How to Build a 30-Day Emergency Food Supply…Fast

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sentry18

Thrivalist
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
19,105
Location
US of A
How to Build a 30-Day Emergency Food Supply…Fast




February 27, 2020


By Daisy Luther

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you may be feeling on edge. You may feel as though time is running out for you to get your preparedness supplies and emergency food in order. You may be new to prepping, and feeling like there’s too much to accomplish. It seems like everything, everywhere, is sold out.


This feeling of urgency can make you feel hopeless and panicked, and that’s not productive. If you’re in a hurry, there’s no time for a lack of productivity. It’s time to focus and create your food supply immediately. If an event like a quarantine occurs during which you are unable to leave your home, you’ll want to make certain that you can keep food on the table without waiting for a handout to be doled out at the whim of some government agency. (If you are preparing for a potential coronavirus quarantine or pandemic, check out this best-selling book on the topic.)


Generally, I write about healthy food. I write about focusing on whole foods without additives, and I firmly believe that is the very best way to build your food supply. I believe strongly in the value of a pantry that you will use day to day to nourish your family. You can learn how to build a pantry like that in my book Prepper’s Pantry.


However, if you do not have a food supply waiting in your pantry, or your supply isn’t big enough, you might be focusing on speed. You can then add healthier options at your leisure.

Create a stockpile with emergency food buckets

Let me be clear that I think purchasing healthy whole foods is the very best way to build a food supply. Grabbing shelf-stable options from the store or a supplier is a great way to put back a nutritious stockpile. However, it may not be the fastest way.


If you’re trying to build a food supply quickly, consider ordering buckets with a month’s supply of meals.


Here’s why every prepper should have some emergency food buckets stashed away:


  1. A lot of calories can be condensed into a very small amount of space.
  2. If you have the capacity to boil water during an emergency, a filling meal can be yours.
  3. They add variety and speed to an emergency food supply.
  4. Calorie for calorie, they’re lightweight and easily portable in the event of a bug-out scenario.
  5. They’re professionally packaged to have a 25-year shelf life, so you can get it, stick it in the back of your closet, and forget about it until you need it.

Now, the downside.


If you’re looking for ready-made meals, none of them are going to be completely free of additives. This is impossible because they’re made to last for 25 years, to take up minimal space, to cook up quickly and efficiently, and to taste reasonably good.


If you’re going this route, some compromises must be made. Yes, emergency food buckets contain processed food, but you don’t have to let go of all of your focus on healthful choices.


You may look at the prices of these items and say, “Oh, I can’t afford this.” But you have to remember, this is enough food for an ENTIRE MONTH. At $300, that means you’re spending $10 per day on food that only requires the ability to boil water.


You’ll notice on the list of extras that I recommended a gentle laxative. Some people, when dependent solely upon MREs or dehydrated foods, become constipated. I also recommended a high-quality multivitamin to help ensure you’re getting the nutrition you need.


Remember: these buckets are a one month supply PER PERSON. You will need one bucket for each member of your household for a complete one month supply.

Check out these emergency food buckets

In times of crisis, you may find that it is difficult to find emergency food that isn’t already sold out. Pickings may be slim. At the time of update, 2/26/2020, these products were available within one week.



Be warned that some of these buckets claim to be a 30 day supply of food, but you may find a lot of instant oatmeal, mac and cheese, and dry milk, plus a very limited variety. You’ll want to add some supplemental foods, too.

Some things to add on to your emergency food supply

By adding some extras to your supply you can make it healthier and better balanced, and you can also make it fit your needs. I have added a huge amount of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and milk to my supply because we tend to eat a lot of that right now. If you generally eat low-carb, you may want to skip the pre-made buckets, and create your own kits from some of the options below.



And for the love of all things cute and fluffy….get one of these bucket openers and make your life easier!!!!


While waiting for your buckets, head to the grocery store and grab some of the following:


  • Canned fruits and veggies
  • Instant oatmeal
  • Breakfast cereal
  • Apple sauce
  • Peanut butter
  • Crackers
  • 100% Juice
  • Coffee and/or tea
  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Canned beans
  • Canned meats like tuna, chicken, and ham
  • Some of your family’s favorite snack foods to squirrel away and bring out when food fatigue sets in

However you opt to build your food supply, please don’t hesitate. If a worst-case scenario occurred, the minimum goal is to be able to feed your family for at least a month.

How much do emergency food do you need?

There are a few different ways to calculate food storage, but I find breaking it down by serving size to be the most practical. Don’t rely on what a package calls a serving size – consider the appetites of your family. You might have a couple of big eaters and a couple of people with birdlike appetites. The lists below are based on serving sizes for an average adult.


