A Little about Bag Meals

So, I've been debating whether to post about this topic or not, since I am not even close to being an expert. I have only just started my bag meal food storage, so I don't have all the answers. But I decided to go ahead and jump in there and share what I know, simply because I am excited about it, and I think more people would like to try it, too, if they knew about it.



Right now you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about, so let me explain. The leaders of my church have long counseled church members (and anyone else who cares to listen) to set aside provisions for emergencies and disasters, natural or otherwise. We're encouraged to prepare 72 hour kits, 3-month supplies of food, and also longer-term storage.

Well, this is all very wise and good, I don't think anyone can argue that you shouldn't be prepared. The problem comes in, I guess, when you have to start thinking - well, what do I really need? What will I really use? How am I going to do this? And so you, if you're me, say, "Well, I'll get around to it. You know, once I figure it all out. I'll get on that." And then of course, nothing ever gets done.

Luckily for me, libraries are awesome, and our local library held a demo of a food storage system called bag meals. It was run by Michelle and Trent Snow, the authors of It's in the Bag: A New, Easy, Affordable, and Doable Approach to Food Storage.* There I learned about a method of storing food that is, well, all those things mentioned in the subtitle.

If you want to see a demo, I just found out they are doing one in Fruit Heights this Saturday, March 12. Here's some more info on that.

The basic concept is that, instead of just buying random staple-type foods (wheat, beans, rice, etc.), you organize your food storage by meal. Looking at a recipe, you gather all the things you would need - canned goods, spices, canned meats, etc. - and store them in a small, portable (with handles), durable, reusable bag. Even the water needed for boiling is included in the bag. The recipe and instructions go on the outside of the bag.

This way, you can use your food storage for practically any purpose. If you have a sudden loss of income, these meals are there and they are pretty much what you've been eating all along, so there's basically no huge change in style of life. You can use it if you have to leave the house in an emergency, just grab a couple bags by the handles and head out. At least some of the food in the bags can be eaten without heating, since it's all already cooked (canned). You can use it every day and rotate through, constantly building and using your food supply. If there's some sort of apocalyptic event, well, you're covered - eating in style while the world falls apart around you. My husband, James, thinks we're preparing for the inevitable zombie uprising. I tell him it's not the zombies we should worry about, it's the robots.

Anyway, it's seriously cool. Throughout this week, I'll be sharing some of the tips and tricks I've learned so far and some of the recipes I've modified from our own family recipes. I'd LOVE it if any of you had any good food storage recipes to share or any experiences of having to use food storage. Let's share food storage stories. Fun. :)

*I'm in no way affiliated with the authors or publishers of this book. I just have used it and like it and wanted to share it.