Code Red Foods

Calories, protein, and serving sizes for Code Red Foods

Let me take a few minutes of your time, in an effort to save you some heartache and cash.

I like to see what the market (Ready made meals market specifically) is doing on a regular basis, because there are very real needs that remain unanswered, which Code Red Foods aims to satisfy.

Why are most meals full of preservatives and salt when in most scenarios, water, much less clean water may not be readily available? If you are semi-dehydrated massive amounts of salt are the last thing you need. After all kidney stones are no fun.
Why are vital minerals and vitamins not a top concern?
Why are prices so prohibitive?
And what I will discuss today, why are companies quoting a 120 day food ration that tops out at 54,000 calories? This represents Only 450 calories a day. This is not honest, this is not reputable, this is not sustaining, and this is certainly not something that consumers should be obligated to worry about.

I'm not going to name names, I don't have to. A 5th grade math knowledge and a calculator can tell you who these companies are.

The bottom line is these businesses are not selling gadgets, toys, cheap products expected to be low quality. These companies are selling the very things EVRY single one of its customers is relying upon to save not only their life, but that of their families as well. You can shop the market, buy food quoted to feed you for 6 months, a year, 14 months for a couple, a year for a family, etc, and find yourself dead of starvation a quarter of the way in.

Code Red Foods says this is unacceptable.

Over the following days we will be updating this information until each of our meals is cataloged for you to see exactly how long each of these will sustain you.

BBQ Spaghetti- #10 Can

Calories- 3,020

Protein- 81g
Carbohydrates- 669g
Fats- 4g
Sodium- 7,820mg

It is suggested that each #10 can is divided into 8 servings yielding 377 calories per serving. This meal has more sodium than any other meal we offer. It is advised you keep this in mind as you plan your diets. Too much salt can be a nasty thing if you don't have enough water flowing through you.

Red Beans and Rice- #10 Can

Calories- 3017

Protein- 143g
Carbohydrates- 707g
Fats- 0g
Sodium- 5,654mg

RB&R is another great candidate to be split 8 times into serving sizes, yielding the same amount of calories as BBQ Spaghetti, with a considerably reduced intake of sodium. The protein levels in this meal are high, great for any situation where a lot of physical activity might be common.

Mashed Potato- #10 Can

Calories- 4,158

Protein- 66g
Carbohydrates- 677g
Fats- 85g
Sodium- 2,640mg

Our mashed potatoes are always a favorite. While skinny in terms of protein, this meal has some fat which is the most difficult thing to get in any ready made, medium-long term shelf life food. Fat is necessary for brain and nerve function and maintenance. To help boost the value proposition of this meal even more, we proudly remind you that this is the only meal we have, that requires zero heat to make. It is better if warmed, but the re-hydration of each ingredient is instant and not dependent on heat. Ringing in at just under 30 seconds of prep time for this meal, its always a hit with the designated cook.

Stay tuned, More nutritional facts coming in the days that follow.

No can opener, No problem!

Many of the common food items found in a typical pantry are canned goods. The relative low cost, superior strength, and versatility of sizes all make the can one of the greatest storage methods available. All Code Red Foods products are available in cans, but so are other common storage items, such as canned fruits and veggies, gravies, meats, and tomato sauces and pastes.

The down side to this method of storage is getting into the can, safely. Using some austere techniques can leave your fingers and hands at risk of cuts and gashes of varying degrees, but there is one way that I would strongly recommend. I learned about it in Cody Lundin's book, When All Hell Breaks Loose.

Note: Being adaptable and resourceful are the greatest skills to possess. However, if hypothetically you could be 100% prepared these skills would be worth much less. It is for this reason that in this circumstance we recommend preparedness as Plan A and resourcefulness as Plan B. We strongly suggest a $10 investment in a bag of P-38 can openers such as the Army uses. They can be found at most Army surplus stores for around $0.25 each.

In the pictures I use a small section of a metal file, a great tool to have in a Bug out bag, Get out of dodge bag, 72 hour kit, etc. However, this can be accomplished with a concrete surface, a rough rock, asphalt, etc.

On the top rim you will want to file through the lip, aiming straight down. As you file away you will see the lid and the wall of the can start to separate. What you are filing away is actually a fold of metal that binds the wall and the lid, and when this fold is eliminated, the lid and can become 2 independent pieces.

