can do that by placing them in the oven on the lowest setting [stick a spoon in the door to allow the moisture to escape] until they are completely dry and crisp, a good day. The flavor should return when you put them in your mouth [and rehydrate]. They shrink dramatically and best stored in air-tight containers such as used and washed drink containers. Ideally filled with CO2 or oxygen absorbers. Dehydrated, 10 years if kept properly, though they will loose vitamin content over time.
I'm thinking of making a rig up for a tea candle to funnel in its CO2 into the bottle [it's heavier than air], though haven't done it thus far, or potentially steel wool, though have to figure out how to keep the rust off the veggies.
Obviously you can also go for canned veggies[2-5years] though hard to beat $1.50/kg for frozen veggies you dehydrate yourself that will last a very long time.
Fruits - 750kj, 300g wet/60g dried [6% by KJ, 20% by weight of wet]. Dehydrated fruits don't store as well as vegetables and add to the vitamin and mineral blend of your foods. The best solution that I've found is canned for the longest lasting and affordability. I'm looking into 'dehydrating' fruits as they are supposed to last a similar time to dehydrated veggies if stored right.
---------------------------------------
Other essentials but not specified in the RDI. Please note the percentage included is an indicator after the above items as it's not included in the RDI but I wanted to give people an indication of how much they might include still.
Fats and Oils - Whilst not specifically included in the RDI, humans need about 2% by weight fats/oils. Some fruits [avocado] nuts [any] and crops [sunflower/rapeseed] will provide oils as will most animals [rabbits don't have much]. Fats and oils don't keep very well and when exposed to air go rancid in a few months. Kept unopened and out of the sun and cool, the best you can expect is from olive oil at 2 years and coconut oil [virgin] at up to 4. Most others are about 1 year. Putting oil in the freezer extends storage life to a great degree. 6 litres/year/person is more than enough for cooking and salads.
Salt - The RDI of salt is 920 - 2300mg/day, so over a year, you need about 700g/year/person. Animals are highly attracted to salt licks for a good reason, because it's not always available and it's a necessary part of diets. Ideally salt also contains iodine [all super market salt] as is a necessary and not necessarily an available mineral in soil types. Salts excellent for flavor enhancement [which is why our processed foods have so much of it], lasts forever [if dry] and is also used for non-fridge meat storage. It's a very cheap storage item and you can get the non-iodinised salt very cheaply as pool salt for that purpose.
Sugars and Honey - I have included them as they're morale inducing and both very long lasting, never going off in any conditions. Honey that crystallizes just needs reheating and they are both very useful in storing [bottling/canning] fruits and beer/spirits making. By weight, about 2% of your total weight could be included, much more if you plan to use them regularly as mentioned above. Remember whatever you store, if kept dry and out of harms way will be useable for ever.
Oxygen? - Destroys any food over time. Put some plain steel wool inside sealed containers as it will absorb oxygen slowly as it rusts. Additionally, put a tea-light into the top, allowing a little space above and in place with no wind. The candle burns oxygen and turns into carbon dioxide which is heavier than air and will fill the container. When it goes out, carefully place the lid on top without disturbing the air sitting inside too much and you will have a fairly good amount of CO2 filling the spaces. Seal the container with acidic cure silicone for good measure. Place in cool dry place.
---------------
One year storage per person.
Rice, Grains, Starches 40kg
Beans / Meat / Protein 110kg
Powdered milk/Cheese 12kg
Sugars, Honey etc 6kg
Fats and Oils 6l - keep in freezer
Salt 1kg [keep more]
Veggies - 100kg
Fruits 65kg canned [haven't found better solution yet]
Total Weight: 340kg
Total Energy: 3183567kj/8700kj day
Total Cost: $655 - based on below
Storage life: 20-30years. Beans, rice, beans, honey, sugar, salt, dehydrated
3-6years Oil put in freezer to triple its life.
