Making Do for 72 Hours-PART THREE: 72 Hour Meal Plan

  As promised, here is my meal plan for our 72 hour kits. Our kits are backpacks that we will grab in the event of an emergency.

Wing Stove

Pocket Stove-Holds 6 Esbit Tablets for portabili

  We have these fantastic Wing Stoves and Pocket Stoves that fit perfectly into our backpacks, are lightweight and convenient. They can hold a gallon pot, so perfect for our needs, and at less than $10 a piece they're very affordable!

  I would also recommend getting some of our Waterproof Matches. A box of 25 matches is only .49 and these matches light even in rain!

  Okay, onto the meal plan! We have a family of 5, but I am figuring my meal plan based on a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young children), since that is the easiest way for you to recalculate based on your own family's needs. Here's my plan:

Day 1

Breakfast: 9 Grain Cracked Cereal with Milk

Morning Snack: Vanilla Yogurt Bites

Lunch: THRIVE Express Chili Lime Chicken Rice, Crackers

Afternoon Snack: FD Bananas (save remaining 2 servings for another use)

Dinner: THRIVE Express Baked Potato Cheese Soup

Day 2

Breakfast: 9 Grain Cracked Cereal with Milk

Morning Snack: FD Fuji Apples (save remaining 2 servings for another use)

Lunch: THRIVE Express Loaded Scalloped Potatoes, Crackers

Afternoon Snack: Vanilla Yogurt Bites

Dinner:THRIVE Express Hearty Chili with Beans

Day 3

Breakfast: 9 Grain Cracked Cereal with Milk

Morning Snack: Vanilla Yogurt Bites

Lunch: THRIVE Express Broccoli Cheese Soup, Crackers

Afternoon Snack: Divide the two left-over servings each bananas and apples

Dinner:THRIVE Express Southwestern Style Chicken and Rice

Additional Items for Energy and Sustainability: 

*1 serving/day Fruit Punch Performance

*Hard candies to suck on-3/person/day (I have purchased Jolly Ranchers)

*1 pack sugar-free gum per person to help curb additional hunger and anxiety

*1 gallon water/person/day for drinking. Three gallons of water per person, or 23 regular size (16.9 oz) water bottles in a 72 hour kit. Three gallons of water weighs 25 pounds so this is a lot of water! Keep in mind you will need 1-2 additional gallons water/day for cooking.

 -Stick strictly to the number of servings and serving size listed on the packages. I have calculated this menu precisely.

-This meal plan has been created with the bare minimum in mind. Remember, you simply need to be able to get by. Too much food in a backpack will create a lot of extra weight making the pack unbearably heavy.

-I opted to use the THRIVE Express meals for our lunches and dinners because they have 4 servings/pouch and are quick and easy to prepare.

-I have purchased a large box of saltine crackers at Sam's Club. These come packaged separately with two crackers per package allowing me to figure a package of crackers per person (think of the little two-cracker packages restaurants give you when you order soup). 

  I have put together a document with the meal plan and shopping list. Feel free to print this document and put it in your 72-Hour Kit for easy reference. 

  For your information, the combined weight of all the THRIVE products you will need to prepare these meals is just over 5 3/4 pounds. Not too shabby considering you'll be eating well and be able to distribute that weight between both adults!

Autumn Christiansen    Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance   435-723-0977  autumnchristiansen@gmail.com 

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