One of the best protein sources you can store during a short-term event is canned protein because it’s ready to eat and doesn’t require refrigeration before opening. Electric power shuts down in many emergency or survival situations, so no refrigeration exists. Canned foods are the perfect survival food under these conditions.
Let’s look at some of the proteins popular in FEMA’s 72-hour emergency kit.
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Canned Beans
Canned Beans are an outstanding source of protein and excellent emergency food. Canned beans will keep you going during most emergency scenarios with a shelf-life of five-plus years. Keep them at home in your pantry, at a bug-out location, or as part of your emergency vehicle kit.
Canned and dry beans are cornerstone foods and should be part of any emergency food pantry. Eat beans warmed in the can on a backpacker stove or directly from the can if necessary.
Bush Black Beans: 21 grams of protein per can
Canned Peas
The English eat a lot of peas because they grow well in the country and provide a substantial amount of nutrition. Peas aren’t just a vegetable. They are an excellent source of plant-based protein.
Most think of peas as a vegetable like carrots, but they are part of the pulse family, including lentils.
For short-term emergencies, canned peas are a good choice. Also, consider storing dried split peas as an addition to your long-term food storage.
Del Monte Fresh Cut Sweet Peas 8 grams of protein per can
Up next, chickpeas.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also called Garbanzo beans, are an often overlooked bean option. Filled with protein, chickpeas can be mashed into hummus, tossed with greens from a survival garden, fried into falafel cakes, or added to just about any soup or stew.
Goya Chickpeas have 14 grams of protein per can
Next, canned soup.
Canned Soup
Canned soups are an excellent source of protein and add to short-term emergency food supplies like FEMA’s 72-hour emergency kit. Soups provide a full meal with a blend of ingredients, and they cut down on palate fatigue, keeping your survival crew from getting bored with other emergency foods on the menu.
Canned soups high in acids, i.e., tomato-based, have a shelf life of two years, so make sure to rotate your supply.
Campbell’s Chunky Savory Chicken 13 grams of protein per can
Amazon| Campbell’s Chunky Store
Next on the list is canned stew.
Canned Stew
Dinty Moore Beef stew is a high-protein comfort food eaten by generations of campers and rail-riding hobos since 1935.
Dinty Moore works well in a 72-hour emergency kit because it can be heated in the can, a pot, or cold right out of the can if necessary.
Combine stew with saltine crackers, rice, or homemade bread.
Dinty Moore Beef Stew contains 20 grams of protein per 15oz can
Next up, canned tuna.
Canned Albacore Tuna
Albacore Tuna is delicious and loaded with protein-packed awesomeness. Eat it directly out of the can, mixed with greens from the survival garden, or add pasta or rice-based dishes.
365 Albacore Tuna contains a whopping 30 grams of protein per 5oz can
Next up, canned meat pasta.
Canned Meat Pasta
Talk about comfort food, together beef and pasta are simple, quick, filling comfort food you can enjoy when the power and water are out. Ideal for Fema’s 72-hour emergency kit.
Chef Boyardee Beefaroni contains 18 grams of protein per 15oz can.
Canned Keystone Beef
Keystone beef is high-quality canned meat trusted by preppers and survivalists worldwide. This stuff is high-quality USDA beef with no preservatives.
Eat Keyston beef directly from the can, and mix it into soups, stews, casseroles, sandwiches, or tortillas.
Keystone beef contains 154 grams of protein per 28oz can.
Canned Keystone Hamburger
Keystone Hamburger is a monster can of protein. Use it the same way you use freshly cooked hamburger as a topping for pizzas, as an addition to pasta sauces, soups, and stews, or as a filling for tacos or enchiladas.
Keystone Hamburger contains 154 grams of protein per 28oz can.
Canned Keystone Chicken
Keystone chicken is a flexible survival food that provides a lot of protein. Use it in soups, stews, pot pies, and Mexican dishes, and combine it with sauces and spices to doctor it up.
Canned chicken is pre-cooked so you can eat it right out of the can in a pinch, and Keystone Chicken contains 168 grams of protein per 28oz can.
Canned Keystone Turkey
Keystone Turkey rocks the protein casbah. Eat it out of the can with crackers or bread in an emergency. Use it in a turkey pot pie as an addition to stew or soup, or mix it with cooked white rice or dry pasta.
Keystone Turkey contains 196 grams of protein per 28oz can
Canned Corned Beef Hash
Corned Beef Hash is a filling comfort food loaded with protein. Eat it with eggs, fried potatoes, or chopped cabbage.
Eat it heated or cold out of the can or on sandwich bread in a pinch.
Mary Kitchen corned beef hash contains 34 grams of protein per 14oz can.
Canned Bacon
Pre-cooked bacon with a 10-year shelf life gives a healthy dose of protein. Heat and add it to powdered eggs or as an addition to sandwiches.
Pre-cooked bacon can also be eaten cold, like beef jerky, or heated and eaten.
Black Label pre-cooked bacon contains 90 grams of protein per 10.5oz container.
Canned Ham
There is a mega protein in canned ham. It can be eaten cold or heated and used in soup, stews, or bean dishes.
Slice ham and eat with crackers or bread or mix with powdered eggs for breakfast
Dak Ham 72 grams of protein per 16oz can
Canned Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk rocks and has lots of protein. Mix it with coffee or tea or use it to thicken soups and stews or pour over oatmeal or cereal.
For a quick hit of protein in an emergency, drink it from the can.
Carnation evaporated milk contains 24 grams of protein per 12oz can.
Canned Oysters
Oysters are little globules of protein. They provide a lot of protein. Boil them, bake them, pan fry them or add them to soups and stews. Love them or hate them.
Smoked oysters are also excellent on crackers right out of the can.
Bumble Bee Whole Oysters contain 35 grams of protein per 8oz can.
Canned Anchovies
Anchovies are a protein bomb. Use them to spice up sauces, dressings, and soups, or eat them out of the can on saltines.
Anchovies and any meats you can eat directly out of the can are excellent for short-term emergencies and vehicle bug-out kits.
Wild Planet Anchovies contain 35 grams of protein per 8oz can.
Canned Sardines
A small can of Sardines is packed with protein and ready to eat like finger food right out of the can.
Sardines can be boiled, baked, fried, stuffed into vegetables, or added to pasta, soups or stews.
Wild Planet Sardines contain18 grams of protein per 3oz can.
Canned Potted Meats
Potted meat is so yummy and loaded with protein so eat it like tasty meat spread on crackers, bread, vegetables, or right out of the can.
Armour Potted Meat contains 10 grams of protein per 3oz can.
Canned Protein Drinks and Smoothies
Protein drink that says it all. A ready-made dose of protein, perfect for any emergency or survival situation.
Muscle Milk Pro Series Protein Shake contains 32 grams of protein per 11oz package.
Canned Beans and Franks
One of the old classics. Beans and franks in a can, a double dose of protein. Eat right out of the can or heat over a camp or backpacker’s stove.
Eat beans and franks with a side of bread, cornbread, crackers, or as a side dish for meats, you BBQ out of a defrosting freezer when the power goes out.
Van Camp’s Beanie Weenie contains 12 grams of protein per 7.75oz can.
Canned Spam
Spam-canned meat is a powerbomb of protein. Soldiers used the grease from the can to lubricate weapons and boots and 150,000 pounds of spam were used by GIs during WWII as an emergency ration.
Spam can be eaten from the can, sliced and fried, or combined with white rice, eggs, crackers, or sandwich bread.
Spam contains 42 grams of protein per 12oz can
Canned Mackerel
Mackerel is a flaky fish protein source you can eat with crackers or as a sandwich on bread. Also, use it in salads from your survival garden or toss it with white rice or pasta. Hmmm Yum.
Safe Catch Canned Mackerel contains 14 grams of protein per 4oz can.
Canned Pink Salmon
Pink salmon is high in protein and delicious and it is my favorite way to eat salmon by using it to make fried salmon patties. It’s also good on crackers or in combination with summer sausage and hard cheese and it also goes well in cooked pasta or a garden salad. In a pinch, eat salmon right out of the can.
Safe Catch pink salmon contains 35 grams of protein per 5oz can.
Canned Hormel Chili
Hormel Chili is the favorite canned chili of campers and outdoorsmen everywhere. Growing up, Hormel chili was a staple in my family’s camping kit. We ate it out of the can or used it as topping for chili dogs.
Hormel chili contains 34 grams of protein per 15oz can.
Canned Protein Shakes
Protein in a bottle is a straightforward method of storing emergency protein. Open it and drink when needed. As long as you leave it sealed, refrigeration is unnecessary.
Premier Protein contains 30 grams of protein in an 11.5oz bottle.
Canned Powdered Eggs
Powdered eggs are the protein bomb. Use them in baked goods, omelets, casseroles, cakes, biscuits, or a solid breakfast dish combined with canned ham or Spam. Use them like fresh eggs, add water and cook scrambled eggs.
Augason Farms Scrambled Egg mix contains 368 grams of protein in a 2lb 4oz can.
Canned Cheese Powder
Powdered cheese rocks! Use the powder to make mac and cheese, prepare a cheese sauce for fresh vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, or add to popcorn to kick it up a notch.
Reconstituted cheese powder also makes a great dipping sauce for chips or cheese sauce for nachos.
Augason Farms Cheese Blend contains 215 grams of protein per 3lb 4oz can
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Keep on prepping!
Best Regards, Scott
