Fameal is a survival food introduced in severe conditions such as famine, and it was initially administrated to the starving migrants.
Similarly, preppers can use this highly beneficial food in dark times. The foodstuff is a corn bean mix with additional nutrients.
NGOs use this type of meal for feeding people in their food programs because it is cheap and nutritious.
It is similar to the Super Cereal and Super Cereal Plus supplied by WHO (World Health Organization) that contains Wheat-Soy-Blend prepared for children 5 years of age and adults (Nguyen, 2014), and UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund) that especially prepares this supplementary food for infants and young children of 6 months or above.
Ingredients
You can find it in a grocery store, but fameal can be easily prepared at home as well with daily use food items as listed below.
Surprisingly, these easily available ingredients include wheat or cornmeal, any bean meal, any sort of cooking oil, sugar, salt along with a small amount of multivitamin.
Combine all these ingredients in definite portions as explained underneath:
1. Take 50% by volume of wheat meal or cornmeal.
2. Take 30% by volume of any bean meal. It can either be from lentils or soy, whichever is convenient for you. Lentil meal can also be easily prepared at home.
3. Take 10% by volume of cooking oil.
4. Take 10% of sugar and some salt to taste.
5. Finally take a multivitamin tablet and grind it to form powder.
6. Combine all these ingredients.
Related: How To Choose, Use & Store Protein Powder for Preppers
How To Prepare And Consume This Food?
1. As a Paste or Porridge
Fameal is itself is in a powdered form that can be simply prepared by adding boiling water in 1:3 proportion.
Just mix it gradually to avoid any lumps. Subsequently, cover and allow it to cook for at least 8 to 10 minutes.
You can also prepare it in a microwave oven. Just mix the powder with water and keep it in the microwave for a minute or so.
Once done, it can be consumed in the form of thin paste or as porridge by adding milk powder to it.
2. As a Flour for Confectionary
The other way can be to use it as flour in powdered form.
Dry and long-lasting foods such as fruit cakes, hardtack, sourdough and much more can be baked in the same way using fameal.
3. As a Complementary Ingredient for Other Dishes
You can thicken it up to make several dishes out of it such as dumplings or pancakes.
Moreover, it can also be used as a thickening agent in soups and casseroles.
You just name it and it will serve you as a base for any dish because it is made of essential storage foods.
Plus Points
The best thing about it is that it’s extremely healthy because it is a perfect blend of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, and minerals in good proportions.
Honestly, it not only tastes good but also is a filling and satisfying food. Use it to prepare a satiating meal promptly when SHTF.
Long-Lasting Fameal Recipe
1. Fameal Bars
These bars are highly nutritious, easy to make and require ingredients that are readily available from your storage foods. So let’s get started:
Ingredients
- 100 g fameal
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons nuts of your choice (I’ve used almonds and walnuts seeds)
- 2 tablespoons seeds of your choice (I’ve used sesame and flax seeds)
Preparation (makes 2-3 bars)
1. Combine all ingredients (except brown sugar) in a non-stick pan and roast them for a few minutes.
2. Now add brown sugar. Mix constantly and let the sugar melt at low to medium flame.
3. When all ingredients have combined well, turn off the flame and dish it out on parchment paper. Then press it and shape it out.
You can either use hands or a knife. You can also cover it with that for storage.
How Can Fameal Be Stored
Fameal also contains oil and sugar. Oil offers an air-tight seal by being a barrier between air and the food itself.
On the other hand, sugar helps to preserve the color, texture and flavor of the food (Williams, 2020). Both these ingredients also alleviate or prevent the microbial activity in food.
Thus, they act as a preservative for keeping the meal fresh for a longer time. However, these are present in less amount.
So, there should be some ways to store it for at least a few months:
1. Usage of Air-Tight Containers
Generally, whole grain flours and meals spoil speedily as compared to intact grains. This is because its protective bran layer has been damaged, enabling oxygen to react with the grain particles.
Moreover, heat and moisture can further contribute in its spoilage. Thus, the best way to store such an item for up to 3 months is by using an air-tight container having tight-fitting lids which should be placed on a cool and dry shelf. You can use canisters made of glass, plastic or aluminum.
If the meal is in fewer amounts, a zip-lock plastic bag can also work well. These sealed containers will help to maintain the freshness of food by preventing the grain particles from absorbing moisture and reacting with oxygen.
Related: How To Seal Food Without A Vacuum Sealer
2. Using Mylar Bags
Preppers can safely store fameal for really long-term in Mylar bags, and can consume it in emergency situations, for instance, when SHTF.
