Posts Tagged ‘food storage’
Some Pointers in Stocking Food in Food Storage
The key to surviving calamities and crisis is preparation. It is then ideal that we have food storage as well as other basic necessities wed be needing such as clothing and medicines in times of crisis. Having an adequate supply of these will ensure our survival through most rough times.
When preparing food storage, you must remember that only the basic items are needed. You dont want to stock up on foods that will not sustain you and your family for a long time. You should also take into consideration the nutritional value of what you put in there. Dont include stuff that doesnt have health benefits. Remember, during times of crisis, you may be subjected to the elements, making you prone to illnesses.
Store staple foods. Include rice, oats, grains, cereals, crackers, even biscuits. You can also put canned and ready-to-eat foods. Those that dont require cooking will prove to be convenient when the time comes.
Make sure that you have a supply of clean water. Water lines may be cut during disasters, leaving you with no clean drinking water. Make sure that you have enough supply for the entire family. To effectively plan your calamity plan, make a list. This will guide you in your preparation for the tough times. By having all the things necessary listed down, youll know what you already and dont have. You will also be able to choose which ones can be let go in case theres not enough room in your storage. It will also help you identify what not to store.
One thing you must not include is easily-perishable foods like bread, fruits, and vegetables. Food storages are kept for a long time. They will only be taken out when there is a need to use it. If you put such types of food, they will just rot inside your storage.
Also, dont stock up on junk foods. These have no nutritional value. In times of crisis, you need all the nutrients you can get”something you cant get from junk foods.
You dont need to store spices and other cooking supplements because they will just take up space. You cant drink cooking oil or soy sauce; you cant eat salt or pepper so make sure that you do not include this. It is very likely that you wont be doing any cooking in times of crisis.
These simple pointers must be kept in mind to ensure your survival. Having properly-prepared food storage will up your chances of making it through a crisis.
Tags: Food, food storage, how to make food storages, storage, what to put in food storages
The Importance of Emergency Food Storage as Life Insurance
In times of major disasters or calamities, the government is in-charge of taking care of most of our needs. It is their responsibility towards everyone. However, are you confident that they could always provide for you during very tough situations?
The government may not be able to provide for everyone especially in times of great crisis. This is why it’s important to be prepared at all times. Have a calamity plan to ensure you and your family’s survival.
You have the responsibility to take care of your family in times of crisis. You must be aware of your basic needs to be able to survive. In times of any disaster, having an emergency food storage will ensure that you and your family are safe and secure no matter what happens.
Calamities can have prolonged effects. Sometimes, it takes months before things return to normal. This means stores and shops may be closed for an indefinite amount of time. When this happens, where do you buy food and other stuff that’s necessary for everyday survival?
By having emergency food storage, you will be able to sustain yourself despite the lack of resources. You are guaranteed to have food to eat, water to drink, and even medicine to take.
Preparing food storage is easy; you just have to make sure that you have the basic items such as:
1. Water. Have water stored preferably close at hand. About 50 gallons of water should be stored so it will be enough to sustain the members of the household for a period of at least 2 weeks. In an extended emergency, don’t forget that it is important to have a portable water filter because it will be very useful in filtering out 99.9% protozoa present in tap water.
2. Medicine. If you are taking medications, make sure that it is not overlooked. Store an adequate supply of medicines especially for family members with a specific medical condition. Stock up supplies that can last for a long time. There are ways to order such medicines like mail order, which could also help you save money. Ask your health insurance provider if you qualify for this type of benefit.
3. Food. Store foods that will last longer; those that are non perishable and can be eaten even if stored for a long period of time. A supply that could last for 3 months is important to avoid shortage.
Take note that you could only survive for three weeks without food, three minutes without air, and three days without water. When making an emergency plan, you should always have a long-term plan basically because you’ll never know what will happen. Catastrophes are very unpredictable. Sometimes a short term catastrophe could turn into a long one.
Do not be caught in time! Always be prepared with food storage.
Tags: emergency food storage, family, Food, food and drink, food storage, how to keep food storage, how to prepare food storage, long term food storage, what to put in food storage
Food Emergency
Why is our food supply of paramount worry when wondering how we’ll keep our family or ourselves going? After all, so many of us live in developed countries and we have the mentality that all that food in stores will see people through any emergency. Problem is, many people can’t make it to the stores during power outages, blizzard conditions and other natural disasters. Even the recent volcano eruptions have limited people in their ability to access transportation. Some people won’t have the access to money or cash when needed. They may live far away from towns and cannot get into the populated areas to buy food. Some people may need to leave town and head to their cottage or another family’s home.