As you continue to file, you will see the lid can sway slightly, and if your can contains a liquid it might start to seep out.

After you have removed the fold of metal from the entire upper ring, the lid can be removed. There are some sharp edges, but they are relatively smooth, and do not have the burrs that often inflict deep cuts and wounds.

This is what the wall of the can will look like once the lid is removed.

This is the top of the lid. You can see the edge does not pose as much of a safety hazard as using a knife or screw driver to open a can. This will also protect the life of the tools that would have otherwise been re-purposed for this job.

As you can see here the inside of the lid remains clean and the food inside is not compromised from this method of opening it.

This is the book written by Cody Lundin, where I learned this little trick. This book if certainly worth a read and a good one to have on hand.

Weekly Tip: Dehydrating Semi-Liquid Foods

This weeks tip is a big money saver. For the readers who are not familiar with the Excalibur brand dehydrators, let me say, they are often referred to as the best ones out there for personal use. They also make a few industry standard models for commercial production. However like most products that are the "best", their prices can be prohibitive.

One of the best selling accessories from Excalibur are their ParaFlexx sheets. These are liners that go over the trays which will allow you to pour liquid, semi-liquid, or small sized items onto the trays without falling or dripping through the trays all together.

The two big problems with ParaFlexx are:

ParaFlexx sheets cost anywhere from $5-$9 per sheet depending on the size and the seller.
ParaFlexx sheets are made specifically for Excalibur trays, and do not fit onto other model dehydrators (Oster, Nesco, Ronco, Magic Chef, etc.)

Today's tip will let you get in the game at a much lower price point. This is not an industry standard solution but it is great for personal use.

Here is the solution, Enjoy.

(Legal Disclosure: This solution is not organic, it does require your food coming in contact with plastic sheeting, it is not industry standard, and the FDA would not approve this as a method if you tried selling food to others. However, for years before providing ready made meals to friends and family, this was the way I preferred to dehydrate liquid and semi-liquid foods. If you would like a cheap, reliable, great way to dehydrate products which do not work on a traditional mesh tray, this may be a viable option for you.)

This is the material I have used in the past. There are a few common companies that make similar products and all will work, this just happens to be the cheapest. Note the thickness is 4 mil. This is important for a very specific reason which you will see in the later steps.

From this giant roll you will cut a small square around the size of your trays. Trace your tray with a marker to get the template.

Cut the template out. You will see that I cut along the inside of the outer wall line, and along the outside of the line on the inner circle. I like to remove all areas where the marker ink was to avoid possible ill effects of sharpie ink on my food.

You will now want to consider cutting off a strip from one or two sides to allow for air flow. When using the doughnut shaped tray the theory is the air will flow through the middle channel, but I like to increase the amount of air reaching each part of the tray. The faster the food dries, the less time it is susceptible to staying in a moist warm environment perfect for bacterial growth. I highly recommend sacrificing a small amount of tray surface area to allow for faster drying.

Again cut along the inside of the marker lines.

This liner will now fir your tray perfectly. Because you traced along the outside diameter, and because the inside diameter is slightly smaller, this will allow for the plastic to slope upwards along the rim of the tray creating a lip, which is very beneficial for a clean experience while dehydrating liquid and semi-liquid items.

What is advantageous about the 4 mil. thickness?

When making dehydrated food for personal use years ago I had 3 Oster dehydrator, each had 5 trays, and each tray had at least 2 liners to go with it. I used a grand total of about 1/3 of the roll of plastic. The remaining 2/3 was used for packaging my dried foods for hiking and camping trips. For obvious reasons a #10 can is not the best choice for back packing, and in many situations, using $20 of mylar for a trip 2 weeks from the time of food production seemed wasteful. However, with the addition of my food saver and oxygen absorbers I was able to create custom sized bags by sealing pieces of this plastic together with the sealing mechanism of the food saver. (Custom bags like this will not "vacuum" and therefore need the assistance of the O2 absorber). In these bags you would add the food and an oxygen absorber to create a very good option for back packing. 4 mil plastic seals well, is incredibly strong, and at $9 for 250 Sq. Ft. is cheap enough to omit in your overall budget. If you use 6 or 8 mil. you may start to see failures in the seals as the material is just a little too thick.

