Regarding the food storage calculator. Its a good source. IMO people greatly underestimate how much food they’ll need. Many times they buy the freeze dried food thinking it will provide more than it will. Many of the entree’s only allow for 200-300 calories per serving.
I’ve said it before I am against the entree’s and ‘kits’, they are extermly expensive for one. The kits you run a good chances of getting food you hate so much you will not eat it unless there is nothing else at all.
You want the fixings and make what you know you will eat. You can buy lots of bulk things and pack they for long term storage yourself much cheaper than buying it pack.
You can even buy a dehydrator and pack and store gehydrated food many times much cheaper than buying it.
Do as much DIY as you can.
Yes, it’s important to read the all nutritional and serving size labels carefully. It’s also important to buy a few long term foods to try out before buying to stock up. Everyone should check out:
http://www.youtube.com/user/imstillworkin/videos
The link is for her home food preservation how to and serious points on why/why not techniques. Specific to this thread is the one on Deydrated Onions where she demonstrates how you are getting much less product than what you think you are. Many will be shocked when they eat through a month supply of food in only 3 weeks.
Agreed.
I haven't lived on freeze dried and dehydrated foods other than using them on camping trips. I have also prepared and sampled them to learn how to prepare, how much to prepare, etc.
In my limited experience I would say the recommended serving amount on most containers is overly optimistic. It seems more like the minimum required nutrition for bare subsistence when you are not physically active.
For calculating how much to store I figure on about 1/2 to 2/3 as many servings for an active adult as shown on the container.
I think that is a much more realistic expectation and might even leave a little bit of a safety margin too.