Day 5 {Friday}
Breakfast – Nothing.
Let me explain. The 1 Month Food Supply Value Kit comes with 85 servings and based on 2 things:
1. Price point so that people can start their food storage in some way.
2. You are supplementing the kit with beans, rice and other items you are already storing.
In hindsight I should have gone with the Premium Kit because it comes with 205 servings and was especially designed to feed 1 person for an entire month. But I didn’t. Because I’m an idiot. And kind of stubborn. 😉
Anywho, 30 days = 90 meals and the kit I am using only has 85 servings which means I have to go without a meal 5 times. So I need to be strategic about it. My first thought was to sleep in on every Saturday this month and skip breakfast plus and go without lunch once.
But then I remembered I am signed up to do a 5k this month {on a Saturday} so that means I can only sleep in {and skip breakfast} 3 times this month and will have to skip lunch twice so I don’t end up with an empty box and no food to eat at the end of the month.
On top of the 5k race, there is Monkey Boy’s Graduation and Father’s Day. Both of which include a family gathering WITH FOOD. Could I have picked a better month to do this personal challenge?
YES
So basically, I’ll be staying in my pj’s and trying not to move a few days this month. It should be interesting. Luckily Lucy the puggle princess likes to snuggle and watch movies with me.
Moral of the story –>When the zombie Apocalypse hits… HAVE A BIG ARSE STOCKPILE OF FOOD. Because you are going to NEED it.
Snack- Beans and Rice 320 calories
Lunch and Dinner – Southern Style Chicken and Rice Soup 460 {230 calories per serving}
Total Calories Consumed on Day – 780
Total Beverages Consumed on Day – 0 cups of tea 9 bottles of water {I’m using this to drink out of}
The hardest part about day 5?
I gave up tea. I can’t believe it. If I can’t have milk and sugar in my tea… forget about it. It’s not even worth drinking.
Day 6 {Saturday}
Breakfast – Multi Grain Cereal 160 calories
Snack- Beans and Rice 320 calories
Lunch and Dinner White Bean and Lime Chili 460 calories {230 calories per serving}
This stuff was freakin’ delicious. I am continually amazed at how good food with a 25 year shelf life can be. Plus, this chili has cumin in it which is one of my favorite spices.
Total Calories Consumed on Day – 940
Total Beverages Consumed on Day – 10 bottles of water {it was 86 degrees out!!}
The hardest part about day 6?
It was hot out, a low calorie day, and I had about 6 hours of online work I had to do. I knew going into the day it was going to be a hard one so I made sure to take a nap and drink plenty of water. I also got woke up around 5:30 {I normally sleep in on Saturdays} and watered the garden beds and all the plants super early so I wouldn’t be outside during the afternoon and evening hours when the temps are high. Saturday was lame and kind of depressing.
Until the mail man dropped off a package from James at Valley Food Storage containing 2 packages of pancake mix! “Just a little something to help.” the note said. Hmmmm. What does this mean?
Should I make pancakes? Would this be considered cheating? {Yes, yes it would} I mean, zombies have not attacked yet so maybe I need to save the mix just in case they do. We’ll see.
Day 7 {Sunday}
Breakfast – Strawberry Malt – o- Meal 220 calories
Snack- Beans and Rice 320 calories
Lunch and Dinner White Bean and Lime Chili 460 calories {230 calories per serving}
Total Calories Consumed on Day – 1000
Total Beverages Consumed on Day – 9 bottles of water
The hardest part about day 7?
I made homemade chocolate ice cream for my peeps AND baked oatmeal cookies for them as well. On more than one occasion {okay, maybe 10} I opened the jar of oatmeal cookies and gave a good hard smell trying to basically inhale the cookies through my sniffer. It was pretty pitiful and my husband may have yelled “Eat a Damn Cookie Already” at me.
But I soldiered on.
23 days to go.
~Mavis
More Posts-
Living off a 30 Day Supply of Dehydrated Food
Living off a 30 Day Emergency Supply of Food – Day 1
Living off a 30 Day Emergency Supply of Food – Day 2
Living off a 30 Day Emergency Supply of Food – Day 3
Living off a 30 Day Emergency Supply of Food – Day 4
Laurie says
I feel guilty snacking on raw almonds and blueberries as I read your post.
Teri says
Me too!
