Emergency Food for Storage

Emergency Food for Storage is rapidly becoming a big issue! Everytime the economy tanks people worry, and this time the worry is justified.

The economy is getting worse and with the potential for economic collapse comes FEAR. Student loan debt over $1 Trillion, Credit Card debt over $1 Trillion, National Debt $15 Trillion, Home Foreclosures… the list is pretty extensive.

What happens when the supply chain to the local grocery store is broken? This could result from economic or natural disaster. Will you be prepared? It simply makes no sense not to have at least a months supply of food and even more importantly clean drinkable water on hand in your own home or dwelling. Creating an Emergency Food for storage plan really makes sense; wouldn’t you agree?

When people think of food for storage (And I do this myself) we think of dry beans, rice, canned goods, and ick – powdered milk. It doesn’t seem very appealing does it? So it’s important that you create a plan that involves foods you actually like to eat and are a part of your regular diet. It makes no sense to rush out and buy a lot of things “in case” that you do not like to eat and wouldn’t otherwise eat. If you do that then you are just throwing money down the drain. And its equally important to create a nutrition plan for the foods you store. Being stuck eating only rice and beans in an emergency could result in nutritional deficiency. So it’s a good idea to invest in vitamin supplements – again including those you would normally use – as part of your food storage plan.

Food for Storage Basics

• Organized Shelving System – You are going to need a place to store your food that is clean, dry, pest free and at a temperature that will keep your food for as long as possible. You’ll also need a system where you can date stamp your items and rotate them so the oldest items get consumed first. You can purchase an elaborate shelving system designed specifically for food storage or you can simply use shelving available from the local hardware store. It doesn’t matter which type, it only matters that you have a system. And the simplest system is to purchase a “Sharpie” marker and write down the date right on the package that you purchased the item. It’s also important that you take notice of expiration dates on packages as you buy them. Grocery stores usually “face” merchandise pulling the oldest items to the front – and you should do the same at home, but when buying long term storage items don’t be afraid to dig to the back and check that date.
• Water – because most food storage items are dehydrated you’ll need a clean supply of drinkable water. People who store water should think far beyond just how much you’ll drink and INCLUDE how much you’ll need to cook. It takes a lot of water to boil dry beans and rice. You should also consider canned goods as long as the weight of those canned goods is not an issue. If you are forced out of your dwelling by natural disaster you want your supply of food to be as light as possible. When storing water you should be sure to use containers designed for this use. #1 Plastic (PETE - Polyethylene Terephthalate) used for bottled water like Desani or Arrowhead is a one time use product. You do not want to refill these types of bottles. As crazy as it sounds bottled water in this type of plastic actually has an expiration date! I will not get into specifics here, but chemicals do leech into water over time. The plastic you want for long term storage is #2 (HDPE – High Density Polyethylene). HDPE is the plastic you find in milk jugs. Look on the bottom of the container for the little symbol with the triangle arrows and the number inside to see what kind of plastic a container is made from. For more information see: Plastic Storage Containers – Is Your Food Container Safe The more water you can safely store the better off you will be in event of emergency.
• How Many Months Supply of Food for Storage – If you are rotating your food storage with your everyday diet it makes sense to have a 3 to 6 month supply. The goal here is to not only have a storage system that will provide food for you and your family in the event of catastrophe but to actually eat from your food storage supply so you do not waste and throw money out the window. Sure it’s okay to have items that have a shelf date of a year, but you want to rotate these out of inventory about every 90 days. So for most people a 3 month supply will be the best time frame to work from and will allow you to adjust without waste.
• Education about Food and Nutrition – Taking the time to learn about nutrition and which foods to store will go a long way in creating a viable supply of food for emergencies. This topic is too long for discussion in this article but you should take the time to learn about which Grains, Legumes, and Fruits and Vegetables store well.
• Electrical or Propane Power? – It’s great that you have a food supply, but don’t overlook the need to clean and prepare the foods you store. You’ll need a power source such as a backup generator and/or propane camp stove to prepare the foods in event of emergency.
• Flatware and Dishes – If you are going to be prepared for food storage you should also create a plan for dishes and doing dishes in an emergency is probably going to be more hassle than it’s worth. Stock up on some plastic flatware, paper plates and cups. Please avoid polystyrene as it’s a pollutant and will only make the environment worse.

A simple plan can go a long ways towards keeping you and your family well fed during times of emergency. Without one you are at the mercy of the Government or Neighbors. If you think that they will be there when needed all you have to do is look at what happened during the Haiti earthquakes. Sometimes no matter how well intentioned society may be the real key to survival is always up to you and your ability to be prepared.

The Lazy Man’s Guide for Preparing Food for Storage

Are you comfortable in your life earning a nice income and too busy to take all the time to create a food storage plan? But you want to be prepared then this is the place you should visit for tasty prepackaged food for storage emergencies.

Efoods Direct

Take advantage of the “6 meals Free Offer”. You pay them $9.95 for shipping and handling and they send you 6 meal packets. This is the ONLY offer of it’s kind I found during my research that allows you to actually try the food BEFORE you invest in a multiple month supply. This is also the easy way to always be prepared at a reasonable cost and will save you a ton of time trying to create a solid nutritional plan on your own. This is the best “Turn Key” solution for emergency preparedness food storage.