In case of an emergency, you want to be prepared with a store of food to keep you and your dependents going through the duration be it a couple of days or much longer. Some prepping sites focus on foods and storage methods that will store for 5 years or more which, although it clearly has its place depending on how far you intend your prepping to take you, is really overkill for all but apocalyptic purposes. For example you may be prepping for bad weather needing supplies for a week or two or due to job insecurity and want a cushion of food that will ease you through a month or two. I’ll research and post about longer term foods and storage in a later article. Here’s the list of essentials that will form part of my ongoing food preps:

 

1. Bottled Water

No matter what the situation, you’re going to get thirsty. Survival sources recommends stockpiling one to three gallons of water per person, per day and possible more when cooking and washing are taken into account. For me this is the hardest item to stockpile simply due to the space required so I balance storing water with water filters and treatments to enable use of other sources of water should the need arise.

 

2. Pasta

Pasta is a great source of carbohydrates that stores well. You can cook it on its own and throw in a few items to make quick and easy one-pot meals or you can add some to soups to increase their nutritional value.

 

3. Rice

White and brown rice make another reliable source of complex carbohydrates for your food preps. Although you can get large bags, personally I go for smaller 1Kg bags as it is an easy size to use and rotate. Note that brown rice has shorter shelf-life.

 

4. Beans

If you store dried beans in a cool and dry place, they will last up to a year. They need to be soaked in water overnight before cooking or adding to meals such as canned soups. Keeping some tinned beans as well is not a bad idea as although they are not as space efficient, they are already in water so can be cooked straight from the tin.

 

5. Stock Cubes

Cubes of stock, such as OXO beef, chicken and vegetable store well at room temperature and last about two years. Use it to add flavor to soups. Simply dissolve the cubes in boiling water and you have a flavorsome base for meals.

 

6. Canned Vegetables & Soups

If you want long shelf-life, canned goods are where you get it. Vegetables like peas, sweetcorn and beans are usually water-packed and ready-to-eat.  Expert advice is to go for the lower salt varieties to avoid getting thirsty and then using up that precious water commodity.

 

7. Canned Meats

Again, for long shelf-life and good sources of protein and calories, get some canned fish and meats such as tuna and corned beef. I also add in some mackerel for the Omega 3 oils and also tinned chicken.

 

8. Canned Meals

Like meats and soups, canned meals such as curries, chillis, hot-pots etc are an easy source of nutrition. With a wide variety and excellent shelf-lives, they add a great deal to your options. Some can be eaten cold, others need to be heated.

 

9. Crackers

If you don’t have fresh bread, crackers are an excellent alternative. They can be eaten on their own or with tinned soups or some peanut butter. There is a trade off with the healthy varieties such as whole-grains as although they are better for you, the shelf-life suffers so there is a balance to be made.

 

10. Cereal

Cereals, particularly whole-grains like Shredded Wheat should form part of your stockpile. It is best to avoid the sugary varieties if you want to keep a healthy and balance diet.

 

11. Peanut Butter

On any prepping website discussing food preps, you will almost always see peanut butter at or near number one as it is packed with protein, has a long shelf life and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Personally, not one of my favourites but since I don’t hate it, I’m going with the crowd on this one!

 

12. Dried Fruits

Dried fruit is a great source of fibre and potassium so get hold of some with a good shelf-life and it’s a healthy addition to you stockpile.

 

13. Energy, Granola and Trail Bars

There are loads of choices when it comes to energy, granola and trail bars. Individually packed and full of energy, protein and carbs, keeping a load in stock is a great idea. My personal favourite is the Alpen Big Berries Trail Bars which usually have a 9-10month best before date so always keep a few boxes in my stockpile as well as a couple in each of my GHB and EDC.

 

14. Jerky

Another great source of protein is Jerky or similar dried meats and sausages. It stores well and like the energy bars is also ideal for carrying with you.

 

15. Nuts & Trail Mix

Nuts and trail mixes are high energy foods well worth a significant place in your stockpile. Advice is to go for the vacuum-packed containers which keep the contents fresher and have a longer life.

 

16. Powdered Milk

With no power for your fridge, milk isn’t going to last very long. Stock up on powdered milk as a usable alternative. Add some water and use in drinks and for cooking.

 

17. Sports/Energy Drinks

Stocking up on sports drinks makes sense as they contain electrolytes as well as carbohydrates and will help your body to replenish when water is scarce.

 

18. Vinegar

There are entire webpages devoted to uses for vinegar. Used as a basic food seasoning it is one thing but it has uses in first aid, hygiene and even to relieve heartburn.

 

19. Waxed Hard Cheese

If, like me, you are a fan of a nice mature cheddar, there is no reason to go without during an emergency situation. Get hold of some cheese encased in wax in it will keep for up to 25 years! The wax stops the mould growth and also keeps the moisture in the cheese.

 

20. Seasonings & Spices

Seasonings and spices are what separate your food from get-the-job-dones to tasty meals. Some saffron will make rice more interesting while some chili flakes will spice up those beans. Keep some staples in that you use regularly such as rosemary, dill, paprika etc. Even basic salt and pepper add significantly to many meals.

 

21. Vitamins

Under normal circumstances, you would be eating a fairly balanced diet. In an emergency or survival situation, that is more difficult to monitor or control. It doesn’t hurt to have some basic multi-vitamins in your stockpile just to make sure you aren’t missing any nutrients you would normally be getting.

 

22. Olive Oil

To cook some foods you’re going to need some oil. Extra virgin olive oil has better nutritional value than most so that’s the one I’ve chosen to stock. It can have a shelf life of up to 2 years and it is best to buy small containers so that once opened it gets used before it starts to deteriorate.

 

23. Salt

Salt has been used for centuries as a preservative and to keep bacteria at bay. It also provides essential sodium for all living things. It lasts forever so keep some plenty in stock to both add taste and top preserve.

 

24. Sugar

You want sweetness? You’re going to need sugar, available in granule, brown and powdered varieties. Prepping sites recommend avoiding paper bagged or boxed sugar and going for plastic-wrapped as this keeps away the insects. I’m not completely convinced by this argument as it is easy to just wrap the paper bag in a plastic bag and that allows standard packaged sugar to be stored as part of your preps. You could of course remove it from the purchased packaging and re-package it in mylar bags.

 

25. Flour

You’re going to need flour for baking, coating and for thickening sauces etc. It is best to go for wholemeal flour if possible as it contains more nutrients than standard white flour. You can also stock bread mixes as an additional option. As with sugar, the advice from prepping sites is to go for plastic-wrapped rather than paper to keep insects out.

 

26. Coffee & Tea

Even putting aside the physical boost of a caffeine drink, a hot drink is a morale booster in its own right. Different teas can have stimulating or calming effects so it might be an idea to stock a couple of varieties that you enjoy and have experienced such effects. Tea bags and instant coffee will store for quite a while and as you use them daily anyway, you can stock plenty and keep a good rotation. Even the sachets like those used in hotels etc. could be a stockable item as you can also keep a handful in a GHB or BOB without taking up any room or requiring additional packaging.

 

Hopefully by building a stockpile of these basic items, along with the necessary practice and recipes to use them, I should be some way towards coping should anything short to medium term happen.  Tips are always welcome though so feel free to comment on my food preps!