06-22-2007, 01:35 PM
PREPARING AN EMERGENCY STOCKPILE
If activity is reduced, healthy people can survive on half their usual
food intake for an extended period and without any food for many days.
Food, unlike water, may be rationed safely, except for children and
pregnant women.
If your water supply is limited, try to avoid foods that are high in
fat and protein, and don't stock salty foods, since they will make you
thirsty. Try to eat salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals and canned
foods with high liquid content.
You don't need to go out and buy unfamiliar foods to prepare an
emergency food supply. You can use the canned foods, dry mixes and other
staples on your cupboard shelves. In fact, familiar foods are important.
They can lift morale and give a feeling of security in time of stress.
Also, canned foods won't require cooking, water or special preparation.
Following are recommended short-term and long-term food storage plans.
Storage Tips
Keep food in the driest and coolest spot in the house--a dark area if
possible.
Keep food covered at all times.
Open food boxes or cans carefully so that you can close them tightly
after each use.
Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight
containers.
Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits and nuts into screw-top
jars or air-tight cans to protect them from pests.
Inspect all food containers for signs of spoilage before use.
Short-Term Food Supplies
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food
supply for two weeks, you should prepare a supply that will last that
long. A two-week supply can relieve a great deal of inconvenience and
uncertainty until services are restored.
The easiest way to develop a two-week stockpile is to increase the
amount of basic foods you normally keep on your shelves. Remember to
compensate for the amount you eat from other sources (such as restaurants)
during an average two-week period.
You may already have a two-week supply of food on hand. Keeping it
fresh is simple. Just rotate your supply once or twice a year.
Special Considerations to Keep in Mind
As you stock food, take into account your family's unique needs and
tastes. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are also high
in calories and nutrition. Foods that require no refrigeration,
preparation or cooking are best.
Individuals with special diets and allergies will need particular
attention, as will babies, toddlers and the elderly. Nursing mothers may
need liquid formula, in case they are unable to nurse. Canned dietetic
foods, juices and soups may be helpful for the ill or elderly.
Make sure you have a can opener and disposable utensils. And don't
forget nonperishable foods for your pets.
How to Store Your Short-Term Stockpile
Keep canned foods in a dry place where the temperature is fairly
cool--not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and not below freezing. To protect
boxed foods from pests and extend their shelf life, store the boxes in
tightly closed cans or metal containers.
Rotate your food supply. Use foods before they go bad, and replace them
with fresh supplies, dated with ink or marker. Place new items at the
back of the storage area and older ones in front.
Your emergency food supply should be of the highest quality possible.
Inspect your reserves periodically to make sure there are no broken
seals or dented containers.
How to Cook if the Power Goes Out
For emergency cooking you can use a fireplace, or a charcoal grill or
camp stove outdoors only. You can also heat food with candle warmers,
chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned food can be eaten right out of the
can. If you heat it in the can, be sure to open the can and remove the
label first.
Long-Term Food Supplies
In the event of a military attack or some other national disaster, you
may need long-term emergency food supplies. The best approach is to
store large amounts of staples along with a variety of canned and dried
foods.
Bulk quantities of wheat, corn, beans and salt are inexpensive and have
nearly unlimited shelf life. If necessary, you could survive for years
on small daily amounts of these staples. Stock the following amounts
per person, per month:
Wheat--20 pounds
Powdered Milk(for babies and infants)*-- 20 pounds
Corn--20 pounds
Iodized Salt--1 pound
Soybeans--10 pounds
Vitamin C**--15 grams
* Buy in nitrogen-packed cans
** Rotate every two years
Storage and Preparation of Food Supplies
Store wheat, corn and beans in sealed cans or plastic buckets. Buy
powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans. And leave salt and vitamin C in
their original packages.
