Easy Protein Foods That Need No Refrigeration
More Articles Related to FoodWhen you are out in the wilderness for more than a couple of days, food considerations become of prime importance. As Napoleon Bonaparte said, "An army marches on its stomach" and those who practice the art of survival march on their stomachs too.
Many of us are familiar with the all too common faire of mac and cheese, noodles, and other pasta based dishes that backpackers and campers the world over have come to rely on. These kinds of meals are the original Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's), or Meals Almost Ready to Eat (MARE's). High in carbs and easy to prepare with minimum of skill and fuss needed, such standard entrees serve their purpose at providing the basic calories an active person needs.
One problem with pasta based meals is that they often lack enough protein. When out in the bush you are often stressing your body far more than you normally do. As a result there will actually be tissue breakdown within your muscles and this can only only be repaired (and during the muscle repair stage is when you become stronger) by supplying complete proteins every day via what you eat. For optimum health, you typically should be getting at least 1/3 gram of protein per pound of body weight. If you are physically stressed that number can easily double.
But how do you get enough protein during extended outings in the bush when meats, eggs, and fish will spoil within a day or so? And that powdered cheese that comes with most boxed Mac and cheese's is of dubious quality at best.
One method of supplying enough protein in your diet is to purchase Meals Ready to Eat. If you have plenty of cash and the time to buy MREs this may be an option. However, there is an easier and cheaper way; cheese and sausage.
Cheeses and sausages are concentrated sources of protein that can be made to keep very well even when not refrigerated. This makes these foodstuffs of special value as survival food for the backpacker, camper, and wilderness enthusiast.
Cheese was the original way to preserve milk for extended periods. A big block of cheese lasts very well. In general the harder the type of the cheese the more likely it is to last longer when not refrigerated.
A one ounce portion of cheese typically has 6 to 8 grams of protein and is loaded with other nutrients that will help keep you going during times of intense physical stress.
My favorite cheese trick is to buy jalapeño pepper cheese for use on extended excursions. The hot peppers in the cheese help stop the growth of mold and makes the cheese last much longer without refrigeration. Not only that, it is very flavorful and works well in a variety of meals I make while camping.
Another trick to preserve cheese that has been used through the ages is to soak cheese cloth in cider vinegar and wrap it around the block of cheese you are taking with you. The vinegar will keep mold from growing and therefore help preserve the cheese much longer. Some cheeses come with a wax coating. You can also dip your block of cheese in in wax, which will harden into a protective coating. The wax can then serve a double purpose as a fire starter.
Even if you do find some mold on cheese, you can usually just scrape it off and the inner portion of the cheese remains good to eat.
Many sausages have ingredients that allow them to stay fresh for quite some time even when not refrigerated. In good supermarkets you can buy large sticks of sausage wrapped in plastic. Simply cut off a piece of sausage from the end of the stick and cover the remaining portion. You may even want to use the cider vinegar on cheese cloth trick on the sausage end to further preserve the sausage.
Sausage has the additional advantage of adding flavor to any dish into which it is added. Sausage can spice up mac and cheese, and season fish and game you have managed to obtain through your survivor skills.
Although a bit bulky, pickled eggs will last a long time without spoiling. I make pickled eggs by boiling several dozen at a time. When the eggs are boiled hard I peel them and seal them in a jar of regular vinegar. Wait at least a week before eating them. A medium sized egg supplies six grams of first class protein, the best protein combination you can get.. A few eggs a day are an excellent addition to the protein you need to stay healthy.
So there you go. It is not as difficult or as expensive as you may have thought to supply yourself with enough protein when surviving in the wilderness. Although MRE's are nice to have, they are not necessary for the survivor who knows how to improvise. And isn't that what the art of survival is all about?
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