Dana says
Maybe let’s not let ‘perfect’ be the enemy of the good. So you were going to have to miss a couple of meals, but now that they have sent you pancake mix, you don’t have to! It’s all a part of food storage and it’s from the original company so NO. NOT CHEATING! Yay!!!!
Have your pancakes and eat them too.
Pam says
I agree! It’s not like you’d be sitting at home after the zombie apocalypse happened – wouldn’t you be out searching for beans and bullets to supplement your stockpile? Consider the pancake mix as a “spoils of war”.
Rosaleen says
You are a NUT and I love you! Rock on Hubby with the “eating a damn cookie already.” LOL!
Yeah, the company sent you pancake mix. Enjoy it. You DO have sugar and strawberries or some sort of syrup stored, don’t you? We KNOW you have jam stored…
How are you supposed to be able to compete in a run if you aren’t consuming enough protein and calories: By pretending that the zombies are chasing you?
Good luck!
JC says
I don’t understand why you are skipping meals if you planned on supplementing with beans and rice. Honestly I also don’t know why you are only supplementing with beans and rice since you’d probably have a couple cans of others stuff laying around. I always keep canned food in the house, and I think most people do.
Em says
So, you’re about a quarter of the way through! Beside tea with milk and sugar, what’s your first post-apocalypse meal going to be?
Mavis Butterfield says
A HUGE slice of Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake at 12:01 am on July 1st. 🙂
Holly says
I agree that the pancake mix is not cheating. It seems like your goal is to simulate an emergency. In an emergency, you would be eating the food you had stored organically (pun intended), including any bisquick, cake mix, and whatever you could forage from your garden/yard/park/neighborhood. However, I would note as others have, that having lived through Sandy here in NYC, our bigger problems were no power (including heating and cooling) and water. I assume you’re not using all bottled water, in which case this is not very indicative of a real emergency. Without water, canned food is your biggest asset, not dehydrated food that requires water.
Stay healthy and don’t be afraid to “cheat” – just be thankful you aren’t living through a real emergency. I can assure you, Sandy was no romantic survivor experience, and 85 servings of dehydrated food wouldn’t have been much help.
Tammy says
So…it’s not going to be good advertising for the company if you kill yourself during this challenge. LOL Too bad one of your goals for THIS year isn’t to fit into your old jeans. 😉
On a serious note, the bare minimum of calories by someone who is trying to lose weight is 1200. Even with the beans and rice you aren’t hitting even that.
What can I say, you are crazy, Mavis!!! I love your blog, good luck in the continuation of this challenge.
Pauline says
Mavis, I have to admire your guts, but I’m not sure that *I* can take another 23 days of this… I’m getting really worried about you. There is so much about your life that does NOT accommodate this starvation diet. Yes, it will sustain life, but I don’t think it can sustain YOUR life without your paying a high price for it. Just a bit of tough love from a big fan.
Alison says
Yes I’m worried too! Eat the pancakes!
Glenda says
I agree with several of the other comments concerning adding more calories in and eating what you have on hand. At least, beans and rice twice a day, as a snack, and the pancake mix with some preserves you’ve canned.
If the SHTF, most wise people will have a lot more stored of the foods they normally eat. We have a very deep pantry and the pre-packaged meals are not part of it. Pre-packaged survival meals would normally be eaten after all other stored provisions had been used up.
I am beginning to become very concerned for your health; especially if you run. Best wishes whatever you decide.
Carol B says
I do not approve of your caloric intake. Let me know when this month is over and I may come back.
Ellen C. says
I love your challenge and agree with the concerns of the other commenters; however, I have a question rather than a comment. If I were to purchase this same product for my emergency stores, how much water would be reasonable to stockpile per person per day in your estimation? This should include the water necessary to cook the supplemental rice and beans. Thanks so much for your great articles!
Mavis Butterfield says
You would need 6 gallons of water for the food storage kit.
2 gallons of water for the 7 cups brown rice and 7 gallons of water for the beans IF and only if you were cooking the beans and rice 1/4 cup at a time. If you were cooking say 1 cup of rice at a time or 1 cup of dried beans at a time you would require less water because you wouldn’t be using as much water to hydrate the beans and rinse them each time. I hope that helps.
