Emergency Rations-What to Stockpile

An emergency or catastrophic event could happen at any moment. Depending on where you live, a tornado, hurricane, tsunami or even an EMP attack could turn your whole world upside down.

Heck, scientists and representatives in office have been crying global warming for decades now and warning of the dire consequences.

One of these days, sooner or later, it might actually take place. So how are you prepared to feed your family in these or other emergency situations?

Chances are, you’re not. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure that out. Here are several emergency rations: what to stockpile.  

What to Stockpile for Emergency Rations

Did you know you can start saving money by stockpiling food? While I’ve started my own minimalism journey, I have no problem having emergency food rations for survival situations.

Spring or Distilled Water

While water is certainly not in the food category, it is one that will prove vital in your survival in just the first week after an emergency.

Most people drink around ½ to one gallon a day, so depending on the size of your family, you need to plan on a minimum supply of 2 weeks worth of water.

For a family of 4, that’s 56 gallons of spring or distilled water! That’s just to survive for two weeks, and not counting for any other purposes besides drinking.  This is the bare minimum for water.

I highly recommend 4-gallons of water per person per day. Please store enough water for your family to survive.

Protein Bars

A quick breakfast meal that’s filled with protein, protein bars can also help hold you over until your next meal. Plus you can switch it up with bars containing fruit, chocolate or extra granola. 

Peanut Butter

Most children won’t know how to cope without peanut butter, let alone dad, who sneaks a spoon of it once in a while. Peanut butter is one of those foods that has a good amount of protein.

You don’t want to go to the grocery store for peanut butter in an emergency. Go get it now so you’re ready. Peanut butter is also high in protein.

Nuts and Trail Mix

Nuts and trail mix provide much-needed energy with protein and other nutrients. It also wouldn’t hurt to have a good supply of honey-roasted nuts for a sweeter salty snack. 

Jerky

Jerky is not only a delicious snack, but it’s packed with protein that will help sustain people with a healthier diet of fats. Jerky is preserved to last for longer period than other meat products. Check it out. 

Canned Meats

Stocking up on canned meats such as tuna, canned chicken, and beef chunks will be one way of keeping meat on the menu, as it’s preserved to last for years. 

Canned Soups

Canned soups are a quick and easy meal, but we’re also talking about the cream of soups too. Cream of soups provides broth and a base to many meals for more flavoring. Some canned foods can also go beyond expiration dates.

Dried Fruits

For a healthy sweet option, try purchasing dried fruits to enjoy. Hey, dried beans are also good to store. Dried fruits and beans have an excellent shelf life, and the beans can also be a source for needed protein.

Canned Vegetables and Beans

Another great source of vitamins and protein would be canned veggies and beans. From past experience, you’ll notice that they last for a long time too! 

Oatmeal

Oatmeal and oats are going to be a great source of fiber. Plus they store for a long period of time. This is also a good stored food to have on hand to mix with other food items as you strive to feed your family healthy meals during emergencies and just day to day meal prep.

Honey

Even if you don’t eat a lot of honey, be sure to stock up on it. It’s a sweetener that will make your oatmeal taste so much better. Honey can also be used for several medical purposes, including healing a sore throat and boosting your immune system. 

Sugar

You gotta have sugar! Not only will it be nice to have something sweet to eat, but it also can help preserve food. Get it in the 5 lb buckets that seal better than plastic and paper packaged sugar. 

Salt

Another seasoning that will keep food from tasting bland, salt is also a preserver. You might not have known it, but it can also help kill bacteria. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar will not only be good for creating a salad dressing, but also for cleaning, preserving food, and a remedy for an endless array of medical problems.

It’s even useful for losing weight, although after an apocalyptic event you’ll probably be losing weight just fine without it. 

Rice and Beans

Rice and beans are every prepper’s go-to cheap foods that can create a complete meal with far less. Plus beans can provide plenty of protein to your diet. Instant rice might not be as nutritional, but it stores better than brown rice. 

Pasta

Pasta lasts forever, so it would seem to be a good food item to stockpile. While it might not be great for your diet, it will help your meals be more filling, especially if you’re rationing meals for an extended period of time. 

Whole Grains

How are you supposed to have any bread if you don’t stock up on whole grains? The answer is, you won’t. Whole grains are a healthy option that lasts for an indefinite amount of time. 

Coffee

Just imagine going for the rest of your life without coffee. For some of you, that’s unimaginable and is an end-of-the-world scenario in and of itself.

Some people can’t even function without it, so if you’re one of those people, make sure you have a healthy supply of it. It also can be a great barter item if you find yourself wanting to trade for other valuable items to complete your meal prep efforts.

Cooking Oil 

Without cooking oil, you won’t be able to do a lot of baking. Some cooking may not even be an option. Please remember most oils only have a shelf-life of one to two years.

Coconut oil will last a little longer. When in doubt stock powdered shortening which has a shelf-life of three years (Thrive Life).

Vodka

Now we’re not telling you to drink your problems away, or for you to “tap out” in other words. No, vodka will help relieve any pain you might be in, including an awful toothache. It also might be an item that you are able to cook or even barter with. 

Chocolate Chips

While chocolate chips do not provide much health benefits to your diet, they could prove huge for your morale. Especially if you’re a huge chocolate lover.

Being able to open a bag of chocolate might work wonders for you and your family mentally by helping you return to some normalcy.

Chocolate chips can usually store for around one year, but hey, it’s chocolate, you’d probably eat it no matter how out of date it was.

Powdered Milk

For some families, milk is just as important as food and water. Make sure you’re prepared to have milk on hand for emergency rations.

Of course, powdered milk is the only thing that would last on a pantry shelf. Food storage and milk do not go well together for long term purposes.

Final Word

These are a number of emergency ration items that you need to start stockpiling in the near future. Just remember to rotate your supply every year or two. I would stock several #10 cans of freeze-dried food, but only the kind your family will eat.

If you’ve been stockpiling for a long time, what foods are you storing in your emergency pantries? May God bless this world, Linda