Introduction
Your emergency food storage is one of the most important aspects of your emergency preparedness plan. It’s crucial to have enough non-perishable food and water on hand in case of an emergency, whether it’s a natural disaster, power outage, or other unforeseen events. But knowing how and where to store your emergency food can be just as important.
There are a few general guidelines to follow when storing your emergency food:
- Store food in a cool, dry place.
- Store food in airtight containers.
- Use oxygen absorbers in airtight containers.
- Label all containers with the contents and date of storage.
- rotate your stored food every 6 months.
Following these guidelines will help ensure that your emergency food is fresh and safe to eat when you need it.
Why You Need Emergency Food?
When an emergency happens, you might not have time to run to the store for supplies. That’s why it’s important to have emergency food on hand. emergency food can help you survive if you’re stranded somewhere or if services like power and water are disrupted.
There are a few things to consider when choosing emergency food. First, think about how long you need the food to last. If you just need enough for a few days, you might be able to get by with non-perishable items like canned goods and dry mixes. If you need food for a longer period of time, you’ll need to choose foods that won’t go bad and that will give you the nutrients you need.
You’ll also want to think about how easy the food is to prepare. If you’re in a situation where you don’t have access to cooking equipment or clean water, you’ll need foods that don’t require cooking or that can be prepared with minimal effort.
Finally, consider your budget when selecting emergency food. There are many affordable options available, so there’s no need to break the bank. However, it’s important to make sure that the food you select is high quality and will meet your needs in an emergency situation.
How Much Emergency Food You Need?
An adequate emergency food supply should last for at least three days. The amount of food you will need will depend on the number of people in your household, as well as their ages and activity levels.
Here are some general guidelines to help you determine how much emergency food you will need:
-Adults need about 1,500 calories per day.
-Children ages 4-8 need about 1,200 calories per day.
-Children ages 9-13 need about 1,800 calories per day.
-Pregnant or nursing women need about 2,400 calories per day.
-Active adults (such as those who are physically active or working in strenuous jobs) need about 2,000-2,400 calories per day.
If you have any special dietary needs, such as allergies or food intolerances, be sure to include extra food and supplies to meet your needs.
In addition to emergency food, you will also need a supply of clean water. Each person in your household should have at least one gallon of water per day for drinking and hygiene purposes. If you live in a hot climate or have a physical activity that increases your water needs, you may require more water.
You should also have a supply of basic first aid supplies and medications on hand in case of injury or illness.
The Best Places to Store Emergency Food
There are a few things to consider when choosing where to store your emergency food. You will want to choose a location that is cool and dark, as light and heat can cause food to spoil. You will also want to pick a spot that is easily accessible in case you need to grab your food and go. Here are some of the best places to store emergency food:
-In a cool, dark pantry: A pantry is a great place to store non-perishable items like canned goods, dried goods, and cereals. If you have a walk-in pantry, this is an ideal spot for storing your emergency food supply.
-In a basement: A basement is another cool, dark spot that is perfect for storing canned goods and other non-perishable items.
-In a closet: If you don’t have a pantry or basement, you can store your emergency food in a closet. Just be sure to choose one that is not near any windows so that light doesn’t cause the food to spoil.
-Under the bed: If space is really tight, you can store some of your emergency food under your bed. Just be sure to put it in heavy-duty storage containers so it doesn’t get crushed.
The Worst Places to Store Emergency Food
With severe weather on the rise, now more than ever is the time to think about where you’re going to store your emergency food. If you don’t have a plan for this, your food could end up getting ruined, which would be a huge waste of time and money.
There are a few places that are particularly bad for storing food, so it’s important to avoid them if at all possible. Here are the four worst places to store emergency food:
- The Garage
The garage is one of the worst places to store food because it can get very hot in there, especially during the summer. This can cause canned goods to swell and even burst, and it can make dry goods go bad. - The Attic
The attic is another place that can get very hot, which means it’s not ideal for storing food. In addition, attics often have pests like mice or rats, which could get into your food and contaminate it. - The Basement
While the basement might not be as warm as the garage or attic, it can still get pretty humid down there. This can cause mold to grow on your food, which is obviously not something you want to happen. - Outside
If you live in an area with severe weather, storing your emergency food outdoors is a very bad idea. If there’s a hurricane or tornado coming, your food could easily be destroyed by the high winds or flooding.
These are just a few of the worst places to store emergency food. If you can avoid these locations, your food will be much better off in the long run.
How to Rotate Your Emergency Food?
As you use your emergency food supply, it is important to rotate it so that you are using the oldest food first and the newest food last. This is called First In First Out or FIFO. There are two ways to do this:
The first way is to physically move the food items from the back of the storage area to the front as you use them. This works well if you have a small emergency food supply.
The second way is to keep a running inventory of your emergency food supply, with the date that each item was purchased or canned. As you use items, you can cross them off the list. This works well if you have a large emergency food supply.
It is also important to check the expiration dates on your canned goods and replace them as needed. Canned goods can be stored for 2-5 years, depending on the type of food and the conditions in which they are stored.
Please see our Emergency Food Storage FAQ for more information.
Conclusion
You have now learned how to become more food secure by building an emergency food supply and storing it properly. With a little planning, you can have peace of mind knowing that you and your family have the food and water you need in case of an emergency.