Main stay rations - two situations -
strictly in the filed AND sedentary.

Strictly in the field:

I assume no fresh fruits or vegetables, no cooking. If someone wants to assume otherwise, the options are increased.

1. beef jerky
2. hardtack (yes it is available commercially)
3. canned fruit cocktail.

If sedentary, I add canned beef stew.

Yes, I have "the year's supply", the MREs and so forth.

As I get older, certain things stand out: 1. I don't want to have to cook during survival, 2. I don't want to have to clean up;. 3. I don't want to attract attention, 4. I appreciate that the reason that the US and other militaries cut out mess kits was because in the field the equipment is not kept clean.

You have to get a grip on the reality that you will be facing when you decide upon rations.

If you are Mormon, rural, lots of kids, lots of water and firewood, then your reality is different from a resident of Los Angeles. What do you think would happen after shtf in Los Angeles and you decide that you want to build a fire and cook bread?

If you radically change your diet in an emergency, your stomach flora has to catch up. I read about an Army Captain who went about 60 days after D day eating C rations in Europe. The medics couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. It turned out that everyone else in the army had some food on the side - fresh loaf of bread, some chickens, a stew, whatever. This guy ate only military rations.

I have MREs. I don't plan to crack them and eat them exclusively when shtf. I will cycle them in gradually.