Emergency Food Supplies

Page Updated on July 28, 2007

When an emergency happens, food is one of your primary focuses. Will the food in the refrigerator spoil? What if you can't get to a grocery store? What if the grocery store doesn't have any food because it can't get it from its warehouse or sells out?

Some people have a false sense of security when it comes to their food supplies. Some people stock up their freezers and think it will last them a long time, but if the power goes out and the freezer doesn't work, it will all quickly spoil. Some people buy tons of canned foods and keep them in their garage. This is fine if you remember to rotate all of it frequently, but if you let it just sit in there for long periods of time (like a year or more) it will lose flavor and nutritional value, and it could even spoil. There's nothing worse that going to your emergency food stocks during an emergency and discovering that your food is spoiled. So how do you stock up?

• Use dry and canned foods that won't perish easily in your everyday cooking. If you have your cupboards filled with dry beans, wheat, sugar, pasta, etc. and canned goods, you'll have these items during an emergency. If it's in your cupboards, rather than in your garage, and you actually use it every day, you will be continually rotating it, so it won't go bad.
• Use a vacuum sealer for long term storage (optional). Oxygen is one of the primary reasons food spoils. Many microorganisms that cause food spoilage need oxygen as do bugs that may have gotten into your food before you stored it away. A vacuum sealer will remove air (including oxygen) from your food containers, slowing down the rate of spoilage and killing most pests. This is perfect for foods that you may not use daily but want to stock up on for emergencies. (I don't recommend using a vacuum sealer for foods that you use daily because of the waste the plastic bags create, the electricity they use, and the chemicals in the plastic can leach into foods.)
• Invest in foods specially prepared for long term storage. The military is great when it comes to this. A Meal-Ready-to-Eat (MRE) can last 10 to 15 years in storage. Recently MREs have become much tastier than they used to be, and they are very filling. The only drawback is that they are expensive (one case which includes 12 meals can cost between $50 and $100), but think of it as an investment.
• Grow a garden. If you have a garden in your backyard, you can have a supply of food. Of course, you may not be able to eat all of it when it's ready to harvest, so you will need to preserve anything you can't eat. This is where learning how to dry and can your food comes in handy.
• Learn about edible plants that grow in the wild. You would be surprised if you knew how many plants that grow in that wild field across the street are actually sources of food. Now, I can't promise that any of it will taste very good, but you could use it. I must insist that you actually learn which plants are edible and which are poisonous. Never eat anything unless you know for sure that it is edible. Don't just go around randomly eating things, or you could end up dead.
• Gather your recipes. A good old-fashioned cookbook will help you figure out exactly how to make a meal from all of those bulk staples. Many modern recipe books assume you can just go out to the store and buy something that has been pre-packaged; these are not the books you want during an emergency. Another thing to look for in recipes are dishes that don't need to be cooked since cooking can sometimes be a bit difficult in emergency situations.

Supplies for your emergency kit

• cereal
• nonfat dry/powdered milk
• canned evaporated milk
• dry/powdered buttermilk
• soy milk powder
• dry/powdered eggs
• peanut butter
• a variety of dry and canned beans
• rice
• wheat flour
• rolled oats
• dry cereal / granola
• popcorn
• crackers
• whole wheat pasta
• salt (you'll need a lot for seasoning food at the table, baking, and cooking, so a tiny shaker isn't enough)
• pepper
• a variety of spices
• baking powder
• baking soda
• yeast
• sugar
• honey
• molasses
• maple syrup
• cooking oil in multiple small containers rather than one large container
• dried fruits
• canned fruits
• dried vegetables
• canned vegetables
• dried meats
• canned meats
• commercial energy bars
• infant formula (if you have or are expecting a baby)
• bottles
• infant eating utensils
• BBQ, camping stove, and/or fireplace with extra fuel supply
• kitchen matches
• waterproof matches
• variety of lighters with extra fuel
• solar oven (a crude one can be made out of a cardboard box and foil in a pinch, but a commercial one is better)
• cast iron skillet
• cast iron Dutch oven
• tea kettle
• basket steamer
• aluminum foil
• knives assortment (bread knife, butcher knife, paring knife, steak knives)
• wood spoons for mixing and using during cooking in cast iron (avoid using metal on cast iron which can scrape off the non-stick seasoning on the iron, and you won't have time to re-season)
• manual can opener
• forks, knives, and spoons for eating utensils
• enamelware (plates, bowels, cups)
• dish detergent
• strainer
• ice chest (with a portable cooling system if possible)
• canning jars, lids, and rings
• optional: coffee and a French press coffee maker (coffee is a diuretic, so it competes with your water absorption but can help increase energy in a time of need and may make you popular with people you need to trade with)