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Survival foods to stockpile1/13/2024 ![]() Not all canned goods are shelf stable (these will be labeled “Keep Refrigerated.”) The US Department of Agriculture defines “shelf-stable” as:įoods that can be safely stored at room temperature, or “on the shelf,” are called “shelf stable.” These non-perishable products include country hams, canned and bottled foods, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, spices, oils, and foods processed in aseptic or retort packages and other products that do not require refrigeration until after opening. So, the longer the food lasts, the easier and better your prepping will be. The key to the FIFO method is taking advantage of the time left between when you buy the food and it’s expiration date. One of the easiest ways to build up your pantry is through buying a little extra during your normal shopping trips and following the simple but powerful First In First Out method. What it means to be shelf-stable or non-perishable When combined with a grain, beans provide complementary amino acids to create a complete protein meal. They are a good source of fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants. For example, we recommend having both dry and canned (wet) beans because dry beans last longer, but canned beans can be eaten right out of the can without spending any fuel on heat.īeans also pair well with other staple ingredients, not just for taste and variety, but as a powerful combo that levels-up your prepping game - that’s why USAID recommends pairing beans with grains in emergencies:īeans are consumed as an affordable source of protein in most parts of Africa, Central and South America, and Asia. Not to mention that the bag of chips is full of air.īeans are a good example of thinking about things like ease of preparation, nutritional value and density, and versatility. One cup of chips has about 137 calories, 9.4 grams of fat, 12.4 grams of carbs, and 1.6 grams of protein, while a cup of pinto beans has 240 calories, 1 gram of fat, 44 grams of carbs, and 16 grams of protein. a bag of rice), but even a bag of pasta that’s half food and half air can add up over time.įor instance, a large bag of potato chips is about the same size as a 20-pound bag of pinto beans. Most of the foods on this list are already dense (eg. So you want to cram as much nutrition as possible into your space. Skip the fresh stuff around the store perimeter.īesides budget, space is often one of the biggest limitations when building your at-home food stores. The best items are found on the interior aisles. When shopping for preps, you want to do the opposite: shop the inner aisles where shelf-stable foods are usually displayed. There’s an old canard about healthy grocery shopping: shop in the outer aisles, where fresh meat and produce are usually placed, and avoid the inner aisles, where processed, sugary foods live. An emergency isn’t the time to be picky, but it’s okay to avoid foods that your family universally hates, are discouraged by your faith, or someone has a dietary problem with (eg. Some food (or how it’s packaged) gives you more caloric bang-per-square-foot than others, and limited space is often your biggest problem when building up a pantry. Not everything needs to be “healthy,” and while mental/emotional comforts are valuable in a crisis, you don’t want to make things worse by trying to live off junk food - including Nuclear Twinkies □ So we favor foods that can be eaten as-is, only need basic reheating or rehydrating, or are easy to mix and match with other ingredients. In the kind of emergency where you’re relying on this food, you might not have utilities or other stuff that makes cooking easier. Food that needs to be cold/frozen isn’t automatically disqualified, but be careful about relying on electricity too much. Durable packaging, like a can or box, is much better than the kind of packaging you’d find with potato chips. Try to avoid anything that doesn’t last at least a year. Even though you’re not trying to match the same kind of 20-30 year shelf life of freeze-dried food, or the 5-8 year shelf life of MREs, you still want to be smart about picking durable products. The more you understand, the easier it is to customize or improvise. What to look for when shoppingĪlthough there’s a specific food list below - and you’ll be just fine if you only buy from that list - it’s worth understanding the basic differences between what’s good for your prepper pantry and what isn’t. And if you’re not yet familiar with the FIFO “store what you use, use what you store” model, check that out too. ![]() The beginner prepper guide explains the pros and cons of each method, plus basic concepts such as how much food to store for your family. ![]() ![]() ![]() Either way is fine, and most people end up doing both. Another way is to buy special ‘ survival food’ that you don’t crack open until an emergency but usually lasts much longer than supermarket food. ![]()
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