If you’re new to the world of emergency preparedness, it can be hard to know where to start. One of the first things you should stock up on is survival food. You won’t be much use in a stressful emergency situation without the proper nutrients and energy. Are you wondering how to build an emergency food supply? Start with these tips.
Factors to consider
There are many things you should consider when choosing survival food for your supply. Here are a few of the most important ones:
- Shelf life: Your food should be non-perishable and have a long shelf life when stored right. After all, when a natural disaster strikes, you are likely to have a power outage that can cause refrigerated foods to spoil.
- Nutrition: Don’t overlook the nutritional value of food. You will need food that provides the vitamins and minerals you and your family need to stay healthy.
- Calories: How much food do you need to survive? Figure out the number of calories you and each member of your family need to maintain a healthy weight. This is usually around 2,000 calories a day. Build your supply based on this number and how many people and days you are building your supply for.
- Variety: Having plenty of options on hand can make sure that you and your family don’t get bored with your food. Looking up tasty survival food recipes can help with this.
- Comfort: Don’t make one of the common mistakes when building an emergency food supply—forgetting about comfort. Storing a few comfort foods like sweets and ingredients for some of your favorite recipes can give you and your family a huge mental boost during a crisis.
Types of food to include
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends storing at least 72 hours’ worth of survival food in case of an emergency. But what kind of food?
- Protein: Fish contain fatty acids that can help keep your brain sharp. Canned sardines are a great option with a 3-5 year shelf life. Other protein-rich foods with long shelf lives include black beans, canned lima beans, breakfast cereal, chia and hemp seeds, peanut butter, dried fruit trail mix, lentils, parmesan cheese, and beef jerky.
- Vegetables: Sweet potatoes, collard greens, turnip greens, kale, spinach, and broccoli are all great options. Include them in your emergency vegetable garden. These plants are easy to grow in most places and have important vitamins and minerals.
- Fruit: Fruits like berries contain fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that help your body deal with stress. Unfortunately, they’re hard to stockpile because they quickly go bad. Freeze-dried berries solve the storage problem and are designed to last 25 years.*
- Water: FEMA recommends you store at least one gallon of water per person, per day. A two-week supply is recommended. Or get a water filtration system to ensure you have enough for the whole family.
Make sure your family is ready for any emergency by stocking up on survival food. 4Patriots makes it easy with convenient, time-based survival food kits full of flavor, nutrients, and variety. Order your first kit today to start building your emergency food supply.
*4Patriots survival food is designed to last 25 years on the shelf. Storage conditions impact the shelf life of your food. For best results, always protect your food from heat, air and moisture. Avoid prolonged exposure to temps above 75 °F. Keep food sealed until ready to eat. Shelf life will vary based on storage conditions.
