by Tess Pennington
Ready Nutrition

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Those of you
who plan to take the first steps toward preparing for emergencies
may feel a bit overwhelmed at where to begin. After all, there is
a lot of food to choose from at the grocery stores. Many websites,
including this one encourage families to start buying small amounts
of food related preparedness items each time they go shopping. This
way, your budget is not dramatically affected.

Food
storage calculators are a great tool to incorporate in your
preparedness planning, and can help you understand how much food
your family will need for a given emergency. The food storage calculations
can also be printed out and used as an inventory list to keep you
on track in terms of what preparedness supplies you have and will
need.

To make the
most of your emergency food supply, keep these essential food pantry
rules in mind before purchasing:

1. Caloric
   intake is an important factor in survival. In any disaster
   situation, you want to avoid malnutrition.
   Having foods stored to prevent this health issue will keep you
   at your optimum health. Stock up on foods that provide you with
   essential nutrients to maintain body functions, proteins and carbohydrates,
   fats for energy, as well as foods that are not high in salt (the
   more salty your food is, the more water you will drink). To calculate
   how many calories you will need in your diet, click
   here.
2. Consider
   buying multifunctional food items. Items that can serve more
   than one purpose will help your finances, as well as save precious
   space in the food storage pantry. Items such as oats, pasta, rice,
   wheat and beans are some great low-cost foods will serve a variety
   of uses.
3. Store
   high energy snacks to help boost energy levels. Eating snacks
   that are high in complex carbohydrates and protein will provide
   you with a guaranteed energy boost. High energy snacks such as
   nuts, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars and trail mix can
   be stored for up to 1 year and will help keep energy levels and
   spirits high in an emergency scenario.
4. Bring
   on the protein! Protein is an essential ingredient in our
   daily diets and cannot be omitted out of a survival diet. Canned
   meat is a good source of protein and can also help you maintain
   your energy level. Meats such as tuna, ham, chicken and spam are
   great additions to the food pantry and are multifunctional. (Remember,
   the oil in canned meat can be used as an emergency
   candle.) Beans are another great source of protein, and when
   beans are accompanied with rice, it makes a complete
   protein which provides all the amino acids needed to survive.
   One serving of beans and rice provides 19.9 g, or 40 percent of
   your daily vitamins.
5. DonÂ’t
   forget the basics. Essential staples such as cooking oil,
   flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder
   and vinegar should not be overlooked. If they are present in your
   kitchen, they should likewise be present in the emergency food
   supply.
6. Convenience
   helps in stressful situations. Many moms know that boxed dinners
   can be a lifesaver when you are in a time crunch. Having some
   pre-packaged dinners and meals-to-grab during emergency scenarios
   will help you begin acclimating yourself to cooking in a grid
   down scenario as well as can help provide some comfort at the
   same time. Personally speaking, my family has the “just add
   water” pancake mixes, corn breads and drink mixes that are
   a great convenience.
7. VarietyÂ’s
   the very spice of life, that gives it all itÂ’s pleasure.
   Variety in your food pantry is important and can prevent the monotony
   that comes with eating the same foods day in and day out. Having
   a well rounded food storage will cut down on culinary boredom,
   as well as balance your diet. Further, stocking up on a variety
   of spices will also enhance your food pantry.
8. Find
   comfort in the little things.
   Have some comfort food items that provide enjoyment to the family.
   Items such as popcorn, sweet cereals, hard candy, juice boxes,
   pickles, applesauce, pudding, cookies could be a great way to
   provide a bit of normalcy to the emergency situation you may face.
9. Have
   backs up for your backs ups. Compressed food bars are lightweight,
   taste good and are nutritious. Having food bars as a back up to
   your existing food supply can provide you with piece of mind knowing
   you have an alternative to turn to if you run out of food. Further,
   these are great additions to your 72-hour
   bag or bug-out
   vehicle. A review of the different types of bars can be read
   here or you can practice your survival skills and make your
   own with this
   recipe. MREÂ’s are another alternative food choice to
   turn to if you happen to run out of food in your pantry. Although
   many have turned their nose up at MREÂ’s (due to their high
   amounts of preservatives), they will provide you with sufficient
   calories and nutrition when it counts. Note: These should not
   be the only items in your food supply. Over time, you could become
   nutrient and vitamin deficient.
10. Rotate
    and resupply when needed. Any
    items bought for the food storage closet should be used, rotated
    and resupplied. This is the best way to have the freshest foods
    available in the event that a disaster occurs. When organizing
    food reserves place the item that has the earliest expiration
    date in the front so that it is used first. FIFO is a well known
    acronym used in the restaurant business that stands for, “First
    In, First Out,” and can be incorporated in your food storage
    endeavors. Do an inventory check every 6 months to make sure that
    canned goods, preserves and other storage items are within their
    expiration dates.

Keeping the
above considerations in mind when purchasing your food supply will
provide your family with a well rounded food pantry stocked with
an array of foods that will assist in promoting a healthy diet.
Not listed in the suggestions is water. You must have water to survive.
To learn more about potable water, click
here. It would be prudent to have a 2-week supply of water on
hand, as well as a water filtration device to rely on for extended
disasters.

Prepping is
a passion for some. For others it is the most efficient way to keep
their family as safe as possible. For further resources and a list
of essential items for your emergency supply, click
here.

Reprinted
from SHTF Plan.

January
28, 2012

Tess Pennington
joined the Dallas chapter of the American Red Cross in 1999 Tess
worked as an Armed Forces Emergency Services Center specialist and
is well versed in emergency and disaster management and response.
You can follow her regular updates on Preparedness,
Homesteading,
and a host of other topics at ReadyNutrition.com.

Copyright ©
2012 SHTF
Plan

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