Foodstuff, freshwater, and medical supplies are a big concern in the wake of a tragedy, including earthquakes, storm, volcanic eruption, or snowstorm. Families residing in hazard-prone regions may profit from timely emergency response.
You must understand how the proper care of food and water will alleviate discomfort, anxiety, and inconveniences in the next few days following the catastrophe. It saves you from hassles and inconveniences.
In this guide, I will explain several tips for your Emergency Food Supply list. The goal is to help you store food and water for three to five days. This three to five-day supply of food and water will protect you in the event of a catastrophe and associated water, gas, and power shortages. Food storage and shelter areas must be accessible before an emergency event. You should also equip refrigerators and freezers with temperature monitoring thermometers until an emergence and maintain food protection.
So, without any further ado, let’s get into the tips!
Tip # 1 Decide on Food Purchases
The first thing that has to be considered when it comes to investing in food supplies in crises is to think about the quantity of food to store. First, the amount and then what you like you need in your home. Do you want a package lasting more than three days? Or do you think you need to store foodstuff that will be enough for your family for more than a week in a crisis?
Many experts recommend that you should have at least three days of food supplies stored in your house that can be used in an emergency situation. You may have to survive for many days after an emergency. You must be able to survive at least three days with your own food and water as well as other equipment.
Apparently, if the government you rely on advises that you get your resources, you must preserve everything. You should accept that you might be isolated in a real three-days situation.
Tip # 2 Store Foodstuff You Love to Eat
It is pointless to include things you never consume. On the other hand, it is wise to add your favorite snacks and items that you always consume. Think about the food items that you and your family love to eat. Purchase such food items in a bulk quantity, and store them in your emergency food supply
Once you have decided what food you want to have in your storeroom, you must think about the quantity of each item that you need to hold in stock. You must estimate the spending, or you can keep track of what you consume for some days. Note down the products and how much you want each of them. This might take a little time, but it will give you useful nutritional knowledge.
Tip # 3 Organize Your Pantry Properly with emergency food kits
Your pantry carrying products used in an emergency must be organized properly. You should not wind up having a product that is out of reach until you can buy it. For instance, you should bring these things to the front of the shelf if you buy three tomato soup bowls for your cupboard.
If you don’t have built-in shelving, different shelving units are easily accessible. Make sure that you lock the racks on the wall so that they may not collapse even though you do not reside in an earthquake-prone area. Select the best robust shelving units to sustain the cans, jars, and containers’ weight. Put the heavy things on the ground shelf or under the middle shelf, if there’s room.
You will need to keep your food cupboard active. There are so many ways of doing this, including a manual checklist that contains products and quantity in a notebook or folder that you refresh anytime you add or remove a food item.
Tip # 4 Replace Food as It is Used
When you buy the sauce, you’ll swap the first can on the shelf with the next batch. You should position the sauce substitute box in the back of the other sauce containers and the like.
You need to make sure the grocery is always fresh and should not age by constantly spinning the cupboard food when it was bought.
Tip # 5 Store Enough Water in your Emergency food supply
Do not depend solely on clean drinking water from your tap in the event of a catastrophe. Regular sources of water, including reservoirs, on which we rely, can be influenced. This can be induced by reservoirs or pollution. Your water source is a basis for all food supply lists in emergencies!
It is wise to store water for your family. You should store at least one gallon of water per member of a family. It is the water that the different family members use to consume and clean up. Around 15 gallons of fresh water may be required for two parents and two children for 72 hours.
It is also advised to store water for cooking. Many foodstuffs for disaster storage require approximately three cups of water per serving in the emergency food kits. You must have at least one gallon of water every day for cooking.
There are several things you need to take into consideration, including:
- More water could be required in emergencies.
- Moms, kids, or sick need more water throughout the day.
- You may require a double supply of water in the warmer temperatures.
- While the cheaper and cleaner water during a crisis is commercially bottled, it quickly runs out of supplies. Over time, organizations would be distracted and helpless to provide food and water during some situations.
Many emergency management specialists advise you to make sure you have water stored in your house. You can keep water in big barrels. They are available in all sizes and accessible anywhere in the market. Food grade water barrels are safe to store water.
It’s not a bad idea to purchase water bottles and use them to store plenty of water. However, the expiry date should be reviewed.
Make sure the bottle is unopened or secure if you want to store water yourself. You must inspect all of the water barrels you store at least two times a year. Make sure they are not tainted at all. If required, replace it.
Purchase bottles designed to hold water. Always use water container cleaning supplies that are healthy. Never disinfect them with color-safe bleach or other purifying additives.
