When All Hell Breaks Loose (44 page)

The biggest calorie burners or those who eat the most food are young, tall, muscular men or boys—ask any mom. Statistically, tall women will burn more calories than shorter women and so on. Make no mistake about it, if you go by the serving size posted on the labels of foods, they will not have taken these variations into account—how could they? If your household plans on feeding several large teenage boys during a crisis, plan on storing much more food.

The following BMR worksheet can be photocopied and filled out by each member of your tribe. This will give you an estimate of how many calories will be required to feed your family when they are
doing absolutely nothing
. However, being inactive is not a typical daily survival activity so the worksheet also has an activity level option that will increase the daily amount of calories required for that person depending upon which activity level they choose. This will give you an estimate of the active caloric needs of each family member, a more true representation of what they are burning right now in the bustle of daily life. Other factors such as illness and weather conditions will also influence how many calories your body uses. Cold weather without proper shelter or clothing will dramatically increase the amount of calories your body burns in order to thermoregulate its core body temperature.

Basal Metabolic Rate and Active Caloric Needs Worksheet
for Guys and Gals—Harris-Benedict Equation

Plug in the above information into this formula to estimate your BMR:

Females: A + B + 655–C = _____ is your basal metabolic rate per day.

Males: A + B + 66–C = _____ is your basal metabolic rate per day.

As your BMR is simply the amount of calories you burn doing absolutely nothing, choose one of the following options regarding your activity level and add it to your BMR number as indicated below.

Sedentary to lightly active:
(active less than 30 minutes 1 or 2 days per week at minimal intensity)

Multiply your BMR number above by 1.3 = _____ calories you need per day

Moderately active:
(active for 30 minutes 6 to 7 days per week at moderate intensity)

Multiply your BMR number above by 1.4 = _____ calories you need per day

Very active/athletic:
(active for 60 minutes 6 to 7 days per week at a high intensity)

Multiply your BMR number above by 1.5 = _____ calories you need per day

The active caloric needs are the amount of calories you burn each day being you, doing all of the activities, work or play, that make up a day in your life. Life sucks without enough calories and you may be obliged to share some of your stored food with others so choose a calorie number on the high side.

If you're curious about the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats of your
daily energy consumption
based upon your active caloric needs, use the following formula.

Protein
= (Your active caloric needs) _____ multiplied by 0.15 = _____ calories, divided by 4.0 = _____ grams of protein

Carbohydrates
= (Your active caloric needs) _____ multiplied by 0.55 = _____ calories, divided by 4.0 = _____ grams of carbohydrate

Fat
= (Your active caloric needs) _____ multiplied by 0.30 = _____ calories, divided by 9.0 = _____ grams of fat

Factors That Will Determine What You Choose to Store and Eat

The type of food your family prefers
. Your choice of emergency food should be linked as closely as possible to the realities of your pending disaster. In other words, if you and the kids love steak at every dinner, think again about how that stored steak will look after six days without the freezer working due to a power outage.

How long your supposed "emergency" will last
. There are many forms in which you can buy your beans: canned, freeze-dried, dried whole, and dehydrated into a powder, to name a few. Each form will have its advantages and disadvantages in regard to its shelf life and palatability, or in other words, how long it will store before it gets nasty, or at the very least, becomes virtually nutrition free.

The age and health of your family members
. Dietary restrictions of one kind or another are very common. Grandpa Joe and his dentures will not be happy campers when he attempts to eat leathery lentils that were either stored too long or undercooked because of lack of water, fuel, time, or ability. Bouncing baby Francine will be equally unimpressed at your meal plan. Take time to research family members who may have certain food allergies; an allergic reaction can range from an annoying inconvenience to killing your loved one. I don't care what the emergency food company phone representative said about their company's one-size-fits-all food storage plan being the best, people don't have the same needs. Think ahead to avoid food preparation hassles and pissed off family members.

Your home's ability to store the food of your choice through variations in temperature, available space, and location
. While bulk foods such as whole grains are cheap, they're heavy and take up space. . .a lot of space if your survival scenario involves weeks of cooking rice in the backyard. While people can and have gotten creative with how they've stored their food stash—five-gallon buckets becoming legs for the dining room table, for example—it may not be practical for your efficiency apartment on the thirtieth floor. All stored foods are highly affected by fluctuations in temperature. If you live in a warm climate, or experience times of the year where it gets warm in your house, your stored food will not last as long as it will in a home that achieves a constant, low temperature.

How big your wallet or purse is
. Many prepackaged emergency or "backpacking" foods, while convenient, are not cheap. You pay for the preparation that goes into that pasta primavera and cranberry-walnut chicken. Large families or those on a budget will be turned off at the pricey cost per meal for these options.