If these staples comprise your entire menu, you must eat all of them
together to stay healthy. To avoid serious digestive problems, you'll
need to grind the corn and wheat into flour and cook them, as well as boil
the beans, before eating. Many health food stores sell hand-cranked
grain mills or can tell you where you can get one. Make sure you buy one
that can grind corn. If you are caught without a mill, you can grind
your grain by filling a large can with whole grain one inch deep, holding
the can on the ground between your feet and pounding the grain with a
pipe.
Nutrition Tips
In a crisis, it will be vital that you maintain your strength. So
remember:
Eat at least one well-balanced meal each day.
Drink enough liquid to enable your body to function properly (two
quarts a day).
Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work.
Include vitamin, mineral and protein supplements in your stockpile to
assure adequate nutrition.
Shelf Life of Foods for Storage
Here are some general guidelines for rotating common emergency foods.
Use within six months:
Powdered milk (boxed)
Dried fruit (in metal container)
Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
Potatoes
Use within one year:
Canned condensed meat and vegetable soups
Canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables
Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Hard candy, chocolate bars and canned nuts
May be stored indefinitely (in proper containers and conditions):
Wheat
Vegetable oils
Corn
Baking powder
Soybeans
Instant coffee, tea
Vitamin C
and cocoa
Salt
Noncarbonated soft drinks
White rice
Bouillon products
Dry pasta
Powdered milk (in nitrogen-packed cans)
Ways to Supplement Your Long-Term Stockpile
The above staples offer a limited menu, but you can supplement them
with commercially packed air-dried or freeze-dried foods and supermarket
goods. Rice, popcorn and varieties of beans are nutritious and
long-lasting. The more supplements you include, the more expensive your
stockpile will be.
Following is an easy approach to long-term food storage:
Buy a supply of the bulk staples listed above.
Build up your everyday stock of canned goods until you have a two-week
to one-month surplus. Rotate it periodically to maintain a supply of
common foods that will not require special preparation, water or cooking.
From a sporting or camping equipment store, buy commercially packaged,
freeze-dried or air-dried foods. Although costly, this will be your
best form of stored meat, so buy accordingly.
If activity is reduced, healthy people can survive on half their usual
food intake for an extended period and without any food for many days.
Food, unlike water, may be rationed safely, except for children and
pregnant women.
If your water supply is limited, try to avoid foods that are high in
fat and protein, and don't stock salty foods, since they will make you
thirsty. Try to eat salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals and canned
foods with high liquid content.
You don't need to go out and buy unfamiliar foods to prepare an
emergency food supply. You can use the canned foods, dry mixes and other
staples on your cupboard shelves. In fact, familiar foods are important.
They can lift morale and give a feeling of security in time of stress.
Also, canned foods won't require cooking, water or special preparation.
Following are recommended short-term and long-term food storage plans.
Storage Tips
Keep food in the driest and coolest spot in the house--a dark area if
possible.
Keep food covered at all times.
Open food boxes or cans carefully so that you can close them tightly
after each use.
Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight
containers.
Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits and nuts into screw-top
jars or air-tight cans to protect them from pests.
Inspect all food containers for signs of spoilage before use.
Short-Term Food Supplies
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food
supply for two weeks, you should prepare a supply that will last that
long. A two-week supply can relieve a great deal of inconvenience and
uncertainty until services are restored.
The easiest way to develop a two-week stockpile is to increase the
amount of basic foods you normally keep on your shelves. Remember to
compensate for the amount you eat from other sources (such as restaurants)
during an average two-week period.
You may already have a two-week supply of food on hand. Keeping it
fresh is simple. Just rotate your supply once or twice a year.
Special Considerations to Keep in Mind
As you stock food, take into account your family's unique needs and
tastes. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are also high
in calories and nutrition. Foods that require no refrigeration,
preparation or cooking are best.
Individuals with special diets and allergies will need particular
attention, as will babies, toddlers and the elderly. Nursing mothers may
need liquid formula, in case they are unable to nurse. Canned dietetic
foods, juices and soups may be helpful for the ill or elderly.