We can spend a lot of time organizing and planning long-term food supplies, storage and ensure we eat what is getting close to its expiry date. Some people have done this and are certainly to be praised for their advanced planning efforts. I cannot discourage them in that. There are many of us who simply cannot or do not have the time or even inclination to do that, and yet we have a nagging worry in the back of our mind of how pathetically ill-prepared we are for a food emergency.
What I’ve found is a lot of food available that is prepared for much longer storage life such as 5 to 10 years, even up to 25 years. Freeze dried food, MRE’s, these foods are what military personnel carry with them. For those of you unfamiliar with MRE’s, they are individual pouches of food ready to slip into an MRE heater. THe heater is also a slim disposable holder that requires only one tablespoon of water to heat the MRE meal that you slip into it. The MRE will provide nutritious meals that are most tasty hot than cold, which is why you want the MRE heater with you. At about .99 for the heater, you can see what I’m talking about. The heater is not a piece of bulky equipment and does not require fuel.
I am explaining this in detail as many of us have never heard of MRE’s or the MRE heater. The meals keep best in 75 degrees farenheit or less and will last 5 years or so in hotter climates, longer in cooler storage. You can understand why the military finds these so valuable.
MRE’s can be provide a 30 day supply of food in a box, with 2000 calories per day of meals per person. The 30 MRE heaters are also provided with it, depending on what company you by from. They eliminate the need for power or drinkable water to heat up the food, they are light to carry but have excellent food and last for years. You can carry them on hiking or wilderness trips, being ready for the unexpected such as poor weather conditions or being lost in the bush. You can keep a box in your home for easy evacuation as part of your emergency preparedness kit. They are fantastic to have.
There are also containers of freeze dried meals that last from 20 to 30 years, so once you have bought these, you will have taken care of your food supply. You can start storing cans of meals bit by bit until you have the variety of different meals you would want with you. One can has nine servings and indicate that it is lactose free, shellfish free, pork free, etc., Prior to ordering them, you will be able to see the nutrition facts, the ingredients, and how many servings it will provide.
Freeze dried food seals in the nutrients and are superior to dehydrated foods. They keep the shape, texture and taste, vitamins, fibre, color of fresh frozen foods. Some examples of the meals you may buy: vegetable stew with beef, chicken and rice, spaghetti and meat sauce, chicken a la king, beef stroganoff, vegetarian meals, beef or chicken teriyaki, lasagna with meat sauce, sea food chowder, incredible assortment of desserts, individuals cans of specific side dishes such as fluffy white rice, sweet corn, green beans, the list is vast.
So you can see that you don’t have to be eating monotonous beans and canned soup every day, nor do you have to worry about the expiration date. One man wrote that the snack crackers he tried after 25 years of storage were delicious. There are also single and two-pack pouches of freeze dried food for travel, hiking, camping, etc. Best sellers are Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna/Meat Sauce, Beef Stew, Chicken Teriyaki, Eggs/Bacon. Happy Eating!
Tags: disaster planning, disaster plans, emergency, emergency preparedness, emergency supplies, family, food storage, freeze dried food, Health, Meals, MRE, Nutrition
Prepare Your Food Storage for the Rainy Days
Back when we were young, we were told of the story of the industriousness of ants. They were said to be hard workers, always looking for food even though it was summer, the time to enjoy. They were constantly searching and building up their food storage in their warehouses. Several creatures have ridiculed them because of what they were doing. Little did they know that what the ants were doing was simply stacking up food for the rainy season. True enough, when the rains came and food became scarce, the hardworking ants didn’t have a thing to worry because they had enough food storage to sustain them through the wet season.
We must also be like the ants, hardworking and have a sense of future. They knew that crisis will eventually hit so they spent their time gathering enough food to sustain them for periods of time. Despite the challenges, it proved fruitful. Because they had food storage, they did not run out of food. Food storage is very important to us. It will serve as out insurance in case disaster strikes. If you have food storage, the moment disaster strikes, you will not have to worry about keeping your family well-fed.
Your food storage must be able to sustain the whole family for at least 3 months. And its content must have the most essential foods. No junk or unhealthy items. Don’t forget to also set aside some batteries in case the power doesn’t go back soon.
