In response to my NES Outing to the Worcester LDS Storehouse thread, several people have asked me for suggestions on what to buy. There are a lot of factors to consider, and I'm definitely not an expert, but I'm happy to share my experience. There is a lot of information out there that is more comprehensive that what I'm providing here. There are also a lot of other things you need to think about, like where you'll store your food, how you'll cook it if you don't have your home oven or stove. I'm limiting my suggestions here to the questions I received about starting your long-term food storage.
Whether you are thinking short-term or long-term food storage, I think that there are two overarching factor to keep in mind (1) store foods that you will actually eat, and that you know how to use, and (2) use, rotate, and replace.
To me, there are three different types of food storage:
1. Emergency food storage. This is food to get you by for a couple of days. I typically think of this as bug out type food storage. Think about how you would feed yourself or your family if you had to suddenly leave your house. MREs fit well into this category. You can put this food in a 72 hour kit that you keep in a backpack you can grab if you have to leave.
2. Short-term food storage. This is food to get you by for a couple of weeks. I think of this as short-term bug-in type food storage. Here in the Northeast, snow and ice storms, floods, extended power outages, etc. may make it impracticable for you to leave your house and you may not be able to use the foods in your fridge and freezer and standard cooking methods. Assuming you don't have a way to cook, think about canned and packaged food that you can get at the grocery store in this category: soups, canned fruit and vegetables, canned meats (tuna or chicken), peanut butter, crackers, cold cereal, Ramen, etc. I also include bottled water and soy milk in this category. We use and stock up on the soy milk that comes in one quart containers that don't need to be refrigerated until opened. The Costco Kirkland brand is good. Canned soup or chili might not taste as good cold, but it will get you through. Building this type of food storage is just a matter of buying things you already use, and just getting a few extra cans each time you shop. Again, my suggestion is to only buy things that you like and currently use. I take a lot of canned soup or chili to work for lunch. My daughter has tuna sandwiches a few times a week for her school lunch. We put canned tomatoes and green beans into soups. Although we have a good supply of these things, we're constantly using them, and buying new ones to replace what we use.
These items are also important as part of your long term food storage as well. Many canned foods will last for years, and they will supplement the long term storage items in I describe in category 3 below.
3. Long-term food storage. This is food to get you by for months or years. I think of this as a true SHTF scenario where you are on your own for the unforeseeable future. These are food basics you can get at the LDS Bishop's storehouse like grains, beans, rice, dehydrated foods, etc. It is stuff you have to cook (so you need to figure out how that will happen), but these foods can be stored for many years without going bad. Again, in my family, our category 3 food storage consists of things we use in our everyday meals. We buy whole wheat, grind it, and use it to make breads and pancakes. We buy oats and put them in chocolate chip cookies. We buy dehydrated carrots and onions and put them in soups (you can add macaroni noodles to soup too).
If you don't currently incorporate category 3 items into your weekly menus, start slow. It may take time to learn how to soften beans, grind and use whole wheat, etc. You also want to go slow so you don't shock your body.
The following list contains the core of my family's long-term (category 3) food storage. If you don't have any category 3 foods yet, and are going to the Storehouse, consider some combination of the following (maybe just 1 can of each for now):
Although you can't get them at the storehouse, canola oil, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices are also an important part of our food storage.
As I said, I don't pretend to be an expert in this area. I've found foods that work for my family, and you'll have to do the same. Over the next few days, I'll post some recipes here that my family eats regularly that incorporates all of these items, such as 100% whole wheat bread, pancakes, chili, soup, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Although these recipes use some items from category 2, a good food storage will have both items to get you through.
Whether you are thinking short-term or long-term food storage, I think that there are two overarching factor to keep in mind (1) store foods that you will actually eat, and that you know how to use, and (2) use, rotate, and replace.
To me, there are three different types of food storage:
1. Emergency food storage. This is food to get you by for a couple of days. I typically think of this as bug out type food storage. Think about how you would feed yourself or your family if you had to suddenly leave your house. MREs fit well into this category. You can put this food in a 72 hour kit that you keep in a backpack you can grab if you have to leave.
2. Short-term food storage. This is food to get you by for a couple of weeks. I think of this as short-term bug-in type food storage. Here in the Northeast, snow and ice storms, floods, extended power outages, etc. may make it impracticable for you to leave your house and you may not be able to use the foods in your fridge and freezer and standard cooking methods. Assuming you don't have a way to cook, think about canned and packaged food that you can get at the grocery store in this category: soups, canned fruit and vegetables, canned meats (tuna or chicken), peanut butter, crackers, cold cereal, Ramen, etc. I also include bottled water and soy milk in this category. We use and stock up on the soy milk that comes in one quart containers that don't need to be refrigerated until opened. The Costco Kirkland brand is good. Canned soup or chili might not taste as good cold, but it will get you through. Building this type of food storage is just a matter of buying things you already use, and just getting a few extra cans each time you shop. Again, my suggestion is to only buy things that you like and currently use. I take a lot of canned soup or chili to work for lunch. My daughter has tuna sandwiches a few times a week for her school lunch. We put canned tomatoes and green beans into soups. Although we have a good supply of these things, we're constantly using them, and buying new ones to replace what we use.
These items are also important as part of your long term food storage as well. Many canned foods will last for years, and they will supplement the long term storage items in I describe in category 3 below.
3. Long-term food storage. This is food to get you by for months or years. I think of this as a true SHTF scenario where you are on your own for the unforeseeable future. These are food basics you can get at the LDS Bishop's storehouse like grains, beans, rice, dehydrated foods, etc. It is stuff you have to cook (so you need to figure out how that will happen), but these foods can be stored for many years without going bad. Again, in my family, our category 3 food storage consists of things we use in our everyday meals. We buy whole wheat, grind it, and use it to make breads and pancakes. We buy oats and put them in chocolate chip cookies. We buy dehydrated carrots and onions and put them in soups (you can add macaroni noodles to soup too).
If you don't currently incorporate category 3 items into your weekly menus, start slow. It may take time to learn how to soften beans, grind and use whole wheat, etc. You also want to go slow so you don't shock your body.
The following list contains the core of my family's long-term (category 3) food storage. If you don't have any category 3 foods yet, and are going to the Storehouse, consider some combination of the following (maybe just 1 can of each for now):
- Beans, Black
- Beans, Pinto
- Beans, White
- Rice, White
- Wheat, White
- Carrots
- Macaroni
- Oats, Quick
- Flour, White
- Potato Pearls
Although you can't get them at the storehouse, canola oil, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices are also an important part of our food storage.
As I said, I don't pretend to be an expert in this area. I've found foods that work for my family, and you'll have to do the same. Over the next few days, I'll post some recipes here that my family eats regularly that incorporates all of these items, such as 100% whole wheat bread, pancakes, chili, soup, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Although these recipes use some items from category 2, a good food storage will have both items to get you through.
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
I never really thought of Indian food for survival, but you've given me some new idea. Thanks!
![[shocked]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/007.gif "Shocked [shocked]")
... ![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
![[thumbsup]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/044.gif "Thumbs Up [thumbsup]")