First of all, decide the amount of fameal you want to store. These bags come in different sizes. You can also make customized pouches by cutting them into the required size.
Then, fill it with the appropriate amount of fameal you want to store and leave some space. Add an oxygen absorber in it so that the iron does not react with oxygen and spoil the food. Next, remove the air by squeezing the empty part of the bag towards outwards. Finally, seal the bag.
If you do not have appropriate equipment for that, an iron or flat iron (also known as a hair straightener) will work well. When labeling the pouches or bags is extremely important to remember what has been placed inside them. You are required to put these in buckets as they are not rodent-proof.
The shelf life of grains is 20 – 25 years. However, when it comes to flour or meal, it is reduced to up to 5 years. Still, this is a lot.
So just follow these simple steps and store your buckets in a cool, dry and protected place for long-term.
Additional Tip for Storage
Make sure to label your meal bags or containers with the purchase or manufacturing dates of their ingredients.
This way you will be able to track its shelf life for its freshness.
Final Words
Preppers should add fameal to their stockpile as it is an efficient mix of vital nutrients in good proportions which makes it a wonderful option to choose as a meal. It possesses grains in highest percentage which are rich in carbohydrates, and you know that is the primary source of energy.
Besides this, it possesses proteins, fats and multivitamins and minerals which makes this food a balanced and highly nutritious meal!
You see its basic preparation does not require much time and it can serve you versatile meals. Considering all these crucial points along with the fact that fameal is cheap and long-lasting, this could be one of the best-stored foods for preppers.
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“The shelf life of grains is 20 – 25 years. However, when it comes to flour or meal, it is reduced to up to 5 years. Still, this is a lot.”
I think a majority of dedicated preppers know about grinding their older dry goods stock that has gone beyond the conventional use – adding those grindings as a supplement to various recipes …
What I don’t find prepper oriented is purposely downgrading your dry grains, bean, rice into a ground form for stocking – lose the storage longevity that nature has provided …
good recipe in a SHTF squeeze situation – but make it from your long term food storage that will get you the best bang for your $$$ and provide the best alternative ….
Awesome perspective. I have about 50lbs of dried pinto beans and 50lbs of rice that is going on six years old. Was thinking of hydrating them and feeding them to my chickens. But keeping them with the intent of grinding them down is a very good idea.
I tend to agree with you Illini Warrior. This fameal stuff wouldn’t be my first go-to in a SHTF scenario. I would also rather leave my dry goods in their original form. Cool, dry and a place where vermin can’t get at it. I haven’t had any of it go bad on me yet and some of it has been sitting there for quite a number of years. Add water. Heat and eat and I’m good to go. I don’t want to grind down any of my dry goods unless I have to.
If you’re strong male, it’s easier to work hand grinders (at least easier than for a 68 yr old with arthritic hands). Even when I was younger, athletic and in shape, an “easy grinder” was hard to use. I found it takes a LOT of effort to even get 1 cup ground, and it’s never as fine a grind as in my wheat grinder (that I use for more than just wheat.
The pre-ground meal makes it easier to use, takes up less space if you’re on the move and you don’t have to worry about proportions, nor carting, wheat, legume, seeds, salt, sugar, oil, vitamins and some way to grind it all up and then have to build a fire to cook it down.
I think it’s meant more for emergencies, not as a long term, daily food. And if you’re low on fuel or are in an area where you’re not supposed to light a fire, a small homemade “penny stove” or even a solar bottle that will heat water, will heat enough water without calling attention to yourself so you have something to eat.
However, I am a little concerned about the advice to simply grind up a vitamin tablet. Unless they’re a chewable vitamin, they’re usually made to have the tablet swallowed so it dissolve in layers so that some vitamins don’t dissolve at the same time as some of the other. Keeps them from interacting. Much like not dumping salt right on top of yeast and then putting in a package and leaving it for a while. (Salt interferes with the ability of the yeast to rise and can downright kill it if left together too long. It doesn’t seem to bother it if it’s mixed in with all the other dry ingredients or if it’s dumped on top and then mixed right away. But I still tend to put the salt in the flour (or water in my bread machine) and then put the yeast on top of the flour pile and mix the dough.
my only concern is the adding of the veg oil which can become rancid in short time.
the keeping of each of these Grain whole until needed will last the longest IMO.
