Article - Are All Kinds Of Canned Meat Good Prepper Storage Food?

[TWP]

Unless you can your own meats... They are all not so good, in one way or another (Fat or salt, take your pick, or get both).

http://beansbulletsbandagesandyou.com/bullets/index.php/2018/01/30/prepbusters-are-all-kinds-of-canned-meat-good-prepper-storage-food/

While not a rigorous analysis, it points out the high and low points of commercial canned meats.

Bottom line, if you plan on relying on commercial canned meats as your protein source, then you fact several problems, which are described in the article.

Consider canning you own meats before you stock up on large quantities of commercial canned meats.

Stocking SOME commercial canned meat is probably not a problem, because you will either use it up or not use it very frequently.

Ummm... Reading the labels on those cans is ALWAYS a good idea, as is taste testing before you buy in bulk.  Some of these taste awful...

[Jerry D Young]

I read the article, but did not listen to the audio. Fortunately, the items in the article are not ones I routinely stock. But I will go over my preferred choice to double check my initial analysis of them as safe and nutritious one-year plus shelf stable foods.

Just my opinion.

[TWP]

We still stock some Spam / Spam lookalikes and a couple of canned hams.

These are NOT long term storage items and are expected to be used early in any crisis which requires depleting out food stores.

There are a couple of brands of meats and meat products which are just outrageously high fat.  When you open the can, there is a layer of yellow, congealed fat on the top.   One such brand is Hartford House(r), I avoid this.

[230gr]

His concern for high salt and fat are valid under present day conditions but would they be under those of SHTF? Your use of meats may be reduced considerably especially if you are using bulk grain and individual basic ingredients. In Chinese and other ethnics where meats are scares, meats are used to flavor vegetable and grain dishes. 

Fats will be scares SHTF and, optimally, 30% of you calories should come from them. How much complete protein do you actually need? An adult weighing 150 lbs. should eat 55 grams of protein per day. There are 7 grams of protein per ounce most cuts of beef so 55 divided by 7 = 7.9 oz. Similarly, 1 oz raw ground pork has 5 grams so 55 divided by 5 = 11 oz while 3 oz cooked has 22 grams so 55 divided by 22 = 7.5 oz.

This is not a huge amount of meat per day and the salt and fat may be enough to flavor your dish with adding more. 

[Reasonable Rascal]

The article is written from the aspect of what dieticians will tell you in the now and present. Avoid fat, low salt, limit your proteins to x grams per day, etc, etc. But more and more we  are finding out that the so-called food pyramid doesn't actually work. If anything it may be upside down.

Now try looking at it from the aspect of a high fat/protein-low carb diet and you will see how it misses the mark. Granted, we are not all wired alike and that includes our respective digestive and other systems. There will always be people who can't tolerate elevated fat levels, gluten, high levels of sodium, excessive sugars of whatever form, etc.

To say that Spam, for instance, which the last I knew had a planned 7 year shelf life, is bad because of the sodium level overlooks the reality that not everyone chowing down on it is going to be morbidly obese and with a genetic disposition to high blood pressure. We store it by the case and use it on occasion because we like it, and store it precisely because it stores for a very extended period of time.

But to get back to the point we have been finding out for a couple of decades now that a high protein/fat and low carb lifestyle is not only possible but for most people very healthy. Lower weights, lower A1c levels (average blood sugars), lower blood pressure, etc. I did it for a couple of years and experienced all of those benefits, and lost over 60 pounds as well. Life intervened and I got away from it for the most part (I like pizza, so sue me) and put 40 pounds back on and my blood pressure is creeping up as well. Time to eat more meat and cheese and put away the cookies that survived Christmas. (darn grandkids didn't do their jobs and eat them for me)

We store meat in every form we reasonably can, and aside from a half dozen cans of Armour Potted Meat that were tossed just last week for bulging (dated 02/12 as far as when we bought them) we've never had canned meat of any form go back even after 15 years for some of it. Where we live we have access to Keystone canned meats - chicken, beef, ground beef, turkey, pork - and we have a decent stock. Not exactly cases of it but the balloon hasn't gone up yet so there may be time. In addition canned fish (herring and tuna, with a little salmon as well), meat spreads, Spam and similar, hashes, hams and more. Most of it is far from gourmet but we won't have to hunt or butcher for protein and we have plenty of components for casseroles, soups, stews and even regular meals.

In summation, I'd like to say: normal people don't eat Vienna sausages. 

RR