My short-term survival kit has two items of food. The first is a couple powerbars- Hypothermia is a real danger in an unexpected survival situation, and a jolt of calories at the right time can go a long ways towards good to reversing a downward spiral. The other is a couple teabags and sugar packets. I get this idea from the SAS book and the british- when things are going down the tubes, the ritual of putting the kettle on can really help clear your head and get you to settle down and think. After all, thinking is the most important thing to do when the unexpected happens. Plus, tea makes it more palatable to injest some warm water, which can also help with hypothermia.