Prepping when you’re keto
Live off emergency food stores without resorting to carbs
Is it possible to plan and live off your emergency food storage without resorting to carbs? Yes.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware of the strange times we are in, and it seems like anyone of sound mind and body has, at least in the last three years, had their eyes opened to the ways of preparedness for worse times ahead. Many refer to this as prepping.
I was late to the game but have learned a bit since late 2019… from figuring out how to purify and store water (and calculating how much I use/drink), to growing and preserving food, analyzing my electric usage, etc. I’m nowhere near where I’d like to be, but since this blog is about food, and since food is at the top of everyone’s list… I thought I’d dive into ways we can still be prepping when keto without resorting to carbs!
I may ramble a bit, and then I will share a list of possible prepping tips and keto items that we can stock up on for emergencies and still keep to our keto lifestyle… got any to share? Please comment below.
In an emergency, I’d prefer to maintain as close to optimal health as possible, than be in pain.
As a low-carber, ask yourself: Even when in dire SHTF (shit hits the fan) mode, why would I want to subject my health to risky behavior? Not everyone who’s following keto is doing it strictly for weight loss, many of us have suffered health issues whose symptoms are staved off when we stick to this lifestyle.
What are the chances of those issue coming back which we worked so hard to repair or eliminate, in order to merely subsist on foods we normally avoid? Is the risk worth surviving, or would you rather be thriving? I pick the latter.
Honestly, I’d rather fast as much as possible in those situations (while staying keto/LC) than risk my health by eating commonly-prepped high-carb foods.
I bring this up because a really annoying thing about many articles and videos about prepping is that a large amount of them have the attitude that if you are in dire need of food, then you should, “Screw your diet when shit hits the fan. The goal is simply trying to avoid starvation!” Starvation is not an unrealistic concern (not for my fat ass), and one day of eating off-plan isn’t likely going to kill anyone.
However, while it’s true that an extended period without food can put even the most picky eater into a reckless state of hunger in which getting your hands on anything edible is more important than going without, those of us who have mastered ketosis can literally go for days in virtually-painless fasting mode, so there’s that to consider. But also, when breaking your fast, why not make it something that’s not going to break your health?
Would I eat this?
If you’re serious about prepping/storing, why not do it in a way that you can eat if things are not available in stores, by saving only what you’re actually going to use? One rule of preppers is “Eat what you store, and store what you eat.”
So just being careful to prep with things you already use or definitely will use. Ask yourself, “Would I actually eat this thing before stocking up on it?”
A lot of people starting out prepping assume they should spend a lot of money on buckets of commercially-prepared emergency food kits to make meals they wouldn’t normally eat, just for the simple fact that it will safely last 20-40 years, and they trust that more than wanting to invest time or effort into preserving their own (understandable for people who are busy or hate cooking).
The bases of those emergency meals are often things like pasta, beans, rice, oats, and potatoes. Consider long-term health effects of being high-carb because you have to eat these things even for a few weeks or months during an emergency.
Not only would the quality and number of my days be more likely to dwindle eating HC food stores, keeping appetite low wouldn’t be possible and stocks would deplete faster than if maintaining LCHF stocks.
Those of us who are keto eat primarily fresh and unprocessed foods, so the majority of prepping advice just really doesn’t pertain to us
It just doesn’t take into consideration the many of us who—for health reasons—don’t eat too many things from boxes or cans, much less refined carbohydrate foods of any kind—such as beans, grains, etc., which are prominent in articles advising on prepping tips.
All that being said, there are a number of things we CAN eat that are not only packaged, but are completely keto and things we may not even think of, but you can start getting used to incorporating them into your diet now and also store a few of each for emergencies.
Don’t wait for a panic to buy your prep items!
Remember the rule of storing only what you will eat and planning to eat what you store.
Review your current pantry supplies/grocery list of keto items, and among the ones you always have on hand, consider buying one or two extra of each, when shopping.
Don’t show up armed with your prep list on a panic day (or any day) and fill your cart to the sky with just those things, clearing the shelves and likely pissing people off.
The following is a list of food items that are somewhat or fully shelf-stable for a given period and could be doable for prepping keto
Besides the obvious basics (salt, pepper, household supplies), consider adding the rest of these to your stock
- Canned meats and fish (chicken, roast/corned beef, ham, tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon, sprats, herring, etc.)
- …and speaking of meats… cooked and bagged or canned bacon can also last for a long time if sealed properly!
