Catastrophic events are inevitable nowadays. Any number of catastrophic disasters could occur. It may be harsh as it may seem, but it will blow your mind away if you come unequipped. We can label these as emergencies that are deemed to be crucial and thus require utmost precaution. A hurricane that wipes out the shoreline and devastates communities several miles inland. Or a super-typhoon that strikes an island nation, turning life upside down for cities and neighborhoods.
Regardless of the severity of the calamity and untimely disastrous events, the bottom line is we should come highly inclined on the situation. Basic necessity should boil down from here. Viands are essential to sustain our energy; thus, storing the most important foods is imperative.
When packing for a trip outdoors, a general rule of thumb is always to pack an extra day's worth of food and plenty of water. When planning to bring emergency food supplies, it is also smart to pack foods that do not require cooking—or foods with their self-contained means of cooking. This is because you do not want to have to rely on a specific cooking method. You may also not have time to cook in the event of an emergency.
This article lists the best long-lasting food for survival during an emergency with distinct classification and is specified accordingly. It is possible to survive for weeks without food, but who would want to? During a prolonged emergency, there will be a lot of work to do. Everyone will be better able to perform their chores if they are well-nourished and satisfied. The list contains foods with a long shelf-life and items that have multiple uses. This can give you definite ideas with this array of viands!
As you are selecting foods for your emergency stockpile, you need to consider the following:
- To store emergency foods that will not require refrigeration and should require little electricity or fuel to prepare.
- Most foods aren't packed for long-term storage, except canned foods.
- You want foods that will give you the maximum nutrition for the minimum bulk.
- Avoid all types of "snack foods" as there is no way to store them for long periods.
These items have lengthy expiration dates so that you can stash them away for long periods. Make a list of everything in your Stockpile and check expiration dates every 6 to 12 months to keep things fresh. And don't forget to have a can opener on hand at all times—all that food won't be of any use if you can't open it.
Survival Food that adds flavor & comfort
Most comfort foods have less to do with health and nutrition than they have to do with feeling good. Certainly, you want to concentrate as much as you can on natural foods, preferably fresh, organic foods, for your family. Comfort foods will serve as a break from your regular diet to bring a sense of normalcy during a highly stressful time. These four things can be stored for over ten years and are a great way to add a little bit of flavor to your cooking. If stored properly, they will probably last indefinitely.
- Salt
- Sugar – Brown or White
- Raw Honey
- Alcohol – Whiskey, Vodka, etc.…
Base cooking ingredients with a long shelf life
Here is the detailed list of various foods, ingredients, etc., which have years of shelf life, while some can be stored indefinitely and edible.
Hard Grains: Hard Grains store longer because of their hard outer shell, which protects the seed's germ. Stored properly, hard grains have a shelf life of around 10 – 12 years.
- Buckwheat
- Dry Corn
- Kamut
- Hard Red Wheat
- Soft White Wheat
- Millet
- Durum wheat
- Spelled
Soft grains: Some grains have a soft outer shell that doesn't protect the inner seed. We call these Soft Grains, and they have a storage life of about eight years at 70 degrees F. If you have a way to keep your food storage cooler, your storage time may be longer. It should be sealed without oxygen.
- Barley,
- Oat Groats,
- Quinoa
- Rye
Beans: Beans like Kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, pinto beans, and others are all high in calories, contain a fair amount of protein per serving, and several essential vitamins and minerals. Sealed and kept away from oxygen, the following beans can last for around 8 – 10 years.
- Pinto Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Lentils
- Lima Beans
- Adzuki Beans
- Garbanzo Beans
- Mung Beans
- Black Turtle Beans
- Blackeye Beans
Flours and Mixes and Pasta: These cooking ingredients are certainly nutrient-rich. This highly-fat-in protein can last for about 5 – 8 years.
- All-Purpose Flour
- White Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Cornmeal
- Pasta
- White Rice ( up to 10 years)
Oils: Coconut oil – Coconut oil has one of the longest shelf lives of any oil. It can last for over two years and is a great item to add to your survival food supply list.
