Paleo Emergency Preparedness

Hi Nell,
I subscribe to your blog's feed so that I can read every post just as soon as you publish it. What I like most about your blog is your purist approach to Paleo. I'm extremely sensitive to gluten, dairy and sugar so, like you, I have to maintain a 100% commitment level; otherwise, I quickly pay for my indiscretions with the sudden onset of health-related symptoms such as joint pain (gluten), psoriasis flare-ups and G.I. maladies (dairy), and even mild depression (sugar). I've been Paleo for almost 4 months now. While I would hesitate to call any eating plan "miraculous," Paleo nearly has been for me.
My question for you is this: What you would stock in a Paleo Disaster-Preparedness Kit, one that would feed you and your husband for a week if the electric grid was down for that length of time and grocery shopping was also out of the question?
Thanks, and keep up the great work!
JM, Texas

This is a fantastic question!  Obviously, we're not exactly going to be stocking up frozen dinners and macaroni and cheese mixes in a box!

Here's what I'd suggest having on hand, keeping in mind that some of the items are ones I'd refer to as 'Plan B' or 'in a pinch', as an earthquake or other natural disaster would clearly fit that bill!

• Canned, line-caught tuna packed in water -( salt free if you can find it, if not, it can be rinsed to reduce excessive sodium content) as well as wild salmon
• Frozen vegetables (they'll at least get you through a day or two when the power first goes off) like broccoli, spinach, mixed veggies
• Frozen COOKED chicken OR fish etc… (again, even though you may be without power, you could have enough to ration out one meal)
• Raw walnut and  macadamias
• Olive oil, coconut oil
• Natural dried fruit (unless you follow the auto immune or acne plan)- to be used in moderation WITH protein and fat- opt for berries as they're lower glycemic than raisins or dried bananas
• You can also have homemade jerky on hand which would last- you don't even need a food dehyrator to make it.  You can bake it on low in a regular oven for several hours and then keep sealed in the cabinet for far longer than you could expect to save raw meat in the fridge!
• WATER
• You may even be able to find natural canned veg to have on hand- again, I know it sounds appaling, but if it's an emergency, and you've got a can of natural, no sodium added, no chemicals added vegetables, it could be better than no veggies at all.

My husband and I did actually get through over a week several years ago; we were living in Seattle in 2005 and weathered the freak storm with 80 mph winds, rendering the entire city and surrounds powerless for anywhere from a few days to over two weeks.  It was the most frightening thing I've been through.

Because our house was so cold (under 40 degrees), we were actually able to keep food in the house (once the stores finally reopened) without worry of spoilage, so we literally had cold salads and cold sliced turkey and such for nearly every meal for that period of time.

We needed our (Paleo) energy to stay (mentally) strong!

Hope that helps and let me know if you have more specific questions!