Dehydrating Tip: Thinking smaller for greater results!

Frequently people new to dehydrating will experience a few challenges along the way to becoming great at it. One of the most common is the idea of size. Soups, sandwiches, pizza toppings, and frozen dinners have all taught us to expect large pieces of veggies. Dehydrating demands a different way of thinking though. When a large slice of bell pepper is dehydrated it will be near impossible to reconstitute, and will maintain a hardened core. Large cubes of tomatoes are notorious for becoming rubbery. Pineapple if left too large will experience “case hardening” where the outer layer hardens and inner portions harbor moisture.

The key to veggies that will reconstitute quickly and evenly, is small pieces. Carrots make great candidates for shredding on a cheese grater. Bell peppers work exceptionally well when diced with an onion chopper. Tomatoes are the greatest of all veggies to be dehydrated in slices, then powdered in a coffee or spice grinder.

The reconstitution process of adding water back into your meal is the most pivotal part of good texture and flavor distribution throughout the meal. Whether a Code Red Foods meal, or one of your own, the smaller the pieces the greater the results. Think small for big results.

This is a the first part of a batch of fresh celery before it is loaded on the drying racks.

As seen here the diced celery pieces are uniformly small, and will dehydrate and reconstitute faster as a result. They sit side by side with uncooked black beans in the lid of a normal mouth caning jar, both provided for size representation.

This is a test batch of sweet pepper medley after its been dehydrated. Again a mason jar lid gives a beacon point for size representation. This pepper medley will be incorporated in a southwestern style meal which is currently in the testing stages.

What makes us different?

In the introduction post I touched on a few of the priorities or goals at Code Red Foods. Here is what you can expect from Code Red Foods.

The first, and most important goal to us is the nutritional value of food. There are many individuals and families with food stored away for emergencies, of any size, and at any time. We feel that the most important factor giving stored food a value, is the ability to keep you healthy, strong, energized, and rejuvenated. There are many foods which can be left on a shelf for years and consumed when needed, but the ability to keep your body moving, and properly functioning is among the most important. To achieve this high level of nutrition which we demand, all of our meals are made with exclusively fresh, nutritious ingredients.

Goal number two is a close second. Providing the most healthy long term food option is only a success if we can ensure it is easily attainable by anyone who feels they would benefit from having our meals on hand. Pricing of our product line is guaranteed to be the lowest, to ensure you can afford other necessary items to your plan. Staying comfortable during an emergency requires more than just food, and we want to make sure you don't have to chose between the two.

Goal three is the variety and taste of a product. Appetite fatigue in an emergency is a real concern in today's world versus years past. Currently being able to eat thousands of different foods, from dozens of different cultural cuisines, has opened our minds and expectations to demand variety in our diets. In an emergency situation, having few choices for food, even as great tasting as they may be, will not allow the variety we are all used to having. Some may think this is a trivial problem. Some may think anything will be palatable if hungry enough. However the reality is, in a stressful time, if you eat smaller portions, or skip meals due to low appetite, this can hinder your ability to stay comfortable very quickly and to a very serious level. Being able to provide dozens of meals is our goal, which will always be a continuing work.

Goal four is teaching and education. The age old adage comes to mind, "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime". Code Red Foods is honored to be the provider of choice for all who chose to add our product to your pantry shelves. However, the real success of Code Red Foods, our customers, local communities, and larger regions around the country will be measured by the ability and knowledge of the people to create their own means of healthy, great tasting food. For this reason you will see tips and tricks that we have learned through the years, which will help in your efforts to dehydrate your own food and add that necessary variety to your preparations.

Welcome to Code Red Foods

Welcome to the blog of Code Red Foods.

This blog serves as the medium by which Code Red Foods can stay connected to its friends and customers. We welcome and encourage comments, questions, and ideas of any sort.

Code Red Foods aims to be innovative in the food industry by providing new meals and flavors with extended shelf life, providing safety and comfort to those with food on hand for emergencies.

It is our goal to not only provide great food, but whole meals that will give the correct nutritional balance to keep you going in any situation, for any length of time. We prioritize proper balance of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals at the forefront of our list, and ensure the taste and lifespan of the food is not compromised in any way.