Natural disasters and emergencies often come with little or no warning at all. Stocking up on shelf-stable foods and ingredients before SHTF will help you weather the situation successfully.
Here are some of the best survival foods to stock up on before SHTF: (h/t to HomesteadSurvivalSite.com)
1. Legumes
Beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes are classic survival foods, and it's easy to see why. Legumes are rich in protein, dietary fiber and other essential nutrients, which means they can keep you going for a very long time. Plus, they last for several years and can be bought cheaply in bulk. You can get legumes dried or canned.
2. Grains
Grains like rice should be one of the "anchors" of your emergency stockpile. Aside from being rich in many health-promoting nutrients, grains are extremely versatile and shelf-stable. Make sure to buy whole grains so you can get full benefits. Refined grains, such as white rice and white flour, have been stripped of their nutrients.
You can buy grains in bulk and store them in large, food-grade buckets for easy access and storage.
3. Pasta
Pasta is a convenient source of carbohydrates when SHTF. It's also inexpensive to buy in bulk and can be stored for a very long time. Plus, it's an incredibly versatile ingredient you can use in all sorts of dishes. If you're allergic to gluten, look for gluten-free options or pasta made from vegetables, such as zucchini.
4. Honey
Honey is an essential survival food for many reasons. For one, it's a nutrient-rich natural sweetener and it's chock-full of antioxidants, which are responsible for its antimicrobial properties. As such, honey can be used to treat and disinfect wounds. Honey also has a long history of use as a natural remedy for cough and nausea.
Plus, honey makes an excellent natural preservative. It's best to keep honey in the pantry because it can get too thick if stored in the refrigerator.
5. Peanut butter
Peanut butter is a good source of healthy fats and protein. It's a particularly valuable item to have in your emergency stockpile if you have children.
Peanut butter also has a long shelf life. Unless the container indicates otherwise, you don't have to keep peanut butter in the refrigerator after opening. If you're allergic to peanuts, try almond or cashew butter instead.
6. Lard
Survival food isn't all canned and dried goods. You'll still need to cook even in an SHTF situation and you'll need oil for that. But instead of vegetable oil, stock up on lard. Lard has always been an important staple in countries where pork is an essential dietary item, with pig fat often being as valuable a product as pork.
And despite its ill reputation as an unhealthy ingredient, lard actually has less saturated fat than butter, coconut oil and other popular sources of fat.
7. Salt
Don't forget your spices and seasonings. Salt is particularly important to stock up on because it can be used for food preservation. It's also dirt cheap.
8. Canned meat
Canned meat isn't going to taste anywhere near as good as a homemade beef roast or grilled chicken, but it will give you protein in a pinch. It will also last for years on the shelf. Most canned meats are sold at a fairly reasonable price.
You can slowly build your canned meat stockpile without burning your budget by buying a few extra cans every time you buy your usual groceries.
9. Canned fruits and vegetables
Canned fruits and vegetables can often last for one to two years beyond the date printed on the can, which makes them valuable survival foods. (Related: Tips for basic home food preservation and canning.)
EmergencyFood.news has more articles with tips on how to build an emergency food stockpile.
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