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Many companies offer great deals on freeze dried food.
They say you can get a year’s supply of freeze dried food for only $2500. That sounds like a great deal, but before you purchase your food, read the calorie counts. Companies will try to make you think there is enough food to keep you going for a year by showing the serving amount. Servings can be very deceiving because they make you think that 1 serving is equal to 1 meal, thus 3 servings is 3 meals, and enough food for one day. However, most foods serving size has a small amount of calories. Usually the amount of calories per serving for premade freeze dried food is between 150-300 calories. By the logic that other companies are trying to pass on you, 3 servings is 3 meals which is enough calories for one day, but if you multiply it out, 150-300 x 3= 450-900 calories a day. These companies are trying to convince you that you can survive on 450-900 calories a day. That is a lie.
Calories are easy to come by today, but during an emergency…
FEMA states that you need at least 1200 calories a day to survive, but this is a bare minimum. You can refer to the following chart for a general medical consensus on how many calories you need a day to survive. Sedentary is less than 1 hour of physical activity a day; Moderately active is between 1-3 hours of physical activity a day; Active is 3 or more hours of physical activity a day.
| Gender | Age (years) | Sedentary | Moderately Active | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | 2-3 | 1,000 | 1,000-1,400 | 1,000-1,400 |
| Female | 4-8 | 1,200 | 1,400-1,600 | 1,400-1,800 |
| 9-13 | 1,600 | 1,600-2,000 | 1,800-2,200 | |
| 14-18 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,400 | |
| 19-30 | 2,000 | 2,000-2,200 | 2,400 | |
| 31-50 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,200 | |
| 51+ | 1,600 | 1,800 | 2,000-2,200 | |
| Male | 4-8 | 1,400 | 1,400-1,600 | 1,600-2,000 |
| 9-13 | 1,800 | 1,800-2,200 | 2,000-2,600 | |
| 14-18 | 2,200 | 2,400-2,800 | 2,800-3,200 | |
| 19-30 | 2,400 | 2,600-2,800 | 3,000 | |
| 31-50 | 2,200 | 2,400-2,600 | 2,800-3,000 | |
| 51+ | 2,000 | 2,200-2,400 | 2,400-2,800 |
For a more accurate number of calories specifically for you, you can calculate your BMR (Body Metabolic Rate). This is very easy, you simply plug in how much you weigh, your height, and your age into a formula. For men, the formula is: 66+6.3(how much you weigh, in pounds)+12.9(how tall you are, in inches)-6.8(how old you are, in years). So for a 5’10” 180 lb. 40 year old man, you would calculate his daily calorie intake like this: 66+6.3(180)+12.9(70)-6.8(40)=2284. Thus this man would require 2284 calories a day to survive. For women, the formula to calculate BMR is: 655+4.3(weight, in pounds)+4.7(height, in inches)-4.7(age, in years).
Being prepared with enough food can mean the difference between life and death
The moral of the story is, look at the calorie count on everything you buy. The food packages that other companies offer may sound like a great deal, but if you do the math, you will find that they are tricking you. They make you think that you have enough food to survive a year, but you won’t have nearly enough. Make sure you are properly prepared with enough calories to help you survive.
