What are some ideas on adapting food storage to different dietary needs, whether those needs are simply that more/less of a specific item is needed or the needs are for alternatives if there are allergies?
Adapting Food Storage to Individual and Family Dietary Needs
When considering what to store, individuals and families should consider their needs and limitations in foods. Children, pregnant or nursing mothers need more calcium & protein foods like milk. Are there allergies (wheat, milk, eggs, etc), diabetic or other health needs and concerns? Below are some ideas on substitutions and additions when considering these types of things. I am not an expert on these, you will have to follow the advice of your doctor and find things that are shelf stable that meet the type of diet you follow & need. Whenever there is an allergy or diet restriction you should always check labels carefully--both for the ingredients/nutrition information and for the expiration date. Things like wheat, nuts, milk, corn, carrots, etc. pop up in places you wouldn’t think--so check the labels. If you have diet restrictions and concerns it is very wise to keep product labels to refer to in the future for tracking ingredients, sugars, sodium, etc. Also be aware that the substitutes often cost more and don’t store as long so be sure to budget for them and plan for rotation.
Wheat Allergies: Other options for whole grains/seeds that can be ground or eaten whole: rice, oats (check for gluten free), quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, corn, wild rice, flax seeds and any other grains/seeds that you have tried and liked. Think of what you already use for flour or grains--can you find it in its whole form? If not, you can stock up on the flour form, but be aware the shelf-life won’t be as long as that of wheat or even the grain in whole form so you will need to rotate through it much faster.
Milk Allergies: The downside to most of the milk alternatives, besides being expensive, is that they don’t have the storage life of regular dry milk, so you will need to be sure to rotate through it faster. But here are some options: soy milk powder, canned/liquid soy milk (I’ve seen some that is shelf stable until it is opened) or you could learn about how to store soy and making your own soy milk, evaporated goat milk.
Egg allergies: Some alternatives to egg powder/crystals: unflavored gelatin or flax meal can be used to substitute eggs in baked goods. Also for sweeter baked goods like pancakes or muffins, you can use mashed banana or applesauce to replace the egg, but be sure to increase slightly the baking soda/powder amounts as bananas and applesauce don’t help rise the baked good like an egg would. There are other substitutes as well, commercially made as well as homemade substitutions that you may already be aware of--simply stock up on the ingredients (checking labels and expiration dates of course) and rotate.
Legume allergies: you can store meats and fish instead of legumes. Canned or dehydrated/freeze dried.
Low-fat, Low-sugar, Low-sodium diets (diabetic, heart concerns, etc): Follow Dr recommendations. When storing foods--check the ingredients and labels! Many, many canned goods have lots of sugar and/or sodium; but more and more you can find “low-sodium” options or fruits canned in juice not heavy syrup. As far as storing wheat, beans & oats, these are low fat (and what fat there may be is the good kind of fat), low sodium, high fiber & protein foods that are good for the heart and body, that shouldn’t cause crazy blood glucose changes as long as they are eaten in moderation. Also, store veggies (dehydrated don’t usually have the added salts/sugars).
For all food storage, whether storing regular food items or substitutions/diet specific foods gather a variety of recipes that you like that use the food items you will be storing and meet your dietary needs
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