OK - sumptin happend. Your far enough away to be able to say "Wunder whut da heck, dat wuz?".

NOW, your brother or sister and their kids/spouse drive up and you're on the hook to feed them.

OR they didn't make it.

BUT you're still on the hook to feed everyone on hand.

How much do you feed in a day? How many Calories? 2000, 3000, ?????

Have you set up a type of work to ration supplied work sheet?

IF NOT here is what you have do know.

1. normal ration (whatever foodstuff) issue size.
2. calories per issue size.
3. fats per issue.
4. protein per issue.
5. carbohydrate per issue.

HOW do you figger that out?

OK

For a normal sized SPAM can here are the stats:
1 SPAM regular size can

1094 Total Calories
12 oz
56 g serving size
6.1 #56 g servings.
180 calories/serving
16 g fat
6 g saturated fat
790 mg Sodium
1 g Carbohydrate
0 g fiber
0 g sugar
7 g Protein

So for 1 normal can of SPAM you're giving out:
total calories - approx 1090 (180 calories per serving X number of 56 gram servings in a can)
total fat - approx 97 grams fat (16 g fat per serving X number of 56 gram servings in a can)
total protein - approx 43 grams
total carbohydrate - approx 7

two note cards could read:

SPAM - 12 oz can
Calories - 1090
Fat - 97g
Protein - 43g
Carbs - 7g

SPAM - 7 oz can
Calories - 638
Fat - 57
Protein - 25
Carbs - 4

Will you issue a 1 pound sack of rice to a family or will you break it out to a daily issue per that family?

Will you have a scale to weigh it out?

Will you use a measuring cup?

What are the breakouts for long grain white rice per pound or per cup???
What are the breakouts for sugar, flour, corn meal........... per pound or per cup???

hmmm, I know that calories are important, but I think there is more to it than that. If I can make someone feel full, or be healthy and use less, then I will. The way I figure it, most people are carrying a few extra pounds, BUT they will be doing much more work and need more to sustain them.
You can add bulk with beans and rice, both cheap and nutritious, but filling too. Fats in cooking are important, as they will not only improve taste but boost calories.
I look at that can of spam and I see that it feeds 6 people....but in a pinch, it could feed 8 if you add beans, ten if you make a casserole and top it with corn bread. The meat portion is less important if you serve a complete meal.

I won't be handing out food to anyone. I will set up a kitchen to prepare meals. Work is exchanged for food/meals. A full days work= a full days food. If you are working like that, you not only need the food to keep working, but you deserve it. If you are doing less work, you will get less food, as you don't need as much calorie wise. Filling up the belly if needed at all is done with things like popcorn, which is cheap.
I count my food by meal sized servings....how many are in for that meal is a matter of who happens to be around.

everyone works no exceptions, therre is plenty for everyone to do. There will be no case of one member of a family working and all the rest just lounging. You don't work you don't eat.

for that matter you don't work you don't stay.

WB Edited to specific:

No arguments with what you said.

Fats, if you'll note in the summaries for both the 12oz and 7oz SPAM cans I gave total calories, total FAT, total protein, and total carbs by unit of issue. All 4 are important - my opinion is after total calories, the fat and protein counts are about equal in importance followed then by carbs.

You noted full days work and less work resulting in differences in food amounts. That's important in rationing what you have. If you've read Lucifer's Hammer, at the Senators compound the woman who had been an accountant/bookeeper was the one who collated the amount of calories/food provided with the amount of work done. Serious bookeeping/accounting there if you're having to feed your group.

I'm talking about the very serious business of rationing/proportioning your food.

You mentioned expanding the SPAM with beans and rice. OK how many beans? what's the ration issue amount? SAME SAME rice. Do you just do a can of SPAM to a pound of beans and a pound of rice? OR will you say "for this meal, for these people we need to feed them 1 can of SPAM 1 1/2 pounds of cooked beans and 3/4 pound of cooked rice".

I realize this is a fine line picky thing but not thinking about it ahead of time could prove problematic in the future.

To give other specific "notecards of info"

Long Grain Rice
Unit of Issue 1 cup (185g)
Calories for 1 cup - 685
Fat - 5.4g
Protein - 14.7g
Carbs - 142.9g


Pinto Beans, cooked
Unit of issue 1 cup (171g)
Calories - 234
Fat - 1g
Protein - 14g
Carbs - 43g

I would actually go to a recipe and modify it for the number of people. Let's say I decide to feed 8.
I would take the can of spam, 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of beans, add water, seasoning and cook. (dice spam)
1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of beans is a normal serving (I believe). The spam adds a bit of protien and taste, as well as fat. I may also provide cornbread w/butter (powdered) and perhaps honey. I would, when possible, also provide 1/2 cup of canned fruit. Except for the spam and fruit, the other items expand to fill the tummy, making the appearance of "more" food, while maintaining portions.

I am not a fan of spam, I think that the canned meat, in this instance, is a waste. It's not "enough" on it's own, but not really needed when feeding the beans (which also provide protien). I used the spam, rice and beans simply because you mentioned it. If it were me using spam, I would probably use it with a tomato sauce and pasta, making a spaghetti type meal, where it's protien would have more impact.

I know (as I said) calories are important, but I honestly just think in "meals", with all the resources I have. A can of fruit can serve 2 or 3, an 8x8 pan of corn bread can feed 6 or 8, 4 if it is the main bulk/grain of the meal. It's a tricky thing you mention, rationing. lol
We, in America are so used to way more food than we need, when possible, we need to take that into consideration in shtf. We will be dealing with less food, more work, a lot more stress. If we can overcome some of those obsticles with planning our rations, all the better.