Keto Lifestyle

Keto-On-The-Go Bag

Do you have “Go Bag”? I have had a bag like this fully packed and stored near my front door since 2012 when this post was originally written. There have been some minor changes to the contents helping to make it lighter and more efficient, but the basics are still the same.

This particular bag is a small brief case size rolling carry-on bag.  It holds 3 days worth of supplies for my two kids and myself. This includes food, clothing, personal care items, medications and keto supplies.  The only item not actually in the bag is water, we keep a few 2.5 gallon jugs right next to the bag in the closet.  Here is the breakdown of what is included in the bag.

*UPDATE – We now use an ultra-lightweight hiking backpack that weighs about 2 pounds decreasing the weight considerably. Also, we have added cash! This is probably one of the more important items to have on hand. Small bills are recommended.

The front section includes:

Tissues, wipes for surfaces, baby wipes, plastic silverware, small bottles of dish soap, a bag of instant coffee, powdered cream & sugar.  A baggie containing a scraper, 10ml syringes, a can opener and an extra spoon. The zippered pouch contains personal care items: shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, a hairbrush, hair ties, Tylenol & Advil for kids and adults, prescription medications and lotion.

The next section includes a scale (and extra batteries) and *printed* recipes for the ketogenic meals (the ingredients are worthless if you don’t have ketogenic meal calculations printed!) made from food that is included in the bag. There is also coconut oil, peanut butter, mayo, green beans, tuna, squeezable fruit, Lara Bars, pecans, macadamia nuts and my sons clothing.

*UPDATE – The full size scale in the picture has been swapped out for a very small travel scale about the size of a credit card. More convenient packaging is now available for many keto friendly food items including nut butters, coconut oil, olives, meat sticks etc. Consider looking for single serve squeeze packets whenever possible.

The last section includes: microwavable ravioli (this was for my son who was 5 years old at the time. It is no longer in our bag), mushrooms, green beans, chicken, olive oil, Cliff Bars, apple sauce, baby food sweet potatoes, and clothing for my daughter and myself. All of the food in the bag can be eaten without being rehydrated, heated or cooked.  It might not taste the greatest, but it would do in an emergency with no power or cooking source.

The ketogenic meals are calculated using only the ingredients contained in the bag.  There is more than 3 days worth of oil, but it’s always a good idea to have extra!  Things like the Cliff Bars are good options for non-keto meals since they are high in calories but only take up a small amount of space. Every 6 months or so, take the food and medications out and replace with new ones so they do not expire.

*UPDATE – Prescription Medications and Medical Supplies

This is usually one of the most important items that is most often forgotten or not supplied well enough to last. Fill prescription medications on the day they are approved for refill by your insurance company! For most insurance companies, this is about 1 week to 5 days prior to the medication running out. If you do this every month, you will end up with a small excess of medication. Having a few weeks of extra medication could be lifesaving in an disaster situation where supplies are limited or even cut off completely. For medical supplies, such as glucose and ketone test strips, feeding tube supplies (including a power source), oxygen tanks and other essentials, think through how you would function in an environment with no power or water (even if it’s your own home) and make a plan!  Never rely on shelters or aid organizations to have the medication or supplies you will need.

Please click this link to learn about Food Safety in the Home After a Hurricane or Flooding from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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