10 years milk powder properly stored
3-5years Tinned foods - if kept cool they have been known to last more than 60 years in some cases!
Based on this Pricing
*$1/kg rice or wheat - Rice: Coles on special for 10kg bags. Wheat 25kg for $15 at feed supply [rural supplies]
*$2.40/kg bulk beans - bags 5kg
*$6/kg aldi milk powder - or IGA deploma milk [tastes much better]
*$0.90/kg sugar - coles sells 2kg for 1.80
*$1/liter cheap cooking oil - approximate price, haven't checked shelf price
*1.10kg/kg coles salt - cheaper in 2kg out about $1.50
*1.49/kg coles mixed frozen veggies
*1.81/kg coles tinned cheapo fruit
Shineyshooters food balancing.xlsx (15.95 KB)
At first I just went off other people's suggested storage charts. I couldn't find a single sources that looked anything like the recommended daily requirements as outlined by the nutrition experts. This information is taken from the recommended serving sizes and extrapolated from approximated food average food nutrition for each group [typically pretty similar]. Please note you can just skip reading all of it and look at the figures at the bottom for actual storage for a year and if you eat like this it would be one year in which you've probably eaten the most healthy diet ever
Energy - 8700kj is the national RDI. Your actual requirement will depend on how much energy you expend, but it ought to be a good starting point. If you're active then you will undoubtedly use more than this, so think 12,000kj if you're going to be farming all day by hand.
Rice, Grains, Starches - 3036kj, 180g [24% by KJ, 12% by weight]. This is much lower than most believe it to be, but a storage of rice & grains makes a lot of sense as it's a bit of a task to grow and harvest. With specialised tools such as sickles/scythes and threshing tools. Corn would be a little better, being hands on, though still requires a storage area [to dry it out] and preferably special tools to remove the dried cornels from the cob, though it can be done by hand slowly. Lastly whilst fairly easy to grow them if the soil is prepared right, it requires a large area for enough. Wheat is best eaten sprouted for a few days as it then contains a lot more vitamins [lots of C which we need daily] and is easy to digest. Grinding any amount really needs a good size mill to make the labor worth the results if aiming to have flow for bread. White rice and wheat last 30+ years, a staple storage item.
Beans / Meat / Protein - 300g meat/510g beans [53% by KJ, 34% by weight]. Meat's obviously a shorter term storage option, though beans have a very long storage life of 20-30years. A mixed variety is important, some can be sprouted some are poisonous for a time if sprouted!! With the right spices and herbs lots of variety can be made of beans. You can't have enough really.
Powdered milk/Cheese - 945kj, 100g cheese/62.5g milk powder [8% by KJ, 4% by weight]. I'm not entirely convinced that we need to have milk/cheese in our diets [though I normally do] though this is the information provided. Options include powdered low-fat milk which has 2-10years past used by dates according to HERE. Cheese and powdered milk product can be freezed for longer life until needed and it's highly recommended that the cheese be waxed and rotated, the traditional and effective way of storing cheeses.
Veggies - 1125kj, 450g wet/120g dried [9% by KJ, 30% by weight of wet]. Whilst they don't have a lot of energy per gram, they do make it for it by being packed with your vitamins and minerals. Dehydrating frozen mixed vegetables is relatively cheap and you can do that by placing them in the oven on the lowest setting [stick a spoon in the door to allow the moisture to escape] until they are completely dry and crisp, a good day. The flavor should return when you put them in your mouth [and rehydrate]. They shrink dramatically and best stored in air-tight containers such as used and washed drink containers. Ideally filled with CO2 or oxygen absorbers. Dehydrated, 10 years if kept properly, though they will loose vitamin content over time.
I'm thinking of making a rig up for a tea candle to funnel in its CO2 into the bottle [it's heavier than air], though haven't done it thus far, or potentially steel wool, though have to figure out how to keep the rust off the veggies.
