Food Storage. Do these two words strike fear into your heart? Do you immediately have an overwhelming feeling to purchase pounds and pounds of powdered milk and grain? We all know that food storage is the one thing we should have, but many of us get stuck on three major questions: "What exactly is food storage?," "Where do I start?," and "What do I need?"
Believe it or not, building up and maintaining your emergency food supply is easier than you think. It's also a very individual and personal thing. To help you get started, let's go over those three basic questions we mentioned.
What exactly is food storage?
Food storage, in a nutshell, is preparing for the unexpected. That can be anything from a natural disaster to a family emergency. Food storage is simply preparing a supply of shelf stable food that can sustain you and your family through any situation. But it doesn’t always have to be “storage”. Using food normally reserved for unforeseen occurrences in everyday cooking is definitely possible and ideal. Rotating dried goods into everyday cooking and baking, then replacing what we use, helps us keep an active food storage pantry and an up-to-date supply. It also helps us learn what foods work best with our long-term plan.
Where do I start?
The first thing you should do to start building your food storage pantry is to write out a plan. This plan should include the following:
- Foods your family likes and doesn’t like.
- Any allergens your family needs to avoid.
- Specific foods that are a necessity, like formula for infants, soft foods for the elderly, and a list of storable foods that cover the food pyramid.
- A calculation of how much your family’s daily food intake is, including caloric intake (calories taken in each day).
- And a meal plan made from the items you plan to store.
This plan serves as a starting point for your storage and can be something you look back on in the future as a reference. From here, you can determine your family’s specific needs and how much is required for any given time -- whether it’s a 3 month food supply or a year’s worth.
What do I need?
Food storage is very personal. Your neighbors emergency food supply may not include foods found in yours, and vice versa. Honeyville has a large supply of freeze dried and dehydrated food items that can be used to satisfy every member of your families needs. There is no need to worry about what you are going to store your food in, as many of Honeyville's foods come sealed in #10 cans. Looking to grind your own flour or bake lots of bread? Perhaps our 50 lb. bags of wheat or flour work best for you. Just remember to get a food storage bucket and gamma lid to seal them in. Looking for more protein in your families diet? A case of our Freeze dried chicken or beef may be the best choice. The possibilities are endless, and Honeyville has the right amount of each item to fit your needs.
Yes, food storage can be a bit intimidating, but following these simple steps will help you and your family be prepared for any emergency life places in front of you.