Tip # 6 Buy a Lot of Stuff to Save Money
It is important to get whatever you require quickly in stressful conditions. Buy a lot of stuff to save extra cash! It may end up saving more. You can do a lot more in less when you shop more at a time.
It is vital to buy more emergency food aid kits for your family members and for you. The procurement of what you may need now is one of the keys to the emergency supply of food. You’ll get that even if you don’t need that today.
You may even incorporate it into your weekly meals or conserve it against an uncertain environment as your satisfaction.
Tip # 7 Grow Vegetables and Fruits
It is wise to have a handful of seeds to cultivate grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. The cultivation of these veggies and fruits can be used in an emergency situation. This will also help eliminate supply chain dependencies. The growth of these foods doesn’t take as long as most of us assume.
The most popular root vegetables, such as strawberries, peppers, string beans, squash, carrots, turbo flies, and sweet potatoes, are tolerant and can be planted straight from spring to fall in your yard. Green beans, cabbages, and cherry tomatoes are also a major breeder and great manufactures. These plants expand the tops and can be harvested as well.
All these foods are common that you can grow in the comfort of your home. This way, you can get to eat fresh foods and save a lot of money, as well.
Tip # 8 Purchase Foodstuffs That Last Longer
It is highly recommended that your emergency food kits to purchase foods from grocery stores that last longer to alleviate pressure from an emergency. Dried fruits, dried pasta, legumes, grains, flour, canned meat, or honey can last a long time and are safe to eat for years. You can also purchase tomatoes, yams, beans, onions, grapes, citrus, and mandarin grapes. These are the longest-lasting veggies and fruits.
Tip # 9 Rotate Food and Supplies
One of the best ideas to deal with an emergency situation is to rotate your rations. It is recommended to consume foodstuffs that are close to the expiry date. This will allow you to consume healthier. Check up on the dates of different kinds of emergency storage for foodstuffs. Take priority on something that you think will deteriorate in the coming days.
Tip # 10 Safety of Food & Hygiene
Although there is no need for frozen emergency food products, the majority of your food needs attention. You can hold your refrigerator to freeze as near as possible while electricity is out. It helps keep the foodstuffs fresh enough to remove unhealthy microbes.
However, you can expect power failure in the event of emergencies. When the electricity goes out, the food will not survive long in your freezer compartment. When food is over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria develop more quickly. Although others may claim it’s really about flavor, it is unhealthy to consume these foods. These germs are going to make you sick. So, avoid eating them.
Tip # 11 Cooking in an Emergency Situation
You do not need to stress out if your stove is not running. It is not a problem if electricity is down or natural gas is off. You can still have many options for cooking.
Through an outdoor charcoal BBQ, fondue bowl, fireplace, or a candle burner, you can cook a few foods in the comfort of your home.
A propane camp or a barbecue grill is one of the safest things you may need in an emergency situation. They are convenient to use and also quick to get.
Emergency food supply and emergency food kits are ideal alternatives to cooking in an emergency
DIY emergency meals are easy to make by decomposing and repackaging grains, beans, pasta, and other food items. Compared to several other emergency food pre-packaged items, this method of food preservation is cheaper.
You should also have a combination of store-sold prepared goods, home-prepared meals, separated ready-made food, and pre-packed emergency items if you want to make your emergency meals. This versatility offers you choices and stops you from depending on any one form of foodstuff. For shorter storage periods, you may even preserve foodstuff.
Tip # 12
Protect your Emergency Food Supply Against Bugs
Bugs and insects can ruin your emergency foodstuff in no time. The bulk of highly processed survival kits require precautions to ensure that the food prepared is protected from pest and insect attacks. Many people prepare and store dried food for themselves, though.
Few basic steps may be done to keep the food healthy from bed bugs or insects. Take mylar containers, add food in them, and cover them with a pack of oxygen absorbers to help twice the safety.
It is recommended to use an oxygen absorber in all kinds of food bag sealing. Place the packet into the bag, which nearly consumes oxygen in the enclosed bag through the oxygen absorber reaction. The lack of oxygen can eliminate any pests in your food and prevent it from spreading to killing your meal.
Emergency Food Kits and Supply from Packaged Meal Kit
There are no evacuation measures or food supply for more than 1.2 billion American citizens. Therefore, our ongoing mission is to support Americans brace for emergencies or crises by offering them valuable information to store, buy, cook, and consume good quality food in an emergency situation.
At Packaged Meal Kit, we offer cost-effective, nutritious, and healthy emergency food supply for all organizations looking for natural disaster preparedness programs. Our meal kits last six months or longer without freezing. We do all the dietary analyses and build menus focused on the regulations surrounding each human feeding scheme.