Food Storage

WHY FOOD STORAGE

Food storage options of today offer more variety than ever. Emergency food supplies are available in both freeze-dried and dehydrated forms. They include high-quality foods such as meats, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, drink mixes, and snacks from brands like Emergency Essentials® and Mountain House®. All survival food products are designed for long term storage.

To ensure emergency food supplies will meet the needs of your household, BePrepared.com offers several affordable options to help build your food foundation, including bulk pricing, 3-6-12 month food supplies, food combo packages, and even monthly plans. With a broad selection of entrées, desserts, and drinks, you are sure to find appetizing emergency foods suited to your survival plan and taste buds.

All food packages and pouches are easy to store and transport. Emergency food supplies are also the perfect addition to your outdoor recreation gear. Store complete meals in your backpack, with your camping gear, or in your vehicle for quick access to healthy, nutritious meals.

Start building your emergency food supply today and be assured you are prepared for any emergency. Enjoy gourmet foods of your choice and rely on our high-quality food storage containers and accessories as part of your emergency plan.

SHORT-TERM FOOD STORAGE

You probably already have a short-term supply of food in your pantry. In North America it’s common to get enough food to last a week (or more) each time you go to the grocery store.

You probably don’t think of that “extra” food as survival food, but that extra can be the beginning of your food storage pantry. The food in your pantry may help you get by for a short period of time if you can’t get to the store. A three-day supply of short-term “food storage” in the pantry is typical for most households. What you need to focus on now is expanding your food storage supply.

If you live in an urban area and survive by eating out almost every meal, think about building up at least a week’s supply of short-term food you can throw in the cupboards. Also take a look at our article Prepping in an Urban Setting for tips and suggestions for urban preparedness. (Quick tip: MREs and Mountain House pouches don’t take up a lot of room, but they deliver a lot of flavor and nutrition when a disaster makes eating out or hitting up the grocery store impossible.)

LONG-TERM FOOD STORAGE

It can be difficult to find foods that are properly packaged for long-term storage. That’s where Emergency Essentials comes in. We stand by our packaging; we use BPA-free, food-grade plastics, double-enameled, stainless steel metal, and metallized bags that are air-tight and water-tight. Our freeze dried meals and dehydrated foods can last up to 25 years when kept in proper storage conditions (stand-alone pouches and MREs excepted). That means that unlike those cans of tuna fish and sardines, you don’t have to rotate your SuperPails, Emergency Essentials cans, and just-add-water meals. MREs and pouches not stored in airtight buckets have a shelf life of around 7 years if kept in proper storage conditions.

OTHER ITEMS

You may not have thought to add seasonings, heirloom seeds, or sprouting seeds to your long-term food storage and emergency plan. It’s ok to approach emergency food as basic survival food, but we think you should enjoy what you eat during an extended disaster situation! Seasonings, packaged for long-term storage, are just the thing to perk up a post-disaster meal. And having heirloom seeds stored means that you’ll be able to plant a garden and have your own fresh veggies. Sprouting seeds are your food storage’s under-appreciated super hero. Sprouting seeds need very little space, no dirt, and in less than a week you can grow your own nutrient-packed, fresh vegetable. How’s that for handy? Including these items goes a long way to making your food storage go farther. Sprouts will also give you something like a salad in a disaster if you don’t grow your own lettuce.

PROPER STORAGE CONDITIONS

All food storage should be kept in cool, dark, dry places. If you can maintain a 76°F temperature (or lower) your food storage will last for its maximum shelf life—up to 25 years!

CALORIES COUNT?

Calories are a crucial factor in your food storage planning. To determine your family’s food storage needs, think first in terms of calories per person per day, and then in terms of nutrients (protein, vitamins and minerals) provided—and finally, in terms of cost per serving. Measuring servings isn’t reliable because a cup of orange drink, a cup of beef stroganoff, a tablespoon of butter, and a quarter teaspoon of salt all count as a "serving." Depending upon the food choices, a person could consume three servings a day and only get 600 calories!

In high-stress situations we require more calories than usual to operate in peak condition. According to the government’s dietary guidelines, under normal situations most adults need around 2,000 to 2,600 calories per day—more if very active or highly stressed. Children usually need 1,500 to 1,600 calories per day, but remember that they are growing, and by the time you need to use your emergency food supply they may be eating like adults! Read more about food storage and caloric needs.

A NOTE ON STORAGE FOOD

Emergency Essentials is here to change the assumption that storage food is the stuff your Aunt Edna dusts off for family camping trips. Yes, survival food is a great option for camping food, and for keeping in your survival kits. But our selection of gourmet, freeze dried foods are also aimed to improve your quality of life, especially during an emergency or extended disaster situation. They are delicious and provide crucial nutrients in difficult and stressful times.

So whether you’re looking for canned food storage, MREs, sprouting seeds, a wheat grinder, or a dehydrator, Emergency Essentials has it all. With a little preparation, plus some freeze dried and dehydrated food, you can build a strong food storage pantry of your own.