Ellen C. says
Thank you Mavis for your reply – I live in earthquake/drought country (So. CA) so sufficient stores of emergency water are imperative. Being able to put enough away for food preparation and then add more for each person is good knowledge. As far as lasting health consequences from 30 days – I have my doubts. Has no one ever watched the documentaries about the dust bowl? The very elder people interviewed were the children of that era who went to bed hungry and woke up hungry. It made them stronger more determined people. I think when I store away my water and emergency provisions, I’ll tack a little note on the container – ‘Remember Mavis!’ It will keep me strong 🙂
Peggy K says
I have to agree with one of the pssters that this exercise in willpower that you are doing is NTUS and troubling. I find that I am troubled by the extremes you are taking this to. I believe that this Emergency Pack was to be supplemented by what you could salvage in a true emergency. Having lived thru Sandy and a dam bursting and flooding the emergency pack would have been helpful – but with NO water (well and pump) we would have had to rely on bottled water. If you were truly gong to ‘self support’ then you couldn’t drink tap water, would have to buy water and use bottled. And why giving up tea? I think you are misreading what an Emergency Pack is expected to do. And while I have to have my Lucy The Puggle Princess fix every day I may skip reading this latest adventure. Not healthy and not proving anything. Sorry to be so Negative Nelly but this is an exercise in foolishness and not healthy. And what are you attempting to prove – that you have extreme willpower? Kudos to the HH for telling you (probably in LOUD tones) to eat the d@@mn cookie. You certainly do keep his life interesting!
Tamara says
Second! And as I stated before, Mavis, you would still have your garden produce unless it was destroyed in the earthquake or flood. Yes, you most certainly have willpower, which CAN be a good thing, but also can be bad. Do you not want to be your best for your son’s graduation? No do-over there. Also, I can tell you from experience, it is no fun leaving a race in the back of a medic truck. “Pride goeth before the Fall”. Use that great brain you have been blessed with!
Lori B says
I’m in agreement with most other posters that your caloric intake is too low and that a better use of the challenge might be to use what is in your pantry in addition to the dried food. Just do not add anything that is not already in your pantry or is refrigerated. Also, if you have included beans and rice, why can they not substitute for the missing meals, rather than going hungry?
That said, as a former backpacker, I have used the freeze dried meals, but always, always had supplemental items to keep my calories up. Please take care with this experiment. It is difficult reading. Use the pancakes. Take your vitamins. Listen to your body.
Holly says
Mavis, sweetie…I admire your focus but I am not sure you would like it to result in hormonal imbalance. Extreme calorie reduction and skipping meals cause the liver enzymes to wack out and can lead to eating disorders and unexpected weight issues. What you are attempting is almost anorexic given your normally high carb diet. You are a ‘sugar burner’ and have not compensated for your high activity levels requiring more fuels. You haven’t an ounce to spare, you are so efficient at burning thru your usual meals. Also, I would venture to suggest given your age you are about to begin peri menopause, a time of intense hormonal shifts. Playing with your insulin levels as you are is not wise at this time. Do a little research on it. I say this all with love, you are a great inspiration to me and I would be bereft if you became ill from this experiment. How about one week on one week off? At least increase your calories, a toddler would eat more. Would it be cheating if you also forage greens from your lawn? Wild foods would usually be available if you hadn’t stored any supplies before hand. Remember, when you do not eat enough protein, the body cannibalizes muscle tissue, including your heart. And for god sakes, don’t run that marathon.
Crystal says
This seems too extreme to me too. I am already aware that the size kit you are using to sustain you obviously would barely cut it in a true emergency situation. Lesson learned: be prepared with lots of food and water per person, clearly more than I thought I would need. So why drag this out? This is a learning experience, not ” watch Mavis torture herself”. Enjoy some fresh strawberries! You always seem so down to earth, but this seems over the top! Costco sells a big bucket of emergency type foods. I think buying some type of emergency foods is a wise idea and definitely water! Thanks for bringing awareness to this issue. Now go eat something 🙂
Courtney Thomas says
mmm dry pancakes. Blech.
I am like your daughter – pancakes are my love language.
Correction. Slathered and yummy pancakes are my love language.
Muddle up some of that strawberry oatmeal with some water to make them semi tasty?
