Hurricane Supplies - what will I eat? page

[missfishhooks]

With a storm churning in the gulf, I'm wondering what are some accepable nonperishables to have on hand?
The traditional things we have for this, like pb&j and spaghettios are out of the question. Canned tuna? Canned veggies (ugh). I'm looking for items that can be found at an average grocery store. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!

[JBailey]

Sardines, beef jerky, dried fruit, tuna in pouches, nuts, coconut milk, olives.....

I know it won't help you now, but home-canned foods are nice to have on hand. We have a pressure canner and a pantry full of veggies and soups and meat that are all healthy and ready to eat cold (but better heated). We're in earthquake country so being prepared is a priority.

[DeeDub]

With a storm churning in the gulf, I'm wondering what are some accepable nonperishables to have on hand?

Neighbors.

[oxide]

I take a lenient stance toward emergency food. I figure that for short term stuff like traveling and hurricanes, it's enough to avoid wheat without going full primal. That said, definitely canned meats* and -- sorry -- canned vegetables are the best things to have on hand. They aren't that bad. PB&J is fine, IMO. If you need carbs, rice cakes and potato chips should work.

Beef jerky, nuts, pickles, olives, Slim Jims, root veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes, jars of applesauce, salsa...
Noodless canned soup and canned chili are good too. The occasional baked beans is ok too, IMO.

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*My emergency supply has a can a of Spam. Do I ever intend to eat it? No, but I need it for cultural completeness. You can't have an emergency supply without SPAM.

[JBailey]

Neighbors.

Most of my neighbors are corn fed....no thanks

[sbhikes]

It seems to me that the best strategy is to have way more food on hand than you normally eat in a week. Constantly be rotating through that food since whether it's frozen or dehydrated or in a can, it won't last forever. If you don't currently have dehydrated or shelf-stable foods on hand (jerky, nuts, etc) acquire them but remember you need to eat your way through this stuff because it'll get full of bugs or go bad fairly quickly. Keep extras of things like coconut butter, coconut oil, nut butters, tallow etc. anything that comes in a jar or can. Just always have more than you need. Same goes for frozen stuff or anything that has a long life in the fridge. Always have a little more than you need.

Practice some recipes. Practice recipes that work as if you are going on a backpacking or camping trip. Find stuff that works and tastes good. Make sure you have a method to cook in the emergency, like a camping stove that actually works.

Keep some gallon milk jugs always frozen and save any styrofoam coolers that come when you order meats or whatever. Then you will have a way to store your fresh/frozen food for meals at the beginning of the emergency.

[gibson girl]

Thanks for those suggestions! My husband is content with flour, rice, beans andSpam. I added canned chicken and beef broth. Coconut oil doesn't spoil, but it's a little pricey for me to store on speculation. It would be good for cooking, though.

Good luck with your hurricaine.

We don't usually have weather events of those proportions here in Michigan, but the pattern is changing.

[Paysan]

If you are really serious (and have some serious money to spend) look at emergency food suppliers on the web. Some canned freezedried stuff is capable of keeping up to 25 years until opened. I bought some canned whole eggs (92 eggs worth) and some Asian chicken just for emergencies. Just add water (presumably boiled.) And I am eying LifeSaver bottles that can filter filthy mud puddles into pristing drinking water in case the water supply fails.
beprepared.com
Lifesaver Bottle - Water Purification Systems

[sbhikes]

Confession: I love spam.

[RitaRose]

In an emergency situation, you just have to deal with the fact that things are going to be a bit different. I still would avoid gluten because that's probably going to make you feel like crap (joints, digestion, skin, etc) but things like white rice are probably going to be fine.

If you're looking just for the next few months, then root vegetables will last a long time. There's the usual suspects like jerky, canned veggies (even frozen - you could just let them thaw on the counter before you eat them), broth, canned or foil-packed meats (chicken, tuna).

Make sure you have extra on any meds you need, along with a first aid kit. Fill up water bottles (freeze them if you have room) when a storm is aproaching so you have plenty when it hits. Make sure you have candles and matches that will light when wet.

When you get new glasses, toss the old pair into the emergency kit too. They're not great, but they're better than nothing when your usual pair gets broken.

Just some random ideas...