There are two great reasons to have some backup food/supplies on hand:
1) economic difficulty (job loss, inflation)
2) regional catastrophe/disaster. (hurricane, earthquake, long power outage, etc.)
Either scenario may present different variables (such as availability of power, water, and transportation). I like to keep things simple, so I try to store food that could work either way – stuff I would normally eat, that requires little or no preparation, and has a long shelf life. My list could provide balanced nutrition for my family, needs no added perishable ingredients, and could mostly be eaten without cooking. I'd encourage you to come up with your own plan - but to help you get started, here's what I do:
I choose items with an expiration date at least 18 months from the time of purchase. This way they can function as your food storage for a year, then be brought out with plenty of time to use. I do my shopping for this every January, then cycle the previous years’ storage into our daily use food. It is all the kind of stuff I eat regularly, so really each January I am just buying next January’s food (if all goes well). My list reflects a pretty budget-conscious way of doing it – you could add more fun stuff if you like.
In a survival/catastrophe situation where there is no power, the foods I have listed below are mostly usable with little or no cooking or refrigeration. However, in this case, water is still needed – much more than is listed. Water is one topic you should discuss/research to know how much you would need in given circumstances, and how to store it or purify it.
Be sure your food storage area is dry and cool to minimize problems.
Many people save money for future emergencies – and rightly so! But why not convert a little of that money into emergency food? You’ll eat it anyway – so you’re not wasting anything – if you plan things right. (When you factor in inflation, this might be a better investment than a savings account anyway J.)
>> This list is not intended to be any official health or survival advice. Do your own research and thinking on the subject - and make your own plan. I would argue that if you have no plan, however, mine is definitely better than yours!
Download this checklist in document format to use as a starter template for yourself.
Meat
q Tuna 24 cans
q Chicken Breast 5 big cans
q Hunts Spaghetti Meat Sauce 8 cans
q Ravioli Cans 6 cans
q Chili 4 cans
q Cream of Chicken 6 big cans
Vegetables
q Green Beans 24 cans
q Corn 24 cans
q Baked Beans 12 cans
q Cream of Mushroom 10 cans
q Chili Beans 24 cans
q Olives 6 cans
Fruit
q Mandarin Oranges 12 cans
q Applesauce 4 big jars
q Grape Jelly 2 jars
q Pineapple Chunks 6 cans
q Raisins 2 containers
Drinks
q Powdered Gatorade 3lb container
q Powdered Lemonade 5lb container
q Cocoa Mix large canister
q Baby Formula 1 can
q Bottled Water 36 sm. bottles
q Water Jugs A bunch
Other Foods & Flavors
q Bullion Cubes 1 container
q Oatmeal 50 instant packets
q Vegetable Oil 2 containers
q Olive Oil 1 jar
q Ketchup 2 bottles
q Vinegar 1 container
q Brown Rice 2 bags
q White Rice 2 bags
q Honey Peanuts 2 large canisters
q Baking Soda 3 boxes
q Salt 1 canister
q Wheat Pasta 4 boxes
q Multivitamin 1 adult container / 1 child container
q Popcorn 1 bag
q Canned Soups Any
q Peanut Butter 4 canisters
Other Items to Store
q Unused manual can opener
q Matches
q Spray Lysol
q Box of Garbage Bags
q Napkins
q Paper Plates
q Toilet Paper
q Bleach
q Laundry Soap
q Box of Candles
q Crank Flashlights/Radio
q Batteries
q A few big latching tubs to store the bagged/boxed/smaller items in.
Download this checklist in document format to use as a starter template for yourself.
Another option to consider would be FoodInsurance.com, which provides some survival foods prepackaged for disasters, etc.

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