Homesteading Skills for a Joyful Life: Joyfully Prepared

The Biggest Food Storage Challenge: How to Keep Picky Eaters & Your Family Happy

Episode Summary

"Why Kids & Elderly Adults Struggle with Food Storage (And What to Do About It)" We’ve all heard the myth—“If you’re hungry enough, you’ll eat anything.” But science, history, and real-life experience say otherwise. And when it comes to food storage, kids and elderly adults are the hardest to feed. In this episode, I break down: ✔️ Why kids reject unfamiliar food (even when hungry!) ✔️ How aging changes taste, smell, and appetite ✔️ The science behind food neophobia & food fatigue ✔️ How to build a food storage plan that actually works for your family Because food storage isn’t just about having enough food—it’s about having the RIGHT food.

Episode Notes

🧸 Why Kids Reject Food Storage Meals

📖 Food Neophobia (Fear of New Foods)

• Kids are wired to resist new foods—it’s a survival instinct!
• Taste buds are more sensitive, making new flavors overwhelming.
• Stress makes picky eating worse. If they won’t eat it now, they won’t eat it in an emergency.

✅ How to Make Food Storage Work for Kids:
✔️ Store what they already eat
✔️ Introduce food storage meals now
✔️ Keep familiar seasonings & comfort foods

👵 Why Elderly Adults Struggle with Food Storage

📖 Aging & Taste Research (2014)

• Taste buds fade, making food bland or unappealing
• Loss of smell changes how food tastes
• Dry, chewy, or high-fiber foods are harder to eat & digest
• Stress & illness reduce appetite

✅ How to Make Food Storage Work for Elderly Adults:
✔️ Store soft, easy-to-digest foods
✔️ Use natural flavor boosters
✔️ Rotate familiar meals into their routine

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