Survival Foods that are great during short-term disasters
The following items are great for short-term emergencies and will stay fresh for a long period. During most disasters, you're going to want to have food that requires very little cooking or can be eaten without any preparation at all. We recommend avoiding fresh ingredients and keeping all items in an airtight container to ensure they last as long as possible. Check out the list below to see which survival foods cut. Make sure some of your Stockpile includes these types of food.
Other good survival foods: 2 – 5 years of shelf life
- Canned Tuna
- Canned Meats
- Canned Vegetables & Fruits
- Peanut Butter
- Coffee
- Tea
- Ramen Noodles – not the greatest food globally, but they are very cheap, so they made the survival food list.
- Hard Candy
- Powdered milk
- Dried herbs and spices
Items that can be used for more than cooking:
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Cleaning, cooking and has antibiotic properties
- Baking Soda – Cleaning, cooking, etc.…
- Honey – Mentioned again for its antibiotic properties and wound healing.
Other Foods that you may include in your Stockpile
Choose multigrain cereals that are individually packaged, so they don't become stale after opening.
- Granola bars and power bars
Healthy and filling, these portable snacks usually stay fresh for at least six months. Plus, they're an excellent source of carbohydrates. You can get more energy from carbohydrates without
tons of food.
Stock up on these high-energy foods—they're healthful and convenient for snacking. Look for vacuum-packed containers, which prevent the nuts from oxidizing and losing their freshness.
- Dried fruits, such as apricots and raisins
In the absence of fresh fruit, these healthy snacks offer potassium and dietary fiber. Dried fruits provide you with a significant amount of nutrients and calories.
- Canned, salmon, chicken, or turkey
Generally lasting at least two years in the pantry, canned meats provide essential protein. Vacuum-packed pouches have a shorter shelf life but will last at least six months, says Diane Van, USDA meat and poultry hotline manager.
-Soups and chili can be eaten straight out of the can and provide a variety of nutrients. Look for low-sodium options.
This list seems rather extensive, but we can assume that you're going to be stockpiling enough food to last you several months, if not a year. While you can get by for short periods with much less, you'll need to have a well-balanced diet for a prolonged period. You'll also need variety in your family's diet, as that is important to keep everyone's morale up.
Before buying anything, take the time to figure out how much of each food type you'll need. In other words, if your family uses a loaf of bread every two days, and your survival plan includes that much bread, then how many of each of the ingredients do you need to make that much bread?
One system that works out very well for determining how much to buy is to develop a two-week menu for your family. With that in hand, you can easily total up how much of each type of food you'll need to prepare everything for two weeks. Multiplying that out will give you an idea of how much food you need to last your family for any period.
Whatever you do, don't try to run out and buy a year's worth of food in one week. Take your time. Start by building a two-week stockpile, then increase it to a month. Keep adding, a month at a time, until you reach the point you feel you need. Keep your eye open for sales as well, as that will provide you with needed opportunities to save money.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH?
We don't know if you can ever really be sure if you have enough. 'Enough' is a personal opinion based on your assessment of the risks that we face.
'Enough' depends on how many people are in your family and how long you want your food storage to last. One thing that can be suggested that will surely work is to ask yourself every time you take an item from your pantry, "Do I have enough of these?" Many times that simple question will prompt us to add an item to our store.
Another trick that helps is browsing through the supermarket when you have some extra time. You'll walk up and down every aisle looking at everything that is on sale. Occasionally, you come across an item and decide to add it to your stock. The key is to think about it. That's the first step that leads to action.
Always keep your family's food preferences and dietary needs in mind when investing in your food supply. It would be extremely advantageous to have a two-week supply (at a minimum) of these shelf-stable food items on hand to care for your family.
We never know when disasters or emergencies may strike, so why not be prudent and be ready for them before they affect our livelihood and well-being.
