Want to know a simple recipe for survival food bars that you can add to your bug out bag list and have a long shelf life?
Alright so you’re sick of eating canned food and you realize just how heavy they are to lug around when you’re either fleeing, hiking, camping or whatever situation you’re in. Trust me, i’ve been there way too many times. I get how much of a bitch it is when it comes to packing, especially when you want to try to stay light on your feet. Of course you’ll need a couple of tins but not too many that’ll weigh you down.
So, I came across a super tasty recipe for survival food bars that’ll not only give you a ton of energy but they are that bloody simple to make at home and cost next to nothing to put together. Aaaaand to top it off, they’re compact, light and long lasting. If stored correctly, they’ll keep good for around 15-20 years. Each batch will give just over 3000 calories so if you can split it evenly into 10 pieces, you have yourself a 300+ calorie energy bar ready to go whenever you need that energy kick!
Ultimate Energy Food Rationing Recipes – Survival Food Bars
Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats (regular or quick, doesn’t really matter)
- 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
- 1 3 oz package jello (personal choice of flavor, lemon/lime tastes pretty good) *Note: Only use 3 tablespoons of water, not the suggested amount for making a box of jello.
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 cup sugar
Equipment:
- 9″x13″ pan
- A sheet of parchment/baking paper
- Mylar bags OR Air sealable containers for storage (The Mylar bags are a little easier for transport)
- Dehydrator (Optional but not necessary)
Survival Food Bars – 8 Simple Steps to Creating One of the Best Long Shelf Life Foods:
These bad boys really are simple to put together and they go a little something like this….
Step 1: First, line a 9”x13” pan with parchment/baking paper so you’re ready for the mix when it comes time.
Step 2: Then mix your oats, powdered milk and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Step 3: Mix your water, jello and honey in a saucepan before setting any heat, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
Step 4: Add your liquid jello mixture to your dry oats mixture and blend well.
Step 5: Once both mixtures are thoroughly blended together, pour into your lined 9″x13″ pan, carefully pressing the mixture all the way to the edges evenly.
Step 6: Cut your dough into bars (weigh them if you like) and make sure you’ve cut them all the way from top to bottom otherwise they will crumble once baked.
Step 7: Bake the bars at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 1.5 to 2 hours. Allow 10-15 mins cooling time then remove them from the pan. *Note – At this point, you can also dehydrate them instead of bake. They obtain a great result at 145 degrees for 4-6 hours.
Make sure they are completely cooled and dry and start packaging them. As mentioned, you can use mylar bags or tupperware type sealable containers. Be sure to mark the date on them so you know how long they have left shelf life wise.
Notes:
- If your dough gets a little dry, don’t be scared to slowly add a little extra water. Try using 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough has a crumbly texture but is still able to be stuck together when pressed.
- Dehydrated bars tend to crumble a little more than the baked bars.
Take all the time you need to dry them out properly. You don’t want them to have too much moisture as they can go bad.
3000+ Calories Per Batch Deems Them One of the Best Emergency Food Sources
I’m one of those numbers nerds that really needs to know what my intake is so I thought I’d break down the calories included per survival food bars (depending on how even your cuts are per bar) I come to the conclusion that each batch worked out to a touch over 3000 calories.
- Oats = 560 calories (at 140 calories per 1/2 cup)
- Powdered Milk = 1333 calories (at 100 calories per 3 Tbsp; there are 40 Tbsp in 2.5 cups)
- Jello packet = 320 calories (at 80 calories per serving, 4 servings per package)
- Honey = 180 calories (at 60 calories per 1 Tbsp)
- Sugar = 720 calories (at 15 calories per 1 tsp; there are 48 teaspoons in 1 cup)
Do the math:
560 + 1333 + 320 +180 + 720 =3113
3113/10 bars = 311.3 calories per bar. Not bad eh!
Final Thoughts
All in all, some simple homemade survival food bars like this could be the difference between an extra couple of days for you or even your family on foot! The beauty of these bad boys is that there is no oil or any other type of ingredient that spoil or get nasty any time soon. They should have very minimal moisture, as you dry them in the oven or dehydrate them. But on the flipside, they do tend to stay moist due to the Jello. Nice! These tasty little morsels will also stay intact without crumbling just like something you’d buy from the shop!
If you enjoyed this survival food bars recipe, let us know by sharing it or leave a comment. If you’ve tried it yourself, let us know how you went and if you did anything different to improve it in any way. If you have any other similar recipes, please email them to us so we can review them and add them to the list of survival food! More great rationing recipes for your bug out bag list! Check out another one of our super simple survival food recipes: How To Make Hardtack.
