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Food
What to eat when the lights go out
Can't stomach Spam? Look for new tastes to stock your hurricane kit for the '06 season.
By JANET K. KEELER
Published June 21, 2006
LAST WEEK'S TANGO WITH ALBERTO WAS A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS. And I'll guess that like mine, your family was caught without bottled water and a store of food. Oh, it's so early, we said. Oh, it's just a tropical storm. Oh, it may become a hurricane. Uh-oh. Alberto remained a tropical storm but still caused flooding and power outages along coastal areas of west Florida, reminding us that even a minimal storm can affect our ability to conduct business as usual. And business as usual means breakfast, lunch and dinner. For seven days. That's right, emergency preparedness officials now urge us to have enough supplies to last seven days after a storm hits. That may be how long it takes to get basic help, and as we've learned from the response to Hurricane Katrina, assistance may arrive even later. I am reminded of the TV images from Miami, where lines for water, food and gas were long and tempers short last year barely a day after Hurricane Wilma blew through in late October. Even after an active season, many South Florida residents did not have food and water to last 24 hours. And that could happen here. Easily. Today is the day to start collecting supplies for your food kit, and here's good news. There is more than Spam and granola bars to feed on should you lose power. A recent tour of the grocery store turned up new products to put in your kit. Think teriyaki ahi tuna steaks or honey barbecued salmon steaks, both in convenient pouches. There's dried pineapple and mango, among many other fruits. Shelf-stable milk in small containers can be used for cereal or for drinking. Dehydrated foods, including organic and vegetarian selections, come to life with the addition of hot water. It's odd, shopping for hurricane food. Normally, nutrition experts encourage us to shop the periphery of the grocery stores for healthful food, and shun the interior aisles where high-sodium, processed foods live. When you're building a hurricane kit, it's just the opposite. The fresh foods on the outside, often refrigerated, aisles - fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, dairy - won't keep, while packaged foods offer the shelf life you need for storm preparation. It is easy to collect a bucket of salty, high-fat foods that will last, well, forever. But for diabetics, especially young ones, pregnant women and people with high blood pressure or other ailments, finding a balance is important. Those folks should consult with their doctors or read labels carefully. That's why it's important to shop when Doppler and Vipir are in snooze mode. Nervous, harried shopping will result in the fatty-delicious trinity of chips, candy and cookies. Comfort food, yes; nutritious, hardly. Find a large container to stash your food; you may need to take it with you if you evacuate. Some suggestions for your hurricane food kit: Supplies. Paper towels, plastic utensils for eating and serving, paper plates, drinking cups, can opener, waterproof matches, a heat source to cook canned foods or boil water and the necessary pots and pans, wet wipes, trash bags. Water. You should have 3 gallons of water per person per day, which includes 1 gallon for drinking. Protein. Spend 10 minutes in the area of your grocery store that stocks canned tuna. You will be amazed at the array of seafood and chicken that comes in cans and pouches - not to mention flavored tuna handily packaged with crackers. The tuna and salmon steaks would be best served hot, so make sure your propane tank is filled or you have charcoal for the grill. But even unheated, they will provide sustenance in an emergency. Beef jerky is high-protein and low-carb, but does pack a lot of sodium. Breakfast. Instant oatmeal, in packets and individual paper cups that double as bowls, is ready to eat with the addition of hot water. (Another reason to get that camp stove.) Granola bars come in various flavors and varying nutritional content. Buy shelf-stable milk in small containers because they must be refrigerated after opening. Use them for cold cereals or for drinking. Fruit. Dried fruit, fruit cups, canned fruit and applesauce can be nutritious snacks. Look for unsweetened versions or fruit packed in light syrup. Dried fruit has a lot of concentrated sugar. Drinks. Coffee drinks in cans, juice in boxes and flavored water in bottles will taste okay at room temperature. Better yet, get a couple of coolers and fill them with ice as the storm approaches. Use one for food, one for drinks. The ice won't last long but it might be of some comfort in the first day after the storm. One warning about relying on salty foods to see you through: They make you thirsty. Something and Crackers. Peanut butter on rice cakes. Cheese spread on rye crisps. Apple butter on melba toast. After you've perused the tuna aisle, check out the crackers. Find where your store stocks "diet" food and you'll discover a variety of rice cakes, multigrain crackers and crisp breads. At one Publix, I found a line of snack toasts by Jacobsen's that are low-fat, low-sodium and have no cholesterol. I recommend the honey maple flavored version slathered with peanut butter. Camping food. Dehydrated pouches and individual containers of soups are available at most grocery stores. Look for those that require only water. Stores that stock camping equipment may also carry a selection of dehydrated foods that include such dishes as turkey tetrazzini, pasta primavera and seafood chowder. Usually, the packaging doubles as cooking vessel and dish. Snacks. As if we need any help here. Beyond chips, candy, doughnuts and cookies, don't forget nuts and trail mix. There's actually some nutrition there. Eat fresh. As the storm approaches, swing by the store, feeling smug because you've already got batteries and water, and buy a bag of oranges and/or apples. They'll keep for a week or more. Be resourceful. If you've lost power but your home is habitable, you probably have a refrigerator, freezer and pantry full of food. Know what's in there so you don't have to keep opening and shutting the doors. From the pantry, canned tuna drizzled with olive oil and mixed with capers is tasty, stormy weather or clear. Got a loaf of bread? Make PB&J sandwiches. Snack on carrots. Eat what will go bad before you dig into the nonperishable food. Most fridge contents will be safely edible for only four to six hours after the power goes out, but a fully stocked freezer will keep food safe for up to 48 hours. With what you've got on hand, make a salad, cut up the fresh fruit, grill the steaks and invite neighbors over. Remember, misery loves company, and maybe they didn't prepare as well as you. Janet K. Keeler can be reached at (727) 893-8586 or krieta@sptimes.com Her blog, Stir Crazy, is www.sptimes.com/blogs/food. More information For additional help on storm preparedness, go to weather.tampabay.com/hurricane/.
[Last modified June 23, 2006, 06:41:19]
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