In a crisis or emergency, it is crucial to maintain your strength; both mentally and physically. Eating nutritiously can help you do that. However, that may not be possible if you go to the grocery store and find all the shelves empty. You need to prepare for such a situation by storing adequate amounts of emergency food.

With the world facing the worst food crisis for at least 50 years, click here for detailed tips on emergency foods shopping. In the meantime, let’s look at several options available to you.

Buying bulk staples

Wheat, corn, and beans are food items you can purchase in bulk quantities, and most have a long shelf life. If the worst comes to the worst, your family can survive for months, if not years, on these staples. Hard grains like buckwheat, soft white wheat, hard red wheat, and millet can last for 10 to 12 years if stored properly. Soft grains like barley, rye, grits, and quinoa can last for nearly eight years if sealed properly with oxygen absorbers.  

Photo, Joshua Rawson-Harris.

Other bulk purchase alternatives

You can supplement the above bulk staples with commercially prepared freeze-dried or air-dried foods. A good selection would be canned meats, rice, and beans. Ready-to-eat cereals, rice mixes, pasta mixes, dried fruits, etc. may also be good options to include in your shopping as they add variety to your daily menu. 

Dried or freeze-dried meat

Meat jerky that can easily be bought at the store will last for almost two years unopened. When stored in ideal locations, freeze-dried meats that have been professionally packaged can have a shelf life of nearly 15 years. 

Dry pasta

When not exposed to moisture, dry pasta can last close to 30 years. The pasta you typically find at the local store can still be safely eaten two years past the printed ‘best by’ date if sealed with oxygen absorbers.

Dried/canned beans

Dried beans sealed with oxygen absorbers are good and can last for nearly five years. If stored under ideal conditions, they can stay good for close to six years. As always, with any canned food, check the cans for broken seals and signs of botulism before eating.

Photo, Viki Mohamad.

Dry milk/dairy products

Dry milk is a handy emergency foodstuff you should have in your arsenal. Store it in an air-tight container, preferably at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This way it can serve you for 12-24 months. Other dairy products that are good for long-term storage include powdered cheese, canned evaporated milk, and pasteurised cheese spreads.

Foods for infants

Special attention should be paid to stocking infant supplies. Powdered formula is one of the least expensive forms of infant formula that you can easily stock up. Other options include commercially canned liquid formula concentrates or ready-to-feed formulas. The amounts you need will vary, depending on how old the infant is. Infant formula should never be used past the printed expiration date. Ensure you also have a variety of other baby foods and infant cereals.

Organic Life Start’s organic baby formula is fresh and can be delivered in less than three days. They work directly with European manufacturers to source the cleanest baby formulas you can find. It shouldn’t need to be stated that infant formula should be of the highest quality available, after all, nothing is more important than the health and safety of your newborn.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Emergencies may lead to shortages in specific food items. To compensate for possible vitamin/mineral deficiencies, stock up on multivitamin/mineral tablets. Be careful about their expiration dates. Click here for some more food storage tips.