Food and water are probably two of the most precious commodities during a disaster or crisis that results in a shortage of both. Floods, earthquakes, power outages, etc. can result in a situation where obtaining food from the supermarket or store is next to impossible.
That is why it’s always a good idea to stockpile food at home just in case such a situation occurs. However, food is a perishable item so it comes with its challenges. Knowing how to store food for the long term is a very useful skill to have.
The problem here is that no one knows how long the situation is going to last or how soon help is going to arrive. In really bad scenarios, it may be a couple of weeks before the disaster can be sorted out and help can arrive.
One good example would be major floods that cause tremendous damage to the roads and infrastructure. This will make the affected areas inaccessible to vehicles transporting supplies, etc. Help on the outside will need to figure a way to remedy the problem. This will take time… and it’s during this waiting time, you will need food to tide yourself through this difficult situation.
At the very least, if you’re prepping for such scenarios, it would be a good idea to have a minimum of 3 to 4 days’ worth of food and water. It would be better if you could stockpile enough food to last at least 2 weeks. When storing water, about 1 gallon of water per person in your family should suffice. Do remember to include the children and pets too.
It would be a good idea to store food that is nutritious and contains the calories and nutrients that your body will need. Examples, would be canned sardines, peas, etc. Pop tarts, candies and chocolates are not good items to be stockpiled as food for survival. Sure, you may have some stored aside to provide some pleasure during a trying situation, but for the most part, the food must provide sustenance.
The amount of food you stockpile should provide each person at least one meal a day. So, you may need to calculate just how much food you will need for your family and how long it will last, etc.
When buying food for long-term storage, it’s best to stick to canned food and dry food that will last for about 3 to 6 months. Do make a list of all the food and their expiry dates. This will allow you to easily remember when to consume food that is about to expire and replace them with new food.
It will be a good idea to get food that your family likes to eat. By consuming the rations that have not been used, you and your family will get used to eating them. Many preppers buy field rations and MRE’s from military stores because they believe that this food is better for survival.
It’s not. More often than not, most people do not like eating these foods and during a situation where there isn’t access to normal food, your family members will be reluctant to eat these rations that they’re not used to. So, purchase food that everyone likes to eat.
Some examples of food that last a long time are:
* Crackers
* Powdered milk
* Peanut butter
* Granola bars,
* Protein bars,
* Nuts
* Canned tuna… and most canned food.
Dedicate a shelf or pantry to store all your emergency food. Keep them in airtight containers or zip lock bags. Label all the containers and mark anything with the ‘opened on’ date if it was opened for consumption. Check on your food at scheduled intervals and make sure that everything is still edible and your stockpile doesn’t have expired items.
Having a stockpile of food that your family can depend on in times of need will be very useful should the situation arise where food is scarce. Start preparing TODAY.
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