Building an Emergency Food Supply

If your community faces a natural disaster, you may experience a shortage of food, water, or electricity that could last for days or even weeks. By having emergency food supplies on hand, you can ensure your family’s well-being until the situation improves.

Should I Have an Emergency Food Supply? 

It is important to have emergency food and water to be ready for any natural disaster or unforeseen situations. Properly preparing for an emergency will not only bring you a sense of tranquility but also guarantee that your family will have sufficient provisions immediately following the occurrence. While it is recommended to stockpile a two-week food supply, it is not mandatory to start with that amount. Initially, you can commence by assembling a three-day food and water reserve for every member of your family.

How to Build an Emergency Food Supply

Take into consideration the following when you begin to accumulate a three-day stock of non-perishable food.

• Look for shelf-stable foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. 
• Once you’ve prepared food, it’s usually no longer shelf stable.
• Only stock up on food your family likes and normally eats.
• Every six to 12 months, use your stash of food and water and rotate it. 
• Buy cans that will provide the amount you need for one meal instead of larger cans that will result in leftovers. 
• Make sure you include a can opener and eating utensils.
• Consider including instant foods if you have a way to boil water without power.
• Store your food in rigid plastic, metal, or glass containers to avoid insect and rodent damage.

Ensure Your Emergency Food Supply Is Nutritious

When preparing your food provisions, consider how you will fulfill your family’s nutritional requirements without access to refrigerated or fresh foods, as numerous shelf-stable foods are extensively processed and contain undesirable ingredients.

Incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet. During power outages, canned fruits and vegetables can provide essential nutrition. Choose brands that do not contain additional sugar and sodium. Dried fruits and nuts are also suitable options for long-lasting nutritious foods.

Opt for low-sodium options as canned foods often contain high levels of sodium. Consuming foods that are excessive in sodium may result in increased thirst and higher water intake, which can be problematic during water rationing scenarios. Seek cans labeled as “low sodium” or “no sodium” and remember to examine the nutrition facts as the sodium content can significantly differ between brands, even for the same type of food.

• Beans
• Lentils
• Peas
• Peanut butter
• Peanuts and other tree nuts
• Canned meats

To prevent excessive consumption of sugar, opt for foods that do not contain added sugars. When examining the product label, added sugars might be indicated as:

• Dextrose
• Sucrose
• Table sugar
• Syrup
• Honey
• Concentrated fruit or vegetable juice

Emergency Food Supply Checklist

Do not forget to incorporate any special dietary requirements into your emergency food stockpile. Additionally, you can consider adding other items such as:

• Dried fruit
• Dry cereal and granola
• Peanut butter
• Canned fruit and fruit juice
• Canned meats
• Canned vegetables
• Protein bars
• Fruit bars
• Nonperishable, pasteurized milk
• Comfort and stress foods
• Bottled water

Cooking Without Power

While your emergency food supply kit may include non-cooked meals, reheating certain foods can enhance their taste. When experiencing a power outage, there are multiple cooking alternatives available to you. You can utilize your indoor fireplace for cooking purposes. In case you lack a fireplace or prefer not to use it, outdoor cooking can be done on a charcoal grill or camp stove. Additionally, to keep your food warm, options such as a candle, chafing dish, or fondue pot can be considered.

Before heating food in the can, remember to remove the label and wash the can. Ensure that any open flames are extinguished before leaving the cooking area, regardless of your chosen cooking method.

Extended Food Shortage

If there is a prolonged food shortage, here are a few guidelines to bear in mind:

• You can survive on half your usual amount of food for an extended period of time.
• You can survive without food for many days.
• Food shouldn’t be rationed for children and pregnant women.
• Water shouldn’t be rationed.
• Include a vitamin and mineral supplement in your food supply kit.
• Your body needs a half gallon of water daily to function properly.

Water Supply Storage

Survival without food is possible for disaster victims for several days, whereas survival without water is only feasible for a brief period. The water sources such as streams, lakes, and local water systems can get polluted, thus it is advisable to store a sufficient amount of water in the shelter area.

For individuals who have a sedentary lifestyle, it is necessary to consume at least 1 gallon of water daily for drinking and food preparation, and 1.5 to 2.5 gallons for hygiene activities such as bathing, teeth brushing, and light dish washing. It is possible to replace some of this liquid intake with canned fruit juices, soft drinks, and juices from canned fruits and vegetables.

It is advisable to keep water reserves in clean containers that have tight-fitting or screw top lids. The most suitable option is lightweight, shatterproof plastic containers. In case glass jugs or bottles are utilized, safeguard them from potential breakage by inserting newspapers or other packing materials between them. It is worth noting that metal containers may impart an unpleasant taste to water and can rust.

If required, water that is drained from domestic hot water tanks can be utilized, although there is a potential for contamination, thus purification is necessary prior to consumption.

Water Purification

There are various ways to purify water, and boiling is considered to be one of the most reliable and uncomplicated techniques. To do so, the water should be filtered first and then vigorously boiled for a duration of 3 minutes. Enhancing the taste of boiled water can be achieved by aerating it, which involves pouring the water multiple times between two clean containers. Nonetheless, the utilization of this purification method is restricted, primarily due to the absence of heat in disaster-stricken areas.

Purification of water is a simple task that can be accomplished by utilizing a household bleach that solely consists of sodium hypochlorite, which is a chlorine compound. It is important to avoid bleaches that contain any added soap or fragrance. Once the appropriate bleach is obtained, it should be added to filtered water in a clean container capable of thorough mixing through stirring or shaking. Although this process effectively purifies water, it should be noted that it is not suitable for preserving water over an extended period.

To achieve the desired ratios, utilize an eye dropper for adding the bleach as per the proportions provided in the subsequent table. The proportions are established considering bleach that comprises 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Allow the mixture to remain undisturbed for a duration of 20 minutes. It is important for the water to retain a faint chlorine taste or smell after this process.

In case there is no trace of chlorine taste or odor, it is recommended to add an additional amount of bleach to the water, ensuring it is thoroughly mixed and left to stand for another 15 minutes. Once again, the presence of chlorine taste or smell confirms the water’s safety. If these aforementioned steps fail to detect any such indication, the water should not be consumed.

The ratio of chlorine bleach to add to clear and cloudy water in order to achieve a chlorine concentration of 3 and 6 ppm (parts per million), respectively, is provided in the table.

Regular 2 percent tincture of iodine found in households is effective in treating small amounts of water for purification purposes. To purify one quart of murky water, it is recommended to add five drops of iodine and ensure thorough mixing, similar to chlorine. Alternatively, water purification tablets, which can be obtained from various places such as sporting goods stores and drugstores, offer a safe method for water purification. It is important to adhere to the instructions provided on the package.