counting calories

Cyngbaeld · #1 03/16/08, 03:14 PM

When stocking up, you need to make sure the calories are adequate for your family.

I strongly urge everyone to spend at least 2 weeks eating nothing but storage food and see exactly how much you eat. It is even better to do it while practicing dealing with things such as power outages. Now is the time to realize you only have a fraction of the food you need, not down the road when you cannot get the food.

I've been running some figures on part of our storage foods. I'll try to add more later when I get time. Chime in with your own figures if you have them.

Dried beans. 1 pound = 2 cups
Cooked beans 1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked
1pound dry beans = 1500 calories

Rice 1 pound = 2.32 cups
One cup of dry rice weighs 6.9 oz.
One cup of dry rice (plus two cups of water) yields 4 cups of cooked rice.
1 pound dry rice = 1500 calories
(232 1/2cup servings/50 pound bag of rice.)

1 pound fat = 3500 calories
1 tbsp fat = 120 calories

1 cup cooked beans = 250 calories

2 cups cooked rice = 1/2 cup dry
2 cups cooked rice = 325 calories

1 cup whole milk = 150 calories
1 cup reconstituted dry = 90 calories

ailsaek · #2 03/16/08, 07:38 PM

Haven't got them now, but DH is looking over my shoulder as I read this, and he says he's adding a field for that in his grocery tracking database. And we just bought 35 lbs. of canola oil, which will certainly help.

pickapeppa · #3 03/16/08, 08:21 PM

This is such a good point, Cyng. And keep in mind that when you're forced to do more physical labor, and as your muscle mass grows, you'll need more calories.

Here's an excerpt from my grandmother's home ec book printed in 1920s for caloric needs based on gender and occupation - it's an eye opener:

Men of 154 lbs need:

Tailor 2300 - 2600 calories
Shoemaker 2700 to 2950
Carpenter 2800 to 3500
Metal worker 3350 to 3950
Farm laborer 3150 to 4200
Painter 3500 to 3800

Women of 123 lbs need:

Hand sewer 1500 to 1700
Machine sewer 1800 to 2250
Waitress 2400 to 3000
Laundress 2300 to 3350

There are other gems in this text, but this I found to be the most interesting.