This post might come across as a little tongue-in-cheek, but there are some essential truths that you need to understand. Food Fatigue is a real thing. All of your rice-and-beans and beans-and-rice are going to be worthless on day 7, when everyone in your family, including you, will push your plate away. Food Fatigue is experiencing boredom or lack of motivation to consume the same foods repeatedly. Bland food without salt and spices will become boring and quickly jeopardize the health of your loved ones.
The same thing occurs with water. If you had to drink water day in and day out, how long do you think that would last before you would become bored? Would it be something you would be excited about? It’s probably more crucial to our health to consume water, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t you will try and avoid it. Heck, sometimes I squeeze a little lemon in my water or drink carbonated water just to change it up.
My point is this. We get tired of eating and drinking the same old things. So as a part of your preps, I think you should ensure you have ways to vary the favor profile of your food staples. Aside from just salt and pepper, what else should you be considering?
Boullion
This is the #1 “spice” you should have in your preps. You can make a broth. You can add flavor to rice, beans, oatmeal, quinoa – really any dish that is savory. You can boil vegetables in it. You can drink it – on a cold day, for example.
Salsas
This is a very versatile condiment. Just cruise the salsa aisle in any grocery store, and you will be met with a wall of options. Traditional salsa. Mango salsa. Green salsa. Pretty much any flavor you want is available. You can add it to breakfast dishes (eggs & potatoes) and plenty of lunch/dinner meals to make it more interesting.
I’m going to add hot sauce to the salsa group as well. A little goes a long way in adding a bit of spice and flavor to any savory dish.
Traditional Trio
Catsup, Mustard, and Mayo – the three American amigos. We always make sure we have an extra container of each in the pantry. There are fairly shelf stable, and you can easily keep them in rotation, especially during the summer months when you are grilling out every weekend.
Spices
Just get the big container already. Garlic Powder. Season Salt. Italian Seasoning. Taco Seasoning. Get the big seasoning staples you use every night. You’ll save money in the long run and have some on hand when the going gets tough.
Honorable Mentions
So there are a couple of other staples that you should have on hand, but these also have many uses beyond the kitchen. In no particular order:
- Vinegar
- Wine
- Powdered drink mixes.
Wrapping up
I know we all want our family to thrive in the event of an emergency. I’m glad you have 5-gallon buckets packed full of rice and beans, but no one will want to eat that after the 3rd day, again. It’s just human nature. Keeping condiments on hand and stocked up will help you take those bland dishes and make them something delicious.
I know this was a quick, simple post, but I think it’s critically important to your long-term strategy.
