For most people, the idea of enduring a natural disaster or state of emergency is almost too scary to consider. However, it is responsible to consider the possibilities and take steps to prepare for the worst. After all, there is some comfort in knowing you are prepared no matter what surprises the future holds, and one of the most important ways to prepare is by stocking your cupboards with enough food to survive unfortunate circumstances.
Instructions
Stock Your Kitchen for Disaster Survival
1. Purchase and store enough bottled water to survive several days shut in your home. Must survival experts suggest having 1 gallon of water per day on hand for each person in your household. So if you are preparing for 7 days of survival (most experts recommend preparing for at least 3 days) and there are four people in your household, you should have at least 28 gallons of bottled water on hand.
2. Stock up on canned goods. Buy canned vegetables, fruits and meats. Often, commercially canned foods are nutritious enough to sustain the body in the absence of fresh food choices.
3. Store limited quantities of pasta and rice as well as dried beans. Though these foods can stay fresh on your shelf for quite a long time, they typically need water for preparation. Since you'll want to conserve water during a disaster, you won't want to waste it on preparing these foods.
4. Stock up on vitamin-fortified dry cereals. These can be eaten with canned juice if milk is scarce or dry as a snack.
5. Buy a supply of boxed, pasteurized milk for your cereal. Generally, this type of milk stays good on shelves for about 6 months. You can also stock up on canned and powdered milk, though the powdered type will require the use of some of your precious water store.
6. Stock up and store plenty of herbs, spices, sugar and flour for disaster survival. Though these things may not be strictly necessary, they may help to make you and your family a bit happier if you are shut in and eating canned or dried foods.
7. Purchase a large bottle of cooking oil and a spray bottle or two . You'll need these for frying or sautéing foods, and the cooking oil can be useful for thickening sauces.
8. Buy shelf-stable condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. Generally, they keep for extended periods of time if they are unopened. It's smart to choose smaller jars of mayonnaise, as it will spoil soon after opening if you don't have access to refrigeration.
9. Store some processed cheese food for making cheesy recipes.
10. Store some snacks, such as potato chips, pretzels and boxed cookies. These will typically last for an extended period on your shelf, and they can serve as morale boosters during tough times.
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