This Overlooked Protein Source Needs to be in Your Prepper Pantry

Hey there, ReadyNutrition Readers!  I wanted to give you some information on something I go nuts about.  Peanuts, that is!  As we speak, I have some right here, salted in the shell…cracking open in between sentences akin to a giant squirrel.  Yes, they’re really good.  I know, I know, some of you guys and girls are allergic to peanuts.  Still, there are some uses that you can still find for them.  The point I’m making is that the peanut is a winner…. now, and after the SHTF.

Did you know that peanuts are the main source of protein for the majority of the people in the world?  Technically they’re a legume, and are one of the top 25 foods to have in your prepper pantry. You can even boil and can them for later use. To grow peanuts, you’ll have to check the times of the year to germinate and plant because it varies on your geographic location.  They are a “cover” crop, simply meaning that after a harvest one year of corn, wheat, etc., you plant the next year in peanuts…it promotes the restoration of nitrogen to the soil.  That is what peanuts do.  I pick up seeds periodically as a backup, and grow some (potted) every three years…. just to seed-save and have a few.

Peanuts are a high protein source

Peanuts are very high in protein.  1-ounce of shelled peanuts has about 7 grams of protein.  They’re very high in minerals: Niacin, Magnesium, and Manganese, to name a few, and the ounce gives 20, 10, and 30% of the RDA for these respectively.  They also contain sodium and potassium (230 and 180 mg respectively), which is a good indicator of why they’re optimal for hiking and physical exertions, as they can replace some electrolytes.

Create an alternative oil source

Because peanuts have such a high oil content, you can also press them for oil.  This oil, understand, can be used for cooking (optimal), as well as lamps, emollients in homemade lotions, ointments, and creams, and in a grid-down, SHTF scenario, nothing could be so useful…for cooking meals and providing light when candles and batteries are a thing of the past.  There are hand-presses you can order that will enable you to harvest your oil.

For more information on how to press oil from seeds and nuts, click here.

Another thing of interest: the resultant mass after the oil is pressed out of the nuts can be both eaten and/or used as feed for livestock. Then there’s peanut butter, JJ’s end-all, be-all of existence in some form or fashion.  The protein shakes I take for lifting weights taste as the “S” in the SHTF; therefore, I augment it with 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter, adding an additional 8 grams of protein and making it taste really good.  Peanut butter is really great for storage and for survival food.  The type and grade is your choice.  I like to pick mine up in plastic jars, as this is Montana, and I don’t want 500 lbs. of peanut butter and 100 lbs. of cracked, broken glass jars, the former stuck and frozen to the latter.

Seriously, folks, it’s great survival food and will supplement your diet and give you the extra protein and fats your body needs in times of trouble.  The fiber (2 g per 1-ounce) will also help to prevent constipation, as peristalsis decreases in times of high stress found during a collapse scenario.  And it tastes great.  That counts for something, ladies and gentlemen.  You’re going to face enough problems when it hits.  You need something to mentally buoy you through the tough times.  Something that is good for you and fits the bill for a survival food that actually is enjoyable to eat is a definite plus that will help you mentally.

We’d love to hear about your experiences with the peanut, and how you have incorporated it into your preps.  As you probably may have guessed by my exuberance on the subject, yes, Reese’s peanut butter cups are JJ’s favorite candy, and those Nutter Butter cookies.  Either of them are akin to a can of Macadamia nuts…. you eat until everything is gone, gone, gone!  Looking forward to hearing from you.  JJ out!

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition

Source: http://readynutrition.com/resources/this-overlooked-protein-source-needs-to-be-in-your-prepper-pantry_09052016/