Make sure you have a can opener and disposable utensils. And don't
forget nonperishable foods for your pets.
How to Store Your Short-Term Stockpile
Keep canned foods in a dry place where the temperature is fairly
cool--not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and not below freezing. To protect
boxed foods from pests and extend their shelf life, store the boxes in
tightly closed cans or metal containers.
Rotate your food supply. Use foods before they go bad, and replace them
with fresh supplies, dated with ink or marker. Place new items at the
back of the storage area and older ones in front.
Your emergency food supply should be of the highest quality possible.
Inspect your reserves periodically to make sure there are no broken
seals or dented containers.
How to Cook if the Power Goes Out
For emergency cooking you can use a fireplace, or a charcoal grill or
camp stove outdoors only. You can also heat food with candle warmers,
chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned food can be eaten right out of the
can. If you heat it in the can, be sure to open the can and remove the
label first.
Long-Term Food Supplies
In the event of a military attack or some other national disaster, you
may need long-term emergency food supplies. The best approach is to
store large amounts of staples along with a variety of canned and dried
foods.
Bulk quantities of wheat, corn, beans and salt are inexpensive and have
nearly unlimited shelf life. If necessary, you could survive for years
on small daily amounts of these staples. Stock the following amounts
per person, per month:
Wheat--20 pounds
Powdered Milk(for babies and infants)*-- 20 pounds
Corn--20 pounds
Iodized Salt--1 pound
Soybeans--10 pounds
Vitamin C**--15 grams
* Buy in nitrogen-packed cans
** Rotate every two years
Storage and Preparation of Food Supplies
Store wheat, corn and beans in sealed cans or plastic buckets. Buy
powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans. And leave salt and vitamin C in
their original packages.
If these staples comprise your entire menu, you must eat all of them
together to stay healthy. To avoid serious digestive problems, you'll
need to grind the corn and wheat into flour and cook them, as well as boil
the beans, before eating. Many health food stores sell hand-cranked
grain mills or can tell you where you can get one. Make sure you buy one
that can grind corn. If you are caught without a mill, you can grind
your grain by filling a large can with whole grain one inch deep, holding
the can on the ground between your feet and pounding the grain with a
pipe.
Nutrition Tips
In a crisis, it will be vital that you maintain your strength. So
remember:
Eat at least one well-balanced meal each day.
Drink enough liquid to enable your body to function properly (two
quarts a day).
Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work.
Include vitamin, mineral and protein supplements in your stockpile to
assure adequate nutrition.
Shelf Life of Foods for Storage
Here are some general guidelines for rotating common emergency foods.
Use within six months:
Powdered milk (boxed)
Dried fruit (in metal container)
Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
Potatoes
Use within one year:
Canned condensed meat and vegetable soups
Canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables
Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Hard candy, chocolate bars and canned nuts
May be stored indefinitely (in proper containers and conditions):
Wheat
Vegetable oils
Corn
Baking powder
Soybeans
Instant coffee, tea
Vitamin C
and cocoa
Salt
Noncarbonated soft drinks
White rice
Bouillon products
Dry pasta
Powdered milk (in nitrogen-packed cans)
Ways to Supplement Your Long-Term Stockpile
The above staples offer a limited menu, but you can supplement them
with commercially packed air-dried or freeze-dried foods and supermarket
goods. Rice, popcorn and varieties of beans are nutritious and
long-lasting. The more supplements you include, the more expensive your
stockpile will be.
Following is an easy approach to long-term food storage:
Buy a supply of the bulk staples listed above.
Build up your everyday stock of canned goods until you have a two-week
to one-month surplus. Rotate it periodically to maintain a supply of
common foods that will not require special preparation, water or cooking.
From a sporting or camping equipment store, buy commercially packaged,
freeze-dried or air-dried foods. Although costly, this will be your
best form of stored meat, so buy accordingly.