Being prepared for an emergency means having your own food, water and other supplies that last at least 72 hours. A disaster supply kit is a collection of basic items that your home may need in the event of an emergency. Michele, a mother and aunt with experience raising children, in addition to publishing resources while keeping up to date on research and trends, knows that learning to store food for an emergency, such as a global pandemic or a natural disaster, could save your money and save your life.Follow these simple steps to start your emergency food reserve to be prepared, but without wasting money. Stable non-perishable foods should be stored at room temperature, away from extreme temperature fluctuations, for safety reasons.
They must also be protected from water and bugs. Unfinished basements and attics or rooms without regulated temperature are not good places to store food.Look for a place that doesn't get in the way, but that meets all food storage guidelines. Once you've considered factors such as temperature, water and access, you'll need to choose a place where you plan to store your reserves. Measure this area and write down the measurements so that you are always reminded of how much space you have to work.
Take a picture of the space and save it to your phone so you can remember it when you go shopping.Storing food for emergency situations requires careful and reasonable planning. If you accumulate a lot of food that you would never eat, it will only be a waste of money and resources. Before you can calculate how much food you're going to need, you need to calculate the amount of food everyone eats on a normal day. You'll also want to write down what types of foods your family eats regularly.The Department of Homeland Security shares tips on food reserves on Ready.gov.
They recommend having a 3-day supply of non-perishable food to feed your entire family or all members of your household. The Red Cross and FEMA suggest having a two-week supply. You now have a master list of what your family eats in a day or three days, but that doesn't mean you have to store all of these foods.Consult your list and determine which items have the most nutritional value and which are the real essential items. You should definitely store these items if they fit in your storage space.
Most of these foods don't need to be cooked and most will last between one and two years in storage. Cans are the best packaging options for stored foods, and meats and vegetables last the longest.Use this emergency stock checklist as a guide to help you determine which foods are best for an emergency stock or survival food kit. Keeping some luxury foods in your reserve can help families deal with stress and stay positive during the real emergency.Creating an emergency food reserve doesn't have to include a giant shopping trip. In fact, many stores have limits on how many essential items you can buy on a trip, especially if something like a pandemic has already started in nearby areas.That's why it's important to start your reservation when there is no emergency.
An easy way to store food on a budget and in a socially responsible way is to buy two or three items on every regular trip to the supermarket. As you purchase accumulated items, you should organize them in an organized manner in the storage location of your choice. Keep items with the fastest expiration date on the front or top of your battery so they can be used first.The best way to sort items is to keep all the items together in order from the first to the last use by date. Global pandemics and quarantines, natural disasters, and states of emergency or in-place shelter orders are not common events, but are possible throughout life.
When these things happen, you may not be able to go to stores, stores may not be able to get enough supplies, or your electricity may run out, making your refrigerator useless. Having a plan before these emergencies arrive can help you overcome any of them since you won't get advance notice that they are coming.Managing an emergency food reserve is not a one-time action. It can take days, weeks or even months to create your reservation. Once created, you'll have to check it every 6 months to make sure that the food isn't about to expire and that it hasn't spoiled.
Be sure to store a manual can opener and some eating utensils with your food reserve so you have everything you need for emergency meals in one place.Certain storage conditions can improve the shelf life of canned or dry foods. The ideal place is a cool, dry and dark place with temperatures between 40°F - 70°F. Preparing food after a disaster or emergency can be difficult because of damage to your home and the loss of electricity, gas and water.The NHS does not contain food reserves but the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stores food, water, generators and other resources in eight distribution centers located in the United States and its territories. A disaster can easily disrupt the food supply at any time so plan ahead by having a supply of food on hand for at least 3 days.