Are you using a camp stove (joking)
Cheri says
Dear Mavis – if you could bottle your willpower and stick-to-it-ness and send it to me, I would buy some. 🙂 I suspect you are trying to test your resolve more than you are trying to test the food supply kit. And I admire that! But, in my book, you could totally tweak and still test yourself. Why miss out on your son’s celebration food? I, too am concerned that you are too stringent. Additionally, with regard to being prepared, I have read the pantry entries with interest. I tend to run a just-in-time food supply inventory system for my family of 4 (we live in the southern part of the SF Bay Area). Contrary to all who stockpile, I tend to feel uneasy when I have too much food in stock. Having too much freaks me out. I want to start using it up. And too much for me is more than 6 cans of anything:) I start to feel that I am holding too much food; that it will get old, that I might waste it. I just want to have in stock what I need for the near term. I could benefit by having a bit more in stock. But I am completely flummoxed by the inventory that some families hold. I have always wondered if there are others like me who prefer to purchase as needed. But your experiment has got me wondering about whether I should have an emergency supply. For us here, if not a terror thing, it is likely to be an earthquake that would require us to shelter in place.
Lana says
I agree with the other comments about this extreme diet to see if the dehydrated food could last 30 days. But most people who are preppers have way more than a single kit to live on and they supplement with other things. This is meant for a dire emergency. However, that being said, I think your trying the foods for taste and satiety would be beneficial and you can still make them all and let us know how they taste and review them, not live off them. You should be eating normal food as well. Please do not feel that you have backed yourself into a corner and you must finish what you started. Just review the food in addition to your own healthy diet and that is good enough. No one will think less of you for it.
Lana says
So do the experiment as a learning experience. Now you know you need to store sugar and powdered milk with your tea. Ok so you have learned this, you shared it with us, now go have your tea the way you like it.
Crystal says
I’m reading all of these other comments, and I have to say, it surprises me how many people seem to be mad at you for doing this.
At the end of the day, it is your body and your choice. I trust that you have enough intelligence that if you think your health is going to be seriously impacted, you will give up on this in order to be healthy instead.
I am also a stubborn person. And while I think it would be healthier if you supplemented with a few more things (even just some additional servings of rice and beans, or the pancake mix the company sent you), it is totally your call, and I admire your persistance here.
Mavis Butterfield says
I trust that you have enough intelligence that if you think your health is going to be seriously impacted, you will give up on this in order to be healthy instead.
Thank you! 🙂
Melissa says
Nicely put! Mavis already mentioned that it’s an experiment – which means it’s not about will power exactly – if she gets to day 20 and feels like she would cave in an emergency and eat more so it doesn’t last the full 30 days, then she (and we) will all get to learn something there – people really seem afraid to test themselves and feel she MUST set herself up only for obvious success or this is somehow a bad thing – not at all – it could be humbling if it doesn’t go quite as planned but that’s called living – figuring out what you truly might do in an emergency. I know the lack of pre-planning, jumping in without thinking of sugar or milk or whatever, has really made me think about what would be useable in my pantry in a real emergency – I find your approach fascinating Mavis! I think I would stick to my original plan too – to see if it does or doesn’t pan out – and really, all these people so scared for your health – it’s 30 days, not 300!!! People go on voluntary water-only fasts for that long, related to their faith – your body can handle a challenge here and there 🙂
FYI I scroll through FB looking for your daily update on this religiously (although I’m not joining you – especially during berry and ice cream weather!!)
Lisa Millar says
I love your persistence!
I told Ruby about your experiment and she chuckled (She wasn’t worried about your health and she is a nurse of more years than most of us can remember) but she said it was the kind of experiment that should have been done in winter when all the spring goodness wasn’t wafting under your nose!!!
🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Tell Ruby thank you for the vote of confidence. 🙂 And she’s right, the experiment should have been done during the winter months. Ha!
Lisa Millar says
I certainly will!
My nurse husband thinks you will lose some weight on those calories, but as long as you are keeping hydrated – should be fine!
We are cheering you on from here! We are all for surviving Zombies in this household!! lol
CathyB says
This is the last time I will leave a comment, because it is your life after all. However part of the reason why people are so concerned is because the damage that can be done to your health can be long term and not something you necessarily “feel” at the time you are doing it. I would only suggest that you Google the effects of eating fewer than 1000 calories a day and see if the risks are worth it. Although I know you are not doing this for weight loss, it does mimic the extreme low-calorie weight loss diets. These were especially popular when my mother was middle-aged. She from time to time did restrictive calorie diets for a month whenever she felt like she needed to lose a few pounds. These may have been a factor in the fact that she needed a quadruple heart bypass at 52, which is very young for a woman, despite the fact that she had a normal height/weight ratio. The doctors cannot say for sure, and I am sure that genetics was a factor, but they did stress that this type of dieting is very hard on the heart and while it may not have been the sole cause, it sure did not help. So while I understand that you don’t want people to talk you out of this, I also personally would feel remiss if I did not at least warn you of how this can possibly affect you and your family.