- Condiment packets (mustard, soy sauce, hot sauce, sugar-free jam or bbq sauce, etc., and even mayonnaise or salad dressing packets in a pinch, although most contain soybean or canola oil)
- Peanut butter, almond butter
- Mini Babybel cheeses (a French version of Dutch Edam cheese) or other wax-rind cheeses are probably not very long-lasting at room temperature (maybe a few months or so?), but since they’re wrapped in wax which was used to keep cheese mold-free for centuries before the invention of refrigeration, give it a try! The worst case scenarios would be: 1), room temp storage slightly warm the cheese and the fats soften it/make it smaller and harden on the outside, or 2), you have to scrape a little mold off once you open it and eat it. Still probably going to be fine
- Spices, tea, coffee, and unsweetened chocolate/cocoa powder
- Pickles, olives, and pickled vegetables in jars or cans
- Canned/jarred coconut oil and fats like ghee are very shelf-stable, as are lard, tallow, and duck fat and will keep well in jars or other durable airtight containers
- Plain or sparking bottled water lasts practically forever if the containers they’re in are not degradable
- Dried soups or soup mixes/broths that don’t have pasta/noodles/beans in them, including boulion granules or cubes
- Jerky (beef, turkey, chicken, salmon, wild game, etc.) and other dried/preserved meats, like bacon bits and chipped beef. Vacuum sealed cooked bacon also has a relatively long shelf life
- Freeze-dried eggs whether in part (whites or yolks) or whole
- Pork rinds (to a degree, they can get rancid after months of improper storage–vacuum seal them if you can)
- Nuts and seeds, which also need to be stored very well or can go rancid
- Dried grated or powdered Parmesan or Romano cheese
- Canned coconut milk, powdered heavy cream, powdered sour cream, powdered goat’s milk, powdered eggs, and powdered butter solids work in a pinch to add to foods when you don’t have access to refrigeration, as do shelf-stable half & half mini-cups
- Ingredients for low-carb/keto treats (such as Allulose, etc.) if you enjoy that sort of food during “normal” times (note you will have to make sure to keep them sealed in their proper packaging, I cannot guarantee a shelf life of these) Thanks for the tip, Angie!
- Protein powder such as egg white or whey protein isolate
- Low-carb vegetables (ideally, canned or dried, but frozen are OK too) like green beans, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes
- Dried or frozen low-sugar fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries
- Don’t forget that if you take supplements, you’ll want to have extra of those on hand, too Thanks for the tip, John!
If you still have the ability to freeze things during emergencies, there is a surprising number of things you can freeze safely:
- Whole eggs: Crack them into ice cube trays or silicone cupcake molds, then whisk until just barely combined. Pop out and store in freezer bags, thaw a few at a time for a meal or recipe. Each ice cube “egg” is approx 1/2 an egg.
- You an also freeze separated eggs. For whites, blend them a bit (avoid foaming them) and then pour measured amounts into into quart or gallon zip bags and and lie flat to freeze. Thaw and cook with them as needed. For yolks, they will gel up when frozen and be difficult to use once thawed. To avoid this, pour them into a bowl, add half a teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of eggs, and blend with a whisk or stick blender until liquefied, then freeze flat in zip bags or in small containers in measured amounts as needed, for cooking.
- Liquid whipping cream (thaw a few days in the fridge and shake very well before using)
- Sticks of butter
- Cheese by the block (cheddar, part-skim mozzarella, other firm cheeses like Gouda and Swiss). I wouldn’t recommend freezing soft cheeses such as brie, mascarpone, ricotta, cream cheese, chevre, etc., unless you plan to cook with them instead of eat them cold. Once thawed, the texture and taste changes and these softer cheeses become a bit watery and sometimes a little gritty…but if you whisk them well into whatever you’re cooking, that texture may smooth out a bit.
Lastly, don’t forget that if you absolutely have to, one meal that’s off-plan in an emergency won’t kill you, and don’t let it bother you too much if you find yourself needing to eat beans & rice once in awhile. But I wrote this for folks wanting to feel in control going into emergencies with a plan for recovering and in the hopes you’ll be less likely to fall off the proverbial wagon.
Bonus
If you live in a place that freezes for a period of time, take advantage of winter food storage outdoors such as an un-insulated shed, garage, or other outbuilding, and use durable totes or even unplugged freezers or refrigerators to keep frozen things frozen. Make sure you seal and store the items well-protected from wildlife.
Leave A Comment