These are the most common types of disasters that we come up against. They include situations like blizzards where you are trapped in your home and unable to go grocery shopping. They also include short-term power outages.
You won’t need a lot of survival food for these situations, especially because you will be able to eat through your regular food supply (and will especially have to hurry to consume those frozen foods if the grid goes down!).
But there are some items which are absolutely necessary:
- WATER: During blizzards, hurricanes, and other disaster situations, it is common for the water to go off. Have at least 1-2 gallons per person, per day. This includes water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. Read how much water you really need for emergencies.
- Canned food: Including canned meat, beans, fish, fruit, vegetables
- Crackers
- Oatmeal
- Cereal
- Powdered milk – Learn how to make powdered milk
- Peanut butter or powdered peanut butter
- Jams and jellies (preferably in plastic containers and not glass)
- Crackers
- Instant mashed potatoes
- Granola bars
- Red lentils
- Couscous
- Dried fruits/fruit leatherF
Few Long term holders are
- WATER: Again, water is your most important survival item!
- Canned Foods: These are great for both short-term and long-term disasters. Just don’t rely solely on canned goods as they are usually loaded with sodium and sugar (plus most taste like crap).
- Freeze Dried Fruit: Freeze drying is one of the best ways to preserve fruit for the long term, and without taking up much space. Invest in freeze-dried fruits as you will really need the antioxidants in fruit to keep you healthy… Not to mention the fiber you will need to keep your bowels moving!
- Freeze Dried Veggies: Freeze dried veggies taste a lot better than canned veggies, and they take up a lot less space. Just add water to rehydrate them, or snack on them. You will need them for the minerals and vitamins that they provide.
- Seaweed: Seaweed isn’t exactly the tastiest food, but it is one of the most nutritious foods you will find and is very compact when dried. It is also naturally salty so you can use it to flavor foods.
- Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil and Lard: Oils and fat are the most caloric-dense foods you will find. They will provide you with energy, flavor food, and also prevent food from sticking to your cooking pots and pans.
- Honey: Honey can last virtually forever, is a great natural immunity booster, and has anti-bacterial properties. For long-term survival, it beats sugar for flavoring food.
- Powdered Milk: Look for powdered milk in cans as it will last longer without having to vacuum seal.
- Instant Meals: Don’t bother with the instant meals you find in supermarkets. They usually take up too much space with empty packaging and are nutritionally incomplete. Further, they aren’t meant to be stored for a long time. This is your survival we are talking about, so spend a bit more on emergency food from a reputable brand.
- Freeze Dried Meat: This takes up much less space than canned meat.
- Dried Meat: When stored properly, dried meat can last for over a year.
- Dried fruits and vegetables: These can last for upwards of 5 years when stored properly.
- Beans, lentils and rice: These are cheap and have very long shelf lives. Just remember that they take forever to cook, so you’ll need an off-grid stove plus lots of fuel.
- Canned tuna in oil: This is a great source of protein and Omega 3. Plus, you can turn a tuna can into a survival candle or stove!
- Ramen Noodles: You will want some carbs, and these are great because they cook quickly. Read do ramen noodles expire?
- Instant Mashed Potatoes: Also because you will want some carbs and no cooking is required.
- Protein bars and granola bars
- Pickles/Preserves: Learn how to make your own lacto-fermented pickles here. Just remember to store the jars in a way that is safe for disasters like earthquakes.