Fameal? Another thing I’ve never heard of. Famine meal? Meals for famine? H’mm. The way they’re making it here I think I would substitute honey for the sugar. Honey is a preservative. Would make it last longer and better for you. I’d also be concerned about the cooking oil going rancid, Larry. Maybe substitute olive oil for the cooking oil? Apparently the longevity is quite significant. Not my favourite because of the taste but in a true SHTF scenario I’d eat almost anything. Even something with olive oil in it. 😉 I could get used to olive oil if I had to. If I wanted porridge I’d eat cream of wheat. It lasts almost forever. That reminds me. I have to get some more. You can add most anything to it. Any kind of fruit. Yogurt. Honey. Melted chocolate. Egg whites to fluff it up and add protein. Cereal. Your choices are limited only by your imagination.
Nothing wheat based for us! I’d rather starve, and have, then go thru what gluten does to me. For those of who are gardeners and farmers, as well as foragers, here’s a good site. niio
https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/famine-foods/
I’m unable to find this document.
ST: It opened right up. Try this, and look for famine foods. https://www.purdue.edu/
put in their search browser famine foods. a list of articles comes up with this one at the top. niio
Hey red, feel really bad for you that you have a gluten sensitivity. Read up on it and it can be unpleasant in the extreme. You can’t even have some good ol’ rye bread. I grew up on rye. Real rye not the fake stuff they have out today. If you were interested in making any of these fameal products it does say you can substitute cornmeal for the wheatmeal. I believe corn doesn’t contain any gluten. There are other things we can put together for long term storage like pemmican if no is interested in this fameal. Stay safe, red. Peace brother.
Armin: I do not miss wheat. And nor do I miss carbs all that much. They were making me sick. I like fruit and veggies, and on occasion I can make candy, but never very much. Carbs were never, for us, more than a treat. Corn made beer more than it did a meal with the old-times dipping into their version of sour mash–rumatiz medicine, ya know 🙂 Fruit, wine and brandy for winter. Pappy told Dad, a cup of corn, early to bed and late to sleep, she’ll wake up sweet and smiling. niio
Interesting link. I see it lists Canna, a plant you’ve posted about, also Cleome, we call it clammy weed because it’s sticky and kinda stinky, had no idea it was edible. Dasylirion would seem an obvious one for the list but is left out. The list gives me all sorts of things to look up, but most people don’t want to make the effort to learn about plants, just want some gimpy grey hair to point out something they can eat. I have talked more than one greenhorn into biting into a green persimmon.
If the post SHTF world requires me to eat varmints and Fameal I will also choose starvation.
Judge: If you can, get achira type of canna. It has the largest roots and fewer knobs to peel. It also makes the best starch. It takes 10 months from seed so make sure you get a domesticated for ag variety. Old timers would clean the roots, peel, and then slice thin and dry. When they needed starch, they ground the slices up an sieved out most of the fibers. It makes the best invisible noodles ever. The kids used to giggle about that, then tell their friends.
Wow, geez, but a green persimmon? Nasty. Even a lot of them when ripe are nasty. We would collect a pickup load every fall for Mom to cook and can and share with family. After we got a freezer, she froze a bushel to kill the crap in them that made them taste bad. niio
Wow, red. You’re going to outlive us all. You’re on a VERY healthy diet. I don’t know if I could do without bread, pasta, potatoes and rice. Do love my potato pancakes every once in a while mainly when the weather gets colder. I think I would get rather cranky after a while if I didn’t eat SOME carbs. It’s probably also the reason I’m a little overweight. Not obese by any means mind you but I could stand to lose 10 or 20 pounds. But my body type is such that I’ve ALWAYS carried a little extra weight. I’m probably getting ready for the next ice age. 🙂 And originally I’m a northern European. Even though I exercise daily and I have a house to look after for me to lose that weight basically takes a starvation diet and working myself to death. For me to eat corn is useless and forgive me for being a bit gross but it comes out the same way it went in. I lack the enzymes to properly digest corn. And I believe most corn these days is a GMO anyways. Basically what you would call a Frankenfood. If you’re ok with mostly fruits and veggies, red, I salute you man. I don’t THINK I could do it. There was a time earlier in my life when I was a “NAZI” vegetarian. Wouldn’t even touch lard. But even then I wasn’t all THAT skinny and I was seriously into weight-lifting and martial arts. But I was freakin’ strong as a bull. And actually had a six-pack at one point. Now I’m just an old man on his own with creaky joints, a bad back and fake knees. 🙁 Oh, to be 18 again ( a la George Burns) and to know what I know now. Love that last line. Early to bed late to sleep keeps her coming back for more. LOL! Sounds like good advice. Peace brother.
