Emergency Food Storage - How Do I Educate Myself

It is very important that you take time to educate yourself on the aspects of how to store and prepare your food storage.  You may have just what you need to survive an emergency right in your own home.  However, if you don’t know how to use it or even more important, how to maximize its potential, what good is it? 

I have found that it is essential to study the following when planning and building a food storage plan:

1.   How much to food to store. 

·      Refer to a food storage calculator – see Thrive Planner at susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

·      Calculate your own plan using your own recipes, then compare amounts with a food storage calculator

2.   Basic Nutrition

·      http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid-full-story/index.html     

    3.  Where to store your food storage

·      Refer to my post – “Emergency Food Storage – Where Do I Store It”

·      Refer to http://survivalacres.com/information/shelflife.html

    4.  Shelf Live of Food

·     Refer to susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

·     Refer to http://survivalacres.com/information/shelflife.html

    5.  What Affects Storage Life

·     http://shop.conserva.de/long-term-food/What-factors-affect-the-shelf-life-of-foodstuffs

The websites listed above are only a few of many that offer good information on these topics.  Check the Internet and library for more information.

The above information can be learned from studying websites, articles and books.  However, don’t stop there.  The rest of the knowledge that you need comes from personal experience.

1.    Find simple recipes that can be made from your food storage that your family will enjoy.  Try them out on them.  If they won’t eat something now, they won’t eat it in an emergency.

2.    Experiment with quantity of food a recipe makes.  You want to make just enough for your needs.  You may not be able to store leftovers and you certainly don’t want to waste food.

3.    If you have stored whole grains and most people do, experiment with cooking them.  Find recipes and cooking methods that you like.

4.    Experiment with the characteristics of different storage food ingredients.  For example, do you know how freeze-dried foods can be substituted for caned or fresh ingredients

5.    Experiment with different cooking methods that are available to you – grill, campfire, solar oven, etc.

6.    Identify any special equipment you will need

Education is important.  If you take time to educate yourself and put your knowledge into practice before the emergency situation occurs, you will be much better prepared to handle the unexpected.  Don’t think of your food storage experience as difficult or unpleasant.  Rather, think of it as something you can learn and have fun with.  Your attitude will transfer to your family, so make the best of it.

Emergency Food Storage - What Do I Store for Short Term Emergencies When I Must Leave Home

For the beginner, starting a food storage program can be rather daunting.  Most people do not know which foods are best to sustain their families in an emergency situation, the quantities of food necessary or how to overcome the cost factor involved.  Often people believe that they should have food storage but when it gets right down to purchasing it, they are so frustrated that they put it off until another day.

The most important factor in building food storage is determination.  You must:

1. Believe that it is an important thing to do
2. Investigate what foods are best to store for your family’s needs and the quantities you will need  
3. Check your budget to see how much money you can put toward food storage each week or month
4. Make a plan of what you will buy and the schedule you will follow to accomplish your goal
5. Proceed to build your storage on a regular basis
6. Evaluate your progress
7. Be determined

 There are two types of emergency situations you must consider:

• Emergencies where you must leave your home (prepare for  72 hours to 2 weeks)
• Emergencies where you can remain in your home (prepare for 2 weeks to 2 years)

 For Emergencies where you must leave home:

• Food must be light-weight and easy to carry
• Food must be of the type that require little or no preparation
• Food and supplies should be packed up and ready to go.  You may not have time to gather it together at the time of the emergency.  Make sure that all necessary items for preparation are packed together
• Choose food that your family enjoys to reduce stress
• Purchase food in packages that contain all ingredients or that only need to have water added.

Examples of suitable food for this type of situation:

• Canned Meats
• Beef Stew
• Chili
• Soups
• Energy Bars
• Canned pasta dishes
• Applesauce or fruit cups
• Dried fruits
• Nuts
• Trail Mix
• Crackers
• Small packages of Cereal
• Juice Boxes
• Bottled Water
• Hard Candy
• Granola Bars
• Freeze-dried prepared meals or MREs (light and easy to carry)

Shelf Reliance carries a variety of freeze-dried foods that come in convenient pouches.  These freeze-dried foods would make a highly desirable addition to your 72 to 2 week emergency food storage.  They have also recently come out with a line of Express Meals that only require the addition of boiling water.  These meals are delicious to use at home but could also be used in this type of emergency situation.  For more information or to purchase any of these products, please visit my website at:

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com