Emergency Food. It’s a thing. And, no, I’m not talking about stuffing a closet or basem*nt full of premade powdered meals for the zombie apocalypse.
I’m talking about the kind of emergency food items that will prevent a different kind of meltdown. The kind of meltdown that you have when, despite all your planning and organization, real life happens and you find yourself stuck somewhere without an AIP option in sight, with a case of the hangries. THAT kind of emergency food. Although there’s been an explosion of ready to go, paleo-friendly snacking-or-hangry-avoidance foods in the last few years, the same can’t be true of the AIP just yet. So what’s a girl (or guy) to do?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m certainly not advocating that we all live off sugary-starchy snacks as soon as we step outside our front doors. The name of the AIP game is always going to be nutrient density. But, let’s face it. Sometimes it’s just not possible to whip out a balanced meal at every occasion, so we need a little helping hand. Something that’s just going to get us by until our next proper meal. And that’s where emergency food comes in. It’s not the kind of thing we eat every day, but it will get the job done: stave off the hangries, keep us compliant and let us move on with our day.
So I’ve gathered together over 50 recipes for emergency food options here. Everything from bars, bites and balls to granola, trail mix and meaty snacks are included! To class as emergency food, I’ve picked things which are:
- small and compact – no bulky lunchboxes, thermoses or leaky containers here!
- perfectly portable or purse-able – you can drop ’em in your bag before heading out the door
- transport friendly – they’ll make it from home to work to the gym and back again
A handful of these recipes are made with some ingredients that will mean they soften up a little, but they won’t melt like, say, gummy snacks will. I’ve marked those with an (F) for fridge / freezer – as long as they’ve been stored that way and you don’t leave them somewhere crazy like a super hot car for a week, they’ll be a-ok to hang out in your purse / gym bag for the day. And if you don’t have time to whip up your own emergency food recipes, I’ve added a couple of ready to go, already made options that you can buy and stash, just in case. Because that way, we’ll all be emergency food ready!
Bars, Balls & Bites
Applesauce Raisin Breakfast Bars from Cook It Up Paleo
Apple Pie Balls from Paleo Parents
Banana Bread Balls from Paleo Parents
Chocolate Coconut Collagen Protein Bites from Unbound Wellness(F)
Cinnamon Crispy Date Bites from Lichen Paleo Loving AIP
Coconut Orange & Date Bars from Healing Family Eats (F)
Coconut Turmeric Bites from Unbound Wellness (F)
Cranberry Fig Collagen Protein Bars from Grazed and Enthused
Mango Coconut Lime Energy Bars from Tasty Yummies
Orange Carob Bliss Balls from Grazed and Enthused (F)
Raw Fig Newtons from Beyond The Bite
Sticky Antioxidant Energy Bites from Grazed and Enthused
Superfood Energy Bites from Sweet Potatoes and Social Change (F)
from Meatified
from Meatified
Zesty Orange Pumpkin Balls from Zesty Paleo (F)
Ready To Go Options:
Barnana Chewy Banana Bites: Original, Coconut & Apple Cinnamon varieties
Pressed By Kind Bars: Pineapple Banana Kale Spinach & Apricot Pear Carrot Beet
Single Serve Coconut Butter Packets
That’s It Fruit Bars
Veggie Go Bars: Sweet Potato Pie, Carrot Ginger & Mountain Berry Spinach
Dried apricots,blueberries,cherries,dates&figs
Freeze dried raspberries&strawberries
Chips, Crackers & Flatbread
Crunchy Kale Chips from Provincial Paleo
Dill Pickle Plantain Chips from Lichen Paleo Loving AIP
Garlic Rosemary Plantain Crackers from Autoimmune Paleo
Lemon Garlic Plantain Chips from Meatified
Notato Arrowroot Chips from Zesty Paleo
Plantain Crackers from The Paleo Mom
Plantain Flatbread from Zesty Paleo
Ranch Crackers from Forest and Fauna
Rosemary Yuca Crackers from Food To Heal Ourselves
Sea Salt Taro Chips from Grazed and Enthused
Vegetable Thin Crackers from Provincial Paleo
Ready To Go Options:
Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips
Plantain Chips
Rosemary & Sea Salt Pork Clouds
Sea Salt Cassava Strips
Sea Salt Plantain Strips
Sea Snax
Sweet Cinnamon Plantain Strips
Sweet Plantain Strips
Yucan Crunch
Cookies
Apricot N’Oatmeal Cookies from Healing Family Eats
Cherry Carob Cookies from Autoimmune Paleo
Chewy Plantain Apple Cookies from Lichen Paleo Loving AIP
Crispy Cinnamon Thin Cookies from A Squirrel In The Kitchen
Prune & Orange Cookies from Joanna Frankham
Pumpkin Spice Dehydrator Cookies from The Paleo Mom
Pumpkin Spice Macaroons from He Won’t Know It’s Paleo
Sweet Potato, Coconut & Vanilla Cookies from Healing Family Eats
Ready To Go Option:
Power Balls:blueberry,lemon cream,vanilla& AIP variety pack.
(Limited seasonal flavors: orange cranberry & pumpkin!)
Granola, Trail Mix & Baggable Snacks
Cinnamon Coconut Crisp Cereal from Sweet Potatoes and Social Change
Crunchy Cinnamon Baked Banana Chips from Meatified
Pumpkin Spice Granola from Autoimmune Paleo
Sweet & Crunchy Kale Granola from Grazed and Enthused
Savory Roasted Coconut Flakes with Oregano from A Squirrel In The Kitchen
from Meatified
Tigernut Granola from Beyond The Bite
Trail Mix from It’s All About AIP
Vanilla Cinnamon Breakfast Granola from A Squirrel In The Kitchen
Ready To Go Options:
Bare Natural Apple Chips
Bare Natural Banana Chips (plain & cinnamon varieties)
Dang Coconut Chips (sea salt & caramel sea salt varieties)
Jica Chips (sea salt variety)
Tigernuts (peeled, sliced & original)
Meat Snacks
Bacon Bison Cranberry Bites from Food To Heal Ourselves
Bak Kwa / Chinese Jerky from Provincial Paleo
Beef Heart Jerky from Food To Heal Ourselves
Beef Jerky from The Paleo Mom
Mock Epic Bites from Food To Heal Ourselves
Oven Baked Pork Jerky from Meatified
Sage Maple Beef Jerky from Backcountry Paleo
Salmon Jerky by Gutsy (omit paprika for AIP)
Ready To Go Versions:
Bacon & Sea Salt Bites
Beef Apple & Bacon Bars
Bison Bacon & Cranberry Bars
Coconut Carnivore Jerky Mix (black pepper reintro)
Salmon Bites with Maple & Dill
Wild Zora Mediterranean Lamb Bars
Canned kippers, mackerel, salmon, sardines, smoked oysters & tuna