Be sure to get a variety of different foods:


  • 3 protein servings
  • 5-8 fruits and vegetables
  • 5 starchy carbohydrates

On a 2000 calorie per day diet, strictly based on long-term storage food, the LDS (Church of the Latter Day Saints) says the average adult would need the following amounts for 30 days:


  • 5 pounds of beans
  • 25 pounds of grains
  • 5 pounds of sugars
  • 2 pounds of fats
  • 8 pounds of dairy

These are purely subjective numbers, however. For example, if your family is gluten-free, you might eat more protein and produce than starchy carbs. You must take into account your family’s health concerns, special needs, allergies, intolerances, likes, and dislikes. These are simply guidelines. Try to stick as close to your normal eating habits as possible, to lessen the stress of an already highly-wrought situation. You’d be asking for trouble if you took someone who generally eats paleo and started feeding them nothing but oatmeal and vegetarian pasta dishes.


It’s also important to consider cooking times. If you never ever cook from scratch, will you suddenly want to make pots of beans and homemade bread? If the power goes out, will you have a way that you’ll be able to cook these foods? (This little stove can be used anywhere, indoors or outdoors. Be sure to stock up on extra fuel for it.)


https://www.theorganicprepper.com/build-a-30-day-emergency-food-supply-fast/
 
There are some good tips in there. I have been thinking about being quarantined and what would work better for me if I was. I am thinking of more frozen vegetables and powdered cheeses. The suggestion for powdered cheeses is in her tips. I know it is not the best, but could help with something like potato soup from potato flakes. I have not eaten any potato soup in more than a decade, but would in a SHTF situation. I know there are things I would eat in a tough situation that are not on my current repertoire.

I have belonged to a few prepper groups on Facebook for a few years, and all of a sudden, people are panicking. All of a sudden, the groups have gotten very active. There are lots of new members who are hysterical, to say the least. I never respond to posts that say things like, "I have been reading about prepping for a while, but have never done any prepping. I have a limited budget. What should I buy first?" For me, it was bean and rice. If you have done any research, and know how to cook, you likely know this. People who do not cook probably buy MRE or add water meals.

Why respond to someone like that? If a dozen people respond, they are still confused and hysterical.

I watch a YouTube channel, Out of Goshen. They moved to Michigan about a year and a half ago. He is a retired doctor and they have been talking about prepping as long as I have been watching them. This last week, they did a live show about the Corona Virus. They have issued a challenge of what food you can buy with $100 to prepare. I am well prepared with food, since I have been working on it for 12 years, but I thought it would be kind of interesting to work up a shopping list for $100 worth of food.

I see people showing food purchases in the Facebook groups and complaining about how expensive food it. They buy all processed food, which is more expensive, but in emergency situations can be helpful. That is why I made many purchases of basic foods for long term storage such as rice, beans, wheat, powdered milk, oatmeal, sugar, salt, baking soda, corn starch, potato flakes, macaroni, spices, seasonings and more and after I had achieved several goals, began to stock more short term items like boxed milk, canned foods, boxed foods such as jello (Mormon funeral food) and food that has a much shorter shelf life.

Having a cookstove can be huge in a crisis. We should all have a couple varieties.
 
We have atleast 30 days stored and after that what we cangrow we won't have. I feel if we survive 30 days in a shtf event we will be lucky.
Not storing food for those who kill us for it can eat " let em eat cake " .:D.
 
Starting from the point of having zero food to the point of have several months of food is easy.

1.) First look out cabin window
2.) Choose a Moose or Caribou or both
3.) Quietly open window
4.) Harvest several months of fine Alaska meat
5.) Have a beer then start butchering
 
The article offers good advice. I liked the fact the she not only offers advice on food, but alerts people to the fact that you may have to do something, even as minimal as boiling water, to cook the food, so you will need some type of cooking system.

At this point food is the least of my worries. We could last in our house, quarantined, for several months. We have cooking systems to do whatever is needed, and several means of acquiring and purifying water. Factor in I throw considerably more shade than I should, and it would not kill me to miss a meal or two, or ten. That would do far more good than harm.

The Prescription drugs required for my wife and son are a much bigger concern.
 
In addition to a cook stove of some sort, folks should also have a nice stock of charcoal and lighter fluid. We do b/c we grill all year round. However, I'm not as stocked as I'd like to be since Memorial Day is when I pile up my charcoal stock at the lowest prices.

The local box store in my area has BOGO free vitamins and supplements this week.

My local grocery store has $1 knorr pasta pouches on sale. I also saw 69 cent tuna at Aldi. Typically milk and dairy products can be bought in bulk and frozen if you really don't want to deal with the powdered stuff, although I'm sure the powdered stuff has a longer shelf life.

I'm glad I'm not a newbie. I can understand their panic, but they should start with the basics like PB&J and work up from there if they have nothing stored. Bread can also be frozen and PB is cheap right now as is coffee. At this point I wouldn't worry about the emergency food buckets. You can stock up on food cheaper at the grocery store if you know what you're looking for and shop the flyer sales. But, they really should be thinking about what they normally eat and start buying larger amounts than what they normally do and freeze it if needed, especially if they've never tasted the LTS stuff. Although, I kinda hope they don't, b/c that's where the panic is going to start and the shelves could empty in a real hurry if they all start freaking out at once.....just like the mask depletion. It's almost like this is what the MSM is hoping for. :rolleyes:

ETA: This could also be an inflationary event, even if it's like the typical flu season and we really only have to get thru spring. But, if the shelves are empty, it's easy to raise prices b/c as soon as stock comes in, someone will buy it no matter the cost......again, just like people desperate for masks. If they think this same thing might happen at the grocery store, this panic could be worse than the actual virus.
 
Last edited:
My local grocery store has $1 knorr pasta pouches on sale. I also saw 69 cent tuna at Aldi. Typically milk and dairy products can be bought in bulk and frozen if you really don't want to deal with the powdered stuff, although I'm sure the powdered stuff has a longer shelf life.
I have some of the Knorr pasta pouches in storage. Macaroni and cheese in a box used to be so popular. Add some canned tuna or canned chicken and a can of peas and you have a meal with either of them. It is not what I eat any more, but did over the years. I would again when I can't find what I prefer to eat now, more vegetables.
 
I wouldn't recommend the just add water long term food items for 30 days storage for someone with nothing. If they shop weekly normally, I'd tell them to buy their regular stuff for 5 weeks. Good enough. Food is expensive, but today I bought Kraft mac and cheese for 59 cents a box, and Chicken of the Sea tuna for 59 cents a can. The kids are fine with that for lunch on the weekends normally. And I make bread for sandwiches a few times a week. I would also recommend rice and beans IF that person knows how to cook rice and dried beans. 30 days is easy. Just read on Drudge Report that Oahu in Hawaii had bare shelves after hearing the CDC report on stocking up for a few weeks.
Some of the 25 yr buckets are mostly loaded with instant oatmeal for breakfast, koolaid type drinks , and pasta main meals. I have a few of these buckets, but wouldn't buy any more. I do better with the basics...rice, beans, flour, wheat berries, sugar, cornmeal and whole corn, other baking products, canned meats, canned fruits, dried vegetables, and pastas. A lot of companies that sell storage food are all sold out right now.
 
And, like you said, if things really got tight with food, I'd eat mac and cheese before I'd eat mice🐭 and chipmunks🐿.
This! Yes! There is the adage of storing what you eat and eating what you store. I agree with that, but it doesn't always work. Better to have food that you will eat, than to not have any food when you run out of salad greens, avocados, cucumbers, fresh tomatoes and other fresh vegetables.
 
I wouldn't recommend the just add water long term food items for 30 days storage for someone with nothing. If they shop weekly normally, I'd tell them to buy their regular stuff for 5 weeks. Good enough. Food is expensive, but today I bought Kraft mac and cheese for 59 cents a box, and Chicken of the Sea tuna for 59 cents a can. The kids are fine with that for lunch on the weekends normally. And I make bread for sandwiches a few times a week. I would also recommend rice and beans IF that person knows how to cook rice and dried beans. 30 days is easy. Just read on Drudge Report that Oahu in Hawaii had bare shelves after hearing the CDC report on stocking up for a few weeks.
Some of the 25 yr buckets are mostly loaded with instant oatmeal for breakfast, koolaid type drinks , and pasta main meals. I have a few of these buckets, but wouldn't buy any more. I do better with the basics...rice, beans, flour, wheat berries, sugar, cornmeal and whole corn, other baking products, canned meats, canned fruits, dried vegetables, and pastas. A lot of companies that sell storage food are all sold out right now.

Do you use a bread maker? I have two that I haven't used in years, but will if I need to.

Mac and cheese is something we used to eat at least once a week. I probably haven't eaten it regularly for 15 to 20 years. In a SHTF situation, it wouldn't be a bad thing to eat.

I was thinking of ramen today. I threw a bunch away a year or so ago when I was cleaning in the garage. It is really not as desirable now, but OMG, I remember all the fuss about it a couple decades ago. I used to keep some in my closet at work for hungry students. It has probably been at least 20 years since I ate any. Better than eating a mouse!

I saw pasta sauce on sale today, but didn't get any. I will in the next day or two.
 
In addition to a cook stove of some sort, folks should also have a nice stock of charcoal and lighter fluid. We do b/c we grill all year round. However, I'm not as stocked as I'd like to be since Memorial Day is when I pile up my charcoal stock at the lowest prices.
I keep charcoal in 5 gallon buckets. It keeps it from absorbing moisture. I wish I had more as well.
 
I read the comment about not eating rats/mice and chipmonks

allow me to tell a story

back n 1985 the job market was pretty bad.I could not buy a job much less find one.
one day. i lucked out and managed to do a re pipe for lady. So now i have a few bucks.
i tossed my tent,clothes, and tools into my mustang and drove to Florida. i stopped at an RV park in christmas Fla. pitched a tent. monday morning i found a job. I was pretty low on funds, and had a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. this was my food for the week
I came home from work and squirrels were having a party in my tent,
lil bastids had chewed a hole in the lid of the PB and were having a good time.
soooooooo. i pulled out my 22 and started shooting squirrels.
the manager was not amused. he started yelling..then asked just wth did i think i was doing?
i told him they ate my food, so i am going to eat them
 
Those critters are destructive! We've had them eat thru our cornhole bags, so now we store those bags in one of those 70's style green coleman coolers that was handed down to us when my folks moved. Good luck getting into that, ya little bastids!! Plus, if we ever needed to store a whole lot of stuff in a cool environment, we could empty that cooler and put it in the basement to try and hold food for a bit longer. Those coolers are really neat, but not as good at holding their temps as some of the newer ones. Heck, in your situation you could've store ammo in it too!🔫
 
I read the comment about not eating rats/mice and chipmonks

allow me to tell a story

back n 1985 the job market was pretty bad.I could not buy a job much less find one.
one day. i lucked out and managed to do a re pipe for lady. So now i have a few bucks.
i tossed my tent,clothes, and tools into my mustang and drove to Florida. i stopped at an RV park in christmas Fla. pitched a tent. monday morning i found a job. I was pretty low on funds, and had a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. this was my food for the week
I came home from work and squirrels were having a party in my tent,
lil bastids had chewed a hole in the lid of the PB and were having a good time.
soooooooo. i pulled out my 22 and started shooting squirrels.
the manager was not amused. he started yelling..then asked just wth did i think i was doing?
i told him they ate my food, so i am going to eat them
Squirrels can sure wreak havoc! They keep me from having bird feeders. They have nothing to do all day long except to climb and jump and try to get to them.

When a person is hungry and broke, PB works, especially when you have no refrigeration.

I had a neighbor who once had little money to eat for a week. He bought a loaf of bread, and eggs. He ate egg salad sandwiches for a week. I would not have thought of it then, but appreciate the lesson now. Also, grilled cheese sandwiches could be a cheap meal now. Again, refrigeration helps.
 
Those critters are destructive! We've had them eat thru our cornhole bags, so now we store those bags in one of those 70's style green coleman coolers that was handed down to us when my folks moved. Good luck getting into that, ya little bastids!! Plus, if we ever needed to store a whole lot of stuff in a cool environment, we could empty that cooler and put it in the basement to try and hold food for a bit longer. Those coolers are really neat, but not as good at holding their temps as some of the newer ones. Heck, in your situation you could've store ammo in it too!🔫


I like the 6 gallon buckets with the screw on lids

or the 20 gallon blue barrels with a banded lid

just a tip.

if you buy some duck board, and childers. you can make a big cooler,,
use 2 layers of duck board, paint the outside with childers.
incase in a plywood box or any type box.
big coolers cost big money, this is a way to do it cheaper duck_bord.pngduck_board_2.png
 
Squirrels can sure wreak havoc! They keep me from having bird feeders. They have nothing to do all day long except to climb and jump and try to get to them.

When a person is hungry and broke, PB works, especially when you have no refrigeration.

I had a neighbor who once had little money to eat for a week. He bought a loaf of bread, and eggs. He ate egg salad sandwiches for a week. I would not have thought of it then, but appreciate the lesson now. Also, grilled cheese sandwiches could be a cheap meal now. Again, refrigeration helps.


make some garlic butter and then you have garlic grill cheese. yum yum
 

Latest posts

Back
Top