Health Options Alan Titchenal  & Joannie Dobbs                    Wednesday, September 25, 2002

Hurricane food can double as holiday fare

What do hurricanes, holidays, and New Year's resolutions have in common? If planned correctly -- a lot of food.

The news of Hurricane Isidore in the Caribbean reminded us that we still have a couple of months left of the hurricane season in the Pacific. Fortunately, it has been uneventful so far.

Hurricane season ends just as the holiday season begins. If you haven't already purchased your hurricane food stash, there is still time to stock up and get a jump on preparing for the holidays at the same time.

Of course, that assumes that this year's hurricane season remains uneventful.

Ideally, hurricane survival food is both energy- and nutrient-dense. In other words, these foods should contain a significant amount of calories and nutrients in a small volume. Holiday treats, on the other hand, are often only calorie dense. But if you plan your hurricane stash right, much of the food can be transformed into holiday goodies or foods that will help with the usual New Year's resolutions.

Fortified breakfast cereals such as Total are a great way to essentially get a vitamin pill and your calcium in only three-fourths of a cup. You can then add them to holiday crispy square recipes or even to cereal/nut mixes. Only you will know that they are more nutritious than others may think.

Dried fruits and nuts are high-calorie snacks that are easy to store. When the time comes for holiday baking, these tidbits obviously can be used in fruitcakes, but also can add great surprises to all types of cakes and cookies.

Similarly, canned fruits are a treat during disaster recovery. If they escape consumption during hurricane season, they are great for perking up gelatin or tapioca desserts.

Canned fruit juices are a good source of water, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals, all of which are essential after a disaster. They also form the key ingredients for many a good holiday punch. Throw in some of those canned fruits as well for an interesting twist.

Peanut butter is also a great survival food, concentrated in calories and protein. As an ingredient, peanut butter can be used in cookies and rum balls.

A close runner-up to peanut butter for calorie density is chocolate. Why not include some in the survival box? Most any form will provide concentrated, pleasurable calories for either survival or holiday cheer. The question is, hurricane or not, can the chocolate survive the season?

Other survival foods are also appropriate for the beginning of the new year. Many meal-replacement drinks, such as Slim Fast, Boost and Ensure, are convenient for storing in survival kits. They generally have a good balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat, and are fortified with vitamins and minerals. And you may be looking for these items in January when you resolve to lose a few pounds.

When purchasing survival-type foods, remember to find products with "pull dates" appropriate for their expected season of use. Some foods will disappear in December. Others may need to last until February. You know which is which.