WinCo is at it again. For those of you who are local, or who are willing to make the drive into town, we are talking about the Winco at Reserve & South. They had the Augason Farms products again but his ime with something new…fake meat. They had ‘ground beef substitute’ which as we all know is code for TVP. Now, being a good survivalist as well as someone who reads food labels, i can tell you that TVP is a long-time staple of many preparedness-marketed foods. Real long-term-ready meat is not cheap. But TVP is. So when you roll up on a bucket of survival food and it mentions ‘hearty chili’ or somesuch, check that label. Odds are high that the beef you think is in that stew or chili is actually TVP.
Now, if TVP actually was indistinguishable from the real deal, I would be a supporter of it. But I have tried TVP and I have tried preparing it in a dozen different ways. I have never had an episode where I got a mouthful of it and thought it was indistinguishable from real meat. Maybe if you cook it up in enough taco seasoning and add enough salsa you might overlook it’s non-meat texture and favor but…no.
However….it is a great protein source that stores wll (but then again, so is rice & beans). Anyway, its there if you want it. They are also selling cans of beef stew vegetable blend, so get a can of the veggies, a can of the beef TVP, a gallon or two of water and you’ve got post-apocalyptic dinner in hand.
Whether you like TVP or not (and Im in the ‘not’ camp) you have to be practical and realize that for its intended use (keeping you from starving during the Bad Times) it’s actually a good product. However, its not for me and I’d rather simply store real meat..either canned or freeze-dried.
Anway, its up at WinCo and even if you’re not into the TVP, there’s still some other stuff up there worth picking up.
Potato gems are the best instant mashed potatoes on earth. I buy them when I can find them in stock and use them weekly.
Hard pass. America already has too many “soy boys” and TVP is good for nobody. The soy acts like a hormone and is bad for both men and women. Maybe this explains why we have so many gender pretenders in the world.
Before investing a large amount of cash in TVP, make certain that your digestive system can handle it.
We discovered (in the Air Force) that many people cannot – in the second generation of MREs/Flight Meals that were prepared. Eat some TVP and go flying, and you might be very unpleasantly surprised.
I fall in the “disturbed digestion” camp on TVP. So, nope, can’t do it, found out the hard way.
Following. I concur with Flight Doc about knowing what you or your tribe mates can consume healthily. I am fortunate that anything not rancid I can put down, and once deprivation is the word of the times, I would suppose t.v.p. rations will suffice or be an augment to other more normie base stock foods. The price points for their longevity storage attributes is actually bargain shopping against general fiddiling inflation, much less supply chain tomfoolery or legit econ or system collapse new pricing regimes. My hinterlands little grocery folks carry some of these as well, so there is indeed some prudent consumer demand out there, nothing to smirk at. I think a strategy of trading my diminishing in value fiat bucks for a squirrel’s nut stash of these products might be in order. Stay stocked up, so as to stay frosty.
I use TVP. It comes in many flavors. My favorite is chicken and taco. A 1/8 cup in soup provides flavor and a little protein when meat is not available. It stores well.
I don’t use it as a “meat” dish though.
Stock up on canned beef. Buy the cans or do your own canning.
I’ve been very pleased with the beef I’ve canned at home. Excellent way to take advantage of sales without losing freezer space.
Not just beef, but chicken and pork also. Home canning is not so tough.
Exactly. I disagree with our host’s statement that “Real long-term-ready meat is not cheap.” Yes it is. Buy it in bulk or on-sale and can it yourself. Then you know EXACTLY what is in it. You are also not reliant on what pre-packaged food is available in the store or what it’s inflated price is.
Tractorguy
Youre correct…when I said that I was referring to real meat as it comes from vendors of long-term food, I completely discounted the DIY angle.
Most of what is sold as ‘Long-Term Storage…food’ is stuffed with Chemicals and non-food things like TVP. Wouldn’t be surprised to find Klaus Schwab’s Bugs in there too. IMO, the best Staple Foods for reasonably Long-Term (5 Years minimum) are Rice, Beans, Pasta, Dried Potatoes, and Canned Vegetables (but read those labels Carefully). Load Dry Foods in Mylar Bags with Oxygen Absorbers and Desiccant, in Food-Grade 5-Gallon Pails.