Non-Perishable Foods for Long Term Food Supply

Non-perishable foods are must haves for long term food supply since these have longer shelf life compared to perishable foods and they do not need to be refrigerated to preserve edibility. Emergency kits, survival packages and long term food supply primarily contain non-perishable foods. If you are preparing your own survival kit and 1 year food supply, you must include various non-perishable food items in your long term food supply to ensure survival during emergency situations that can last a long time.

Emergency situations and disasters can happen without notice, this is the main reason why all must prepare long term food supply that can be used at any given time. Who are the people that must prepare for emergency circumstances and disasters? The answer is all of us, we must be prepared with emergency kits containing long term food supply. Private homes, business establishments, public offices, department stores, clinics, hospitals and schools must be prepared to mitigate the effects of any type of disasters. Emergency drills must be conducted at least twice a year to evaluate the emergency responsiveness of individuals in your home, company or school. It is also best that this structures maintains a long term food supply.

Factors to Consider in Stocking up Canned Goods and Dry Goods for Your Long Term Food Supply

Canned goods are definitely one of the best type of food to stock in your long term food supply. These are compact, easy to open and have a long shelf life. Usually, all types of meat like chicken, beef or pork can be canned, some vegetables and fruits can also be canned. In choosing canned goods for your 3 month food supply, select low-sodium or no salt added types to maximize its nutritional benefits and to lessen the need to drink water, which could be limited in supply during survival situations.  A long term food supply could also contain canned fruits. Fruits are also commonly canned, and those varieties preserved in its own fruit juice have  lower sugar content. There are also ready made meals that are canned and can be good items to include in your long term food supply. These foods can be served as a stand-alone meal, particularly if it contains a combination of food that has different sources for enough protein and carbohydrates.

Canned goods are the best items to include in a long term food supply. Canning extends the shelf life of a processed food. The canning process makes the nutrients more soluble, and thus could be well digested and absorbed when consumed. For example, canned tomatoes have higher content of lycopene. You must remember that ensuring the nutritional value of food items in your supply is important for your survival. Stocking up junk foods in your long term food supply will provide zero benefits to sustain your strength. The main goal is to secure a long term food supply with accessible food supply without compromising its edibility and nutritional value. A research study in 1997 suggests that canned goods offer as much as nutritional content as their fresh counterparts, and in some varieties, even more. Canned goods are the best items that your long term food supply must have for these variety of reasons.

Long term food supply is time constrained in the case of canned goods, it’s best to check on their expiration dates and consume them before the date recommended for consumption. Consumption of canned goods that had past their expiry dates are dangerous to ones health. Because of this, it is a must to check the quality of canned goods as well as its shelf life. Previously opened canned goods can be exposed to occurrences of botulism.

On the other hand, dry goods are best included as part of your food supply. Although dry goods in long term food supply are non-perishables, it can lose its texture and flavor in time. All types of pasta and noodle, grains and dried vegetables have longer shelf life and can sustain nutrients as an alternative to ready to eat meals. Soup and broth mixes can also add flavor to any kind of meals. For your long term food supply you must include easy-to-prepare dry foods such as breakfast cereals since you may not have the right tools and equipments to prepare your food.

Other Types of Non-Perishable Foods to Supplement Your Long Term Food Supply

Survival specialists also recommend dehydrated foods to include in your long term food storage supplies. Commonly known as instant meals, dehydrated items can be easily prepared by warming or just by adding hot water. Normally instant food packs included in a long term food supply contain ready to eat meals that can be consumed after  re-hydration to make it edible. Instant food packs such as instant noodles and breakfast cereals are ideal components of long term food supply since they can be stocked up for longer period of time.

Your long term food supply must have non-perishable food items that do not need to be refrigerated after you opened the pack such as dressings, jams or peanut butter. Separate serving sizes of variety of foods, such as one-person meal food packs are ideal since they don’t need any kind of refrigeration. Condiments such as sugar and oils are also some of the best items that you need to consider in food storage. Bottled distilled drinking water, definitely, is not perishable and is a vital part of any long term food supply. Finally, if you want to make your long term food supply last you longer, you must consider the number of person in your household.