Low Carb Food Storage

My daughter is visiting us in Belgium, and one of the first questions she asked was about low carb food storage. That was an excellent question and caused me to do a bit of research on the Internet while my students were taking an exam.

My first thought was of meat in the freezer. Food storage is not just for a natural disaster, but can also come in handy if you lose a job and still need to feed the family. A disaster might knock out the electricity for the freezer, putting the meat at risk. That is also why we have wired our home to run off a generator. You can keep meet frozen in a freezer longer by adding dry ice or by running the generator and power the freezer for a couple of hours each day. Also, the more food there is in the freezer, the longer the food will stay frozen, even in the absence of electricity. Of course, we live in Fargo, ND, where the inside of the freezer is often warmer than the outside air (-40 degrees Fahrenheit is not uncommon here). So no problem if the power goes out during the winter!

This post from the Carbinator is about food storage items for the low carb Mormon. She suggests storing coconut and palm oil; canned coconut milk (rotate frequently!); canned meats such as tuna fish, chicken, turkey, sardines, etc.; and vegetables, either canned or dehydrated.

Laura Dolson suggests the following: canned fish and meats; dried meats like beef jerky; almonds and other nuts and nut butters; and vegetables. She also suggests storing soy products, but I disagree here, as soy products are generally unhealthy.

Others on low carb forums suggest storing vitamins, pet food, dried or bottled fruits and vegetables, and pemmican. Pemmican is dried beef, fat, and perhaps berries or other items. It was used by traditional cultures in many parts of the world. Mark Sisson has a good recipe for (and explanation of) pemmican. Pemmican, though kind of tasteless, is energy dense and will store indefinitely. It can also be used to feed your dog or cat.

Any other low carb suggestions? This is a good topic to consider. Thank you, daughter-of-mine for making me think about it.