Another tip is to stack up on ingredients that can be combined to make other meals. You wouldn’t want to survive on crackers alone, would you? Also, a good supply of water is very necessary. During the toughest times, you can go for days without food as long as you have water. Keep tabs also of what you put in there. That way, you will know what else is missing and what food items have prolonged shelf life.
Put it in a cool dry place and in areas that are easily reached in times of emergencies. Let your family know where the food storage is located so that when an emergency happens, you can easily get it.
Tags: crisis, Food, food planning, food storage
Long Term Food Storage Will Sustain You During Prolonged Crisis
We have seen how nature can surprise us in a bad way. Think about the past hurricanes that hit and devastated the country, Andrew, Ivan, and Katrina. All three are considered as among the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit the United States. We have seen the effects and how people suffered. If there’s one positive thing that we got from such experiences, it’s the importance we place on storm preparation like planning for long term food storage.
Emergency food storage is a very essential part of emergency preparedness. Food and water are the main concerns by families. In times of crisis, these are the two things that may become hard to access so it’s best to have your own supply.
You need to maintain your strength during a crisis. And you can only do this by proper nutrition intake. Remember, no matter what’s happening around, you must not disregard proper nutrition. This wouldn’t be a problem if you have food storage that can sustain you for a long period of time.
Effects of a disaster can run for a long time so it’s important to plan for it. A long term food storage plan will up your chances of making it through a crisis successfully. Store bulk staple foods as well as a variety of dried and canned foods in your storage. Wheat, beans, and corns can be purchased in bulk amounts, which save you some money compared to buying them in retail. In addition, these items have a long shelf life, meaning they won’t spoil easily.
In worst case scenarios, you can survive on small amounts of these staple foods. Aside from dried and canned foods, you can also stock on packaged mixes, freeze-dried foods, and other items you can buy from the grocery stores. You can also store rice, cereals, pasta mixes, and dried fruits. Camping and sporting equipment stores usually sell freeze-dried foods.
If you have an infant at home, make sure that you have the right formula, or at the very least, some formula in case pharmacies and grocery stores are shut down by disaster.
Tags: Food, food storage, food storage plan, long term food storage, long term food storage guidlines
Emergency Food Storage You Can Easily Afford
Having durable and convenient food storage in case of emergency must be in your mind. Sadly, this escapes you when you are faced with situations that need more attention. Try to imagine the following scenario. Your car breaks down and need to be repaired. Then, the washing machine knocks out and stops functioning, and even worse, your find your fridge not working efficiently. Could you imagine how you would handle all of these?
Although food storage is not as essential as having your major appliances break down, giving it considerable time and budget is worthwhile. You have to consider food storage as part of your regular home item budget by allotting a certain cut from your regular income in case of emergency. The following are some friendly tips to think about in making your program for food storage.
There are different ways on how you can save enough cash for your food storage scheme. One way to save is to avoid shopping for new clothes every month. Your old clothes can still be used as long as they are not badly damaged. Repair the clothes that can still be mended. Getting something new is not always your way out.
If you used to have a vacation, an out of town escapade or luxurious cruises, start scratching that from your list. For this year, try something simple, like a vacation just near your location. Instead of a 3-day Disney World tour and fun or cruising to the Caribbean, why not go camping near the river or woods in town? Plan a less expensive vacation and you can definitely save much money for food storage. And if you can limit yourself from dining out or fast food, that would be a great help as well.
To meet your food storage budget, you might need to find extra sources of funds. For this case, your income tax returns should come in handy. We are all lucky this year because the IRS will be giving each family extra cash to start up our economy so you must spend this wisely.
Your own garden might have a small cut on your daily budget if you personally create it. Your garden’s produce can also be a part of your food storage program.
When buying groceries and other supplies, go for bulk orders. Grocery items can come in saver’s packs, which are actually discounted if you are going to calculate each item’s price. Purchasing from direct food distributors or from wholesalers is also a budget plus for you to save much.
Finally, whenever there is a sale, go for it. Check out ads or posters for upcoming sales. Sunday paper, flyers, or pamphlets being distributed would help. These are just a few things you can ponder on if you are going to give food storage program a try.
Tags: emergency food storage, emergency preparedness, Food, food storage, food;drink, lds food storage, mormon food storage