Pam says
I agree with Crystal. Most women over the age of 30 or so have learned quite a bit about how their body feels/operates in certain circumstances. I’m sure if you felt this was harming you in any way, you’d stop. Just that simple. Like I commented above – in a true crisis situation, you’d be foraging for food from other sources – empty stores/houses, your garden, your neighbor’s garden. So what’s in the kit I would take to be just the basics needed to maintain life. Supplementing would be expected. I consider myself a “prepper”. I have a section of my home dedicated to canned food, water and other necessities. And in a TRUE crisis situation, I would also not be planning “meals” from that stockpile. I’d eat what I needed to when I needed to which means I may skip a meal from time to time. Keep doing what your doing Mavis – it sounds like this has become much more about your strength of character/will than about testing a food box. Best of luck!
Pam says
I urge everyone to remember that this is a 30 day experiment. She’s using well balanced, nutritious food. She has a bit more common sense than the 13 year old girl who decides to follow some wacky diet to increase her thigh gap (2 potato chips and a spoonful of tuna per day kind of nonsense.). She didn’t come out of a malnourished third world country. It sounds as though everyone commenting is concerned (as I am) but I also respect the fact that Mavis didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday. I’m giving her credit for the intelligence to know her limits.
Peggy k says
Me too! Love the blog so will keep quiet,
Kate says
This is going to be a long month for your family and your readers. I feel compelled to let you know that this challenge is not enjoyable to read about. I have looked forward to reading your blog and reader comments but cannot understand why you would put your health at risk in an exercise that isn’t even realistic–
Pauline says
Dear Mavis,
I want to apologize. Clearly my (well-intentioned) comments have offended you and/or hurt your feelings. As they say, “we all bring our own stuff,” and my “stuff” includes both 20 years of nursing practice and, on a very personal level, an increasing awareness as I age that my own good health is not something to be taken for granted. My earlier comment that I wasn’t sure that *I* could take another 23 days of your diet was intended to be flippant, but clearly I blew it. All of this is, of course, entirely your own business. We readers only see what you want us to of who Mavis really is. I genuinely appreciate your candor, your humor, and your can-do attitude. You inspire me. Your blog is one of my all-time favorites, and NO WAY am I going to stop reading it. I was out of line, and I hope you will forgive me. And now, I promise to shut up about the whole subject and say no more.
Mavis Butterfield says
Awww Pauline. You did not hurt my feelings one bit so please do not feel like you did. If I feel like I need to stop this crazy challenge of mine, I will. No worries.
Catherine says
Mavis, Eat the frickin’ pancakes! They are a gift! The world is full of gifts, even in the midst of zombie apocalypses. Receive the gift and enjoy it!
Catherine says
Sorry. I posted that without reading all of the comments above. Still haven’t read them all. Obviously, it’s your decision, but…well, I’ve told you what I think. 😉
Laura C. says
I am LOVING this series and look forward to the e-mail in my inbox each day. It was hard over the weekend to wait and see how it is going! I think you are doing great at this very mental challenge (I think anything involving food is a lot of mind work). It is inspirational. If you can do this than I can do ______. Whatever I decide to do you have inspired me. Ignore the negative comments and keep at it! 🙂
Rhonda High says
Hahaha!! Mavis, STOP!! I just had dental work done and should not be laughing! Oh your too funny. And yes, I agree with people about eating blah blah blah.. BUT as a person who is known to jump first and ask questions later.. I will cheer you on!! You can do it! Your awesome and I think some people tak elife to seriously. This would so be me if I had a blog. Thankfully most of my impuliveness is only for my family to see! Rock on!!
Ellen in Clackamas says
Mavis, I think one of the best things to come out of your experiment is the knowledge that that box of survival food is palatable. Would totally suck if you hadn’t tired it but that was what you had in your emergency kit and when you needed to eat it it tasted terrible to you. I know if you were hungry enough you could get it down, but how much better to know it tastes good.