Given how convenient processed foods are, many people these days live off of fast food and reheated foods. But such foods aren't healthy for your body. They can make you gain weight and may eventually put you at risk of developing health problems. If you want to attain optimal health and weight, you should learn how to cook.
Some people tend to think cooking is a complicated skill they will never be able to master. However, you don't have to be extremely good at it to keep yourself well-fed. If you know the basics, such as stir-frying, gutting fish, making sauces and chopping vegetables, then you can easily follow recipes or whip up easy dishes.
Food preservation methods, such as pickling, drying and canning, allow you to make fresh foods last longer. Knowing how to preserve foods is especially important if you grow your own food.
Below are the most common methods of food preservation:
Knowing how to sew allows you to easily mend your clothes. With a bit of practice, you may even be able to sew your own clothes, which would be extremely valuable in a post-SHTF world. (Related: If you had to, could you make your own shoes and clothes? Tips for rediscovering those skills.)
Even if you know how to hunt, catch fish or forage for edible plants in the wild, it still pays to know how to take care of vegetables, herbs and other edible plants. A garden can be a reliable source of food when you can't gather food. If you're new to gardening, you can start by growing herbs by your kitchen windowsill.
Knowing basic first-aid skills can help you survive off-grid emergencies and allow you to be of service to others. Some of the basic first-aid skills everyone should learn include:
SHTF scenario or not, it pays to be resourceful. Always reuse and recycle what you can and avoid wasting food, water and other resources. For instance, you can make fire logs out of scrap paper and improvise cordage out of vines. If you live somewhere with hostile, freezing winters, you can even make snowshoes using branches.
Learning more essential skills apart from the usual ones will help you get through disasters and emergencies better than most people.
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