Obviously you can also go for canned veggies[2-5years] though hard to beat $1.50/kg for frozen veggies you dehydrate yourself that will last a very long time.
Fruits - 750kj, 300g wet/60g dried [6% by KJ, 20% by weight of wet]. Dehydrated fruits don't store as well as vegetables and add to the vitamin and mineral blend of your foods. The best solution that I've found is canned for the longest lasting and affordability. I'm looking into 'dehydrating' fruits as they are supposed to last a similar time to dehydrated veggies if stored right.
---------------------------------------
Other essentials but not specified in the RDI. Please note the percentage included is an indicator after the above items as it's not included in the RDI but I wanted to give people an indication of how much they might include still.
Fats and Oils - Whilst not specifically included in the RDI, humans need about 2% by weight fats/oils. Some fruits [avocado] nuts [any] and crops [sunflower/rapeseed] will provide oils as will most animals [rabbits don't have much]. Fats and oils don't keep very well and when exposed to air go rancid in a few months. Kept unopened and out of the sun and cool, the best you can expect is from olive oil at 2 years and coconut oil [virgin] at up to 4. Most others are about 1 year. Putting oil in the freezer extends storage life to a great degree. 6 litres/year/person is more than enough for cooking and salads.
Salt - The RDI of salt is 920 - 2300mg/day, so over a year, you need about 700g/year/person. Animals are highly attracted to salt licks for a good reason, because it's not always available and it's a necessary part of diets. Ideally salt also contains iodine [all super market salt] as is a necessary and not necessarily an available mineral in soil types. Salts excellent for flavor enhancement [which is why our processed foods have so much of it], lasts forever [if dry] and is also used for non-fridge meat storage. It's a very cheap storage item and you can get the non-iodinised salt very cheaply as pool salt for that purpose.
Sugars and Honey - I have included them as they're morale inducing and both very long lasting, never going off in any conditions. Honey that crystallizes just needs reheating and they are both very useful in storing [bottling/canning] fruits and beer/spirits making. By weight, about 2% of your total weight could be included, much more if you plan to use them regularly as mentioned above. Remember whatever you store, if kept dry and out of harms way will be useable for ever.
Oxygen? - Destroys any food over time. Put some plain steel wool inside sealed containers as it will absorb oxygen slowly as it rusts. Additionally, put a tea-light into the top, allowing a little space above and in place with no wind. The candle burns oxygen and turns into carbon dioxide which is heavier than air and will fill the container. When it goes out, carefully place the lid on top without disturbing the air sitting inside too much and you will have a fairly good amount of CO2 filling the spaces. Seal the container with acidic cure silicone for good measure. Place in cool dry place.
---------------
One year storage per person.
Rice, Grains, Starches 40kg
Beans / Meat / Protein 110kg
Powdered milk/Cheese 12kg
Sugars, Honey etc 6kg
Fats and Oils 6l - keep in freezer
Salt 1kg [keep more]
Veggies - 100kg
Fruits 65kg canned [haven't found better solution yet]
Total Weight: 340kg
Total Energy: 3183567kj/8700kj day
Total Cost: $655 - based on below
Storage life: 20-30years. Beans, rice, beans, honey, sugar, salt, dehydrated
3-6years Oil put in freezer to triple its life.
10 years milk powder properly stored
3-5years Tinned foods - if kept cool they have been known to last more than 60 years in some cases!
Based on this Pricing
*$1/kg rice or wheat - Rice: Coles on special for 10kg bags. Wheat 25kg for $15 at feed supply [rural supplies]
*$2.40/kg bulk beans - bags 5kg
*$6/kg aldi milk powder - or IGA deploma milk [tastes much better]
*$0.90/kg sugar - coles sells 2kg for 1.80
*$1/liter cheap cooking oil - approximate price, haven't checked shelf price
*1.10kg/kg coles salt - cheaper in 2kg out about $1.50
*1.49/kg coles mixed frozen veggies
*1.81/kg coles tinned cheapo fruit