Whether you live in an area that’s prone to tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, or floods, being prepared for whatever nature throws your way is your best line of defense. If you were forced to evacuate your home, it’s very important to have a few basic necessities with you in case that stores aren’t operational or become quickly sold out of the essentials.
A disaster preparedness kit should include water, food, a first-aid kit, a few tools, flashlights with extra batteries, cell phones with extra chargers and batteries, and a battery-powered radio to listen to the weather and local alerts. It’s a good idea to stash away an emