When you prepare to be sure you are ready for emergencies and storms; what are the top foods you make sure you have on hand?

 

Dried foods: Rice, brown rice, oatmeal, beans. Jars and cans: Pasta sauce, beans, soup, chili, tuna, chicken.

 Vacuum sealed: Seasoned rice, mashed potatoes, biscuit mix, dried tomatoes, dried onion rings.

Drinks: Powdered milk, coffee, bottled water.

Snacks: Popcorn, crackers, jelly, cookies, cake mix, chips.

Freezer: Assorted Veggies,pizza, assorted breads.

Since we stock & then live from our pantry, we have anything that we need for emergencies as a rule. 

To preapre for a storm, the only thing I do is make sure the water bottles are filled in the fridge.

 In the event of a prolonged power outages during warm weather, the only thing I can think of would be more canning jars if I needed to can what meat is in the freezers.  Since I'm down to my last 250# of flour, I could use more.  Other than that, I think I'm good to go.

 I did a quick inventory the other day and have dried and canned and rootcellared food to last a good three months so I don't really need to do anything special for emergency foods.  I have a couple of different ways to cook, solar and a wood grill, if the power is out for too long as well as my camping stove and candles to heat up a cup of tea.

I make sure to keep some canned foods that are not our regular fare, but could be eaten straight from the can if need be. I also have some things I've dehydrated that would "cook up" quickly. An example is my creation based on a dish I enjoy at a vegetarian restaurant when I'm in Austin. The dish consists of stir-fried veggies on brown rice. I noticed that there are yellow split peas in the rice. Some research revealed that grains and beans grow naturally in an area at a ratio of of five or six parts grain to one part beans. So I cooked my combo using one cup brown rice and 1/6 cup split peas. This, of course, will provide a complete protein as well as the carb calories. Then I dehydrated and vacuum-sealed it. I have lots of dehydrated veggies to serve with this. AM

We don't get storms here -- I mean not ever. It's disappointing, because I love the fury of nature kind of thing (not actual dangerous ones, mind you, but at least give me some thunder and lightning!). But in case of emergencies, I do keep a bug-out-bag in the car including canned soup (the kind that doesn't need added water), generic energy bars, bottled water, and sealed cans of cat food.

The best emergency food is biscuit and water, and I am saying this in personal experience.

I live in the Caribbean - hurricanes are our biggest threat. We are taught from childhood to have a 2-week supply of non-perishable foods and water on hand during hurricane season

My emergency food stash includes:-

• PROTEINS - unsalted nuts, peanut butter, canned meats and fish that can be eaten straight from the can or with miminal seasoning preparation, ultrapasteurized milk
• CARBS -  crackers, any add-water-and-eat instant meals, rice, potatoes (anything that can be cooked in a single pot on a camping stove), granola bars and cereals, ready-to-eat popcorn
• FRUITS AND VEGGIES - V8 type juices, canned fruit, canned veggies, raisins and other dried fruit
• DESSERTS/TREATS - items like chocolate covered oatmeal cookies & granolas, peanut M&M's (to sneak in useful carbs or proteins), shelf-stable yogurt or pudding
• BEVERAGES - LOTS of water, tea, coffee, instant hot cocoa packages, presweetened drink mixes.  This year, I will add Gatorade to the stash.  DD14 has a medical condition which requires her to drink LOTS of sports drinks to boost her electrolytes.  Gatorade is also useful as an oral rehydration therapy in the event of diarrhea.

I don't buy bottled water.  I save tap water in recycled bottles (eg  gallon sized Gatorade bottles). 

timzagain:

I don't buy bottled water.  I save tap water in recycled bottles (eg  gallon sized Gatorade bottles). 

Do you rotate these out often for freshness? I found I had to or the water I stored had an off taste.