Armin: I’m obese. It’s genetic, LOL. American Indian and some northern European. And, too many stays in the hospital, too many years fighting one thing after another. I latched onto this diet only after finding gluten was a major cause of everything from acne to diabetes, arthritis, stress, to zits. Add to that, living in Penna for decades; conservative people mostly, but uber liberal politicos. It got to the point where grain was making me sick, so I cut most of that out. Then veggies like legumes had to go. Now I’m at the point I can have all the sugar I want (without a sign of diabetes), and that was never much, but it causes acid reflux.
A daily fast of 16 hours (includes bed time) is supposed to be excellent for getting in shape. I have a Jetson breakfast and lunch, a handful of meds and supplements. I’m asthmatic and damaged too much in the body having too much fun. Thanks to Nora moving over the state right now the humidity is 94% and that can cause allergic asthma attacks. For that, Scotch medicated snuff works like a charm. For the winter pneumonia and bronchitis attacks, clove cigarettes and zinc. When living in Penna, they were chronic. I haven’t been able to do a lot since open heart surgery a few years ago. Mostly just blahs, but inner ear infections, as well, for decades. The funny thing is, the head of surgery said I was the VA’s poster child for rapid recovery for open heart. I told him I follow the injun diet, if it ain’t deep-fried, is it food? Then said one of my many hobbies is making doctors tear their hair out. He got a good laugh at that, but had them do cholesterol tests. Low LDL, high HDL.
Yeah, if you want to see what is GMO, look up things outlawed for import by Europe. Monsanto and its owners, soros and the dems cause a lot of deaths since they allowed that company to patent plant genetics. How long before we pay their price for a pack of garden seeds? It nailed farmers and ranchers about 15 years ago. It’s illegal to save seed from a GMO crop, and even if you don’t use them but plant open-pollinated, you aren’t supposed to save seed because of crossbreeding with a GMO. GMOs also tend to be far more susceptible to disease than open-pollinated. That spells famine. But as long as they can steal the pennies off a dead man’s eyes, they’ll continue, and continue to live on organic, which cannot be GMO.
The only non-me anything is some tooth fillings and the upper left ventricular of the heart. That’s swine because my son-in-law is Sunni. He laughed when I told him and gave me a big hug. So what? God kept you alive for many years longer.
I do not expect to survive what is coming. No one over 50 should. The dnc is forcing us into the Wiemar Republic, setting things up for a new Hitler to take over. Anything Hitler wanted done they and the UK Labour Party will do it. Jackasses, indeed.
Early to bed and late to sleep works if you remember to be Native American. Dad was 40 when I was born and kept that up till coal miner’s asthma (black lung) wrecked him. Your woman is the mother goddess; act like it. And, as a cousin, a black Cherokee from Texas told me in the Army, if the man is a romantic any woman will cut her own brother’s throat to keep her man safe. BTW, the romantic part is Biblical. Read her the man’s part of Song of Songs each night. niio
All I get is a short description of the paper and the author’s contact info. I don’t get any links that go to the actual paper or database. Ditto for going to Perdue’s homage and using the search bar.
Where can we purchase ready made fameal bars on the internet? In fact what is the best store for survival items?
Thanks,
Ed
Ed,
Ya probably cannot. I looked for fameal and couldn’t find it at all, much less bars.
Good luck and report back if ya do find it.
Peace
MadFab
Ed and Mad Fab Fameal is so simple to make just make up a batch. I’ve eaten a lot of it while working overseas. Lazy folks make a gruel for starving kids with bowls. They buy in in 50 pound dog food looking bags for that reason as pre ground-mixed and extruded Fameal.
WARNING it burns easily so MUST be stirred while making the gruel.
Fameal can be made into a heavy bean bread, I like to add chilis myself and with a dab of butter or bacon grease a nice portable meal in it’s self. I’ve made sweet cookie versions also. I like peanut butter Fameal cookies myself.
Best store for buying survival items is a personal choice. I ask for recommendations for items from folks I trust. Then I go looking for the best prices for that item because I want TWO.
Thanks Michael,
I was only looking because Ed asked. If I want to try it , I will do the DIY thing.
Not sure I could getbthe grandboys to eat it unless I made it into cookies. Lol
Thanks again
Peace
MadFab
MadFab: BS them into eating it. My youngest daughter (then age 5 and still a sugar freak) refused to drink hot cocoa because I told her it was good for her. Why, this is tastier than the finest castor oil!
After a few weeks she found out she’d been scammed. I got the dirtiest look you can imagine and then the evil sugar freak giggle fits. When one of them starts that, lock yourself in a room and start confessing your sins. 🙂 niio
Ed: This is a DIY.
1. Take 50% by volume of wheat meal or cornmeal.
2. Take 30% by volume of any bean meal. It can either be from lentils or soy, whichever is convenient for you. Lentil meal can also be easily prepared at home.
3. Take 10% by volume of cooking oil.
4. Take 10% of sugar and some salt to taste.
5. Finally take a multivitamin tablet and grind it to form powder.
6. Combine all these ingredients.
BTW, pinto beans were originally a flour bean. Use a blender to grind them and high-oil seeds. Corn flour is ground grits and inexpensive. Before making a dough, if you add 1/3 cup of starch per cup of fameal, you can make noodles with it.
You can make graham crackers at home, as well, and they taste good. niio
I think you have to click on “Continents” to choose your location so you know which plants to look for.
My previous comment was directed at ST.
I think I would add hemp seeds and stay from using any hydrogenated vegetable oils in this recipe.
I like unrefined coconut oil which can be used like butter or if where it is stored is a cool place, like shortening. It’s good for you as well. But some people don’t care for the, to me, light coconut taste.
Sir,
What do you think about burying heavy duty totes, with vacuum packed foods such as rice, beans, spaghetti, etc? I live in zone 4b and thought 2’ of covering would keep the storage at a good temperature.
Thank you for any information you can give.
Sincerely, Joe.
Joe a few thoughts, I used to live in Western Spokane. That area is USDA Zone 6 so you must be further in the mountains near Canada. Even then maybe zone 5? Check your info friend.
Underground storage has a few issues to deal with. Rodents love vacuum packed foods so make your preps rodent proof. Ground water, even pretty dry Spokane has flooding issues from time to time. Make sure your area is well drained like a hillside.
Being able to FIND your cache is the big problem and being able to recover it when weather isn’t your friend as well as doing so with out alerting interested peoples. Placing a cache on land you don’t own means the possibility that logging operations, house building and such may compromise your cache by uncovering it or destroying the markers to find it. I know of a friends old cache that currently has a slab on grade house built on top of it.
All can be overcome but you have to think them out.
I MISS East Coast Chuck, he’d have great input on this subject.
In areas with food manufacturers, there often are metal barrels for sale for around $50 and sometimes even free. The plastic ones are regularly for free. You are next to Idaho, which is very friendly to manufacturers. Check out CraigsList and you might find some.
Joe: As I understand things, it all needs to be frozen for perhaps a week to kill any insects like millers. You would still need oxygen absorbers and something to absorb moisture. We in Arizona have tombs and so on abandoned from centuries where food is found and in rare cases the seeds will sprout. But, this year is a wet year. We got 3 times normal rains after a drought. You also need to test this to see if the tote can handle pressure from the earth. I would say go for it but with caution. niio
Fameal doesn’t intrigue me reading about it. But under the right circumstances it might be a good thing. I can see it for quick emergeny consumption. I have both manual and electric grain grienders. A set up with a few solar pannels might be OK. Grinding with hand power here isn’t very likely. I have some cooked, dried, ground beans that are fine eating once rehydrated with boiling water.. I like corn meal mush too. Just takes boiling water, a pinch of salt, a bit of butter and or sugar or honey and I’d be happy. Soy you can keep.
I was interested to look at the little box our senior lunch driver dropped off today. Shes going to be off Friday and Monday. So 4 lunches. The box was marked 5 meals. Just 7″x9″ box. 5 packets, 1 cup each when made up dry milk powder; 10, 2 cracker packs; 1 can beef stew, 1 can chicken noodles soup; 1 can lasagna; 1 can veg soup; 1 sm can chicken salad, 5 different 4.23 oz juice boxes; 5 different fruit cups, 4 little rasin boxes; 1 packet sunflower seeds. Gives me an idea for a box to put with the BOB. I’d trade the fruit cups for snack packs of dried cranberries. It would be a good box to keep in the car. I have snacks and water bottles and flavor packets there but planned meals would be even better.
Michael you have alarmed me! Why do you miss LCC?!
An ancient and traditional food in Estonia is Kama, which is a bit similar to the above.
Kama
2 kg. rye grains
2 kg. wheat grains
3 kg. oat grains
1-2 kg. yellow peas
1 kg. barley grains
1 kg. beans
1 handful of salt
Soak all the grains overnight. The next day boil until soft. Drain and put in the oven to dry. Initially, keep the oven door open but later it’s okay to close it.
Mix the grains and then grind until fine.
It is traditional to eat this over clabbered milk. It can then be flavored with berries, jam or other sweetener. Another method is to use this to bread anything that will be baked or fried.
This will keep in a jar with a tight lid as long as regular flour would stay fresh. Shrink wrapped with an oxygen absorber for longer storage.
Clabbered milk and kama is definitely an acquired taste but for those who grew up with it, it is looked forward to.