Sustainable Bannock

[barber oregon]

I read somewhere (I think it was one of the U.S. federal emergency brochures) that a combination of wheat flour, corn and soy flour would nutitionally sustain a person for a VERY long time (along with some vitamin C).

Does anyone know what proportion of flour, corn and soy required to make these nutritionally viable in this way?

I want to incorporate this into an old Native American bread recipe called bannock (recipe here http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/JMC/Olson/9705.htm)

It would occur to me that these three types of flour can be obtained and stored cheaply and for long periods of time. They could be used as an emercency food source whose only requirements are heat and a little water.

 

[coyotlviejo]

The standard diet in Mexico is corn and beans in various forms. When used together they form a perfect protien, which is why you find very little malnourishment - even amongst the poor. I don't know how to tell you exact proportions, but I usually have about 4 or 5 corn tortillas with a bowl or plate of beans. Many times that is the whole meal, and it suffices very well. You can store the corn and beans whole and dry, then grind the corn as you need it to make maza. From the maza you can make all kinds of foods, including hot beverages. Beans are often prepared by boiling, but "refried" is also very common.

What you do is take a hot tortilla, tear off a triangle-shaped piece from it, then fold the piece in your fingers to scoop up the beans. Viola - the edible spoon! I know many people who don't even know how to use a fork or a tableknife, as almost all eating is done with tortillas.

 

[bruce]

coyotlviejo, I wouldn't call it a "perfect" protein for human consumption, but it does have enough of the "essential" amino acids to keep you from a deficiency. Actually, all protein is compared to egg for protein effeciency.

Bruce

 

[coyotlviejo]

Point well taken. So I guess it would be called a very, very good protein. My mention of it being a perfect protein comes from what I was told by my botany instructor, but I guess I should have considered that he was teaching botany, not nutrition. Until then I had always just eaten it without analyzing it. (Hmmm, might there be a deeper lesson here, too?)

 

[Eric_Draven]

Originally posted by bruce
coyotlviejo, I wouldn't call it a "perfect" protein for human consumption, but it does have enough of the "essential" amino acids to keep you from a deficiency. Actually, all protein is compared to egg for protein effeciency.

Bruce

Yes, egg white is given a rating of 100, but certain types of whey protein are 20 percent more complete, giving scores of 120. There is much talk of different proteins in weight lifting circles.

When I am backpacking protein is something I look at packing, ire cheese, sauasge, tuna foils packets from starkist, jerky, peanut butter, etc. But in a survival situation I can gather protein fairly easily with a couple of 110 conibears or primative traps (see buckshot and Woodsmaster #5 for details.)

It is fat that is hardest to find. Wild animals are very lean. Squirel, rabbit, venison, elk, moose, all are lean compared to the fat content of beef (which has been bred to have intermuscular fat.) The tale of starving to death while on a hare diet for example.

I studied to be a chef years (culinary arts at a trade school) back, and much of the coursework was in nutrition.

In the cave cooking section of www.survival.com forum there is a post about using ground beans and corn mixed with flour in making tortillas and breads. This can also be done with lentils.

When I was growing up in the early seventies my mother was a vegetarian for about ten years (thankfully my father would have none of that), and there were many variations of lentils and beans and grains to form complete proteins. perhaps visiting a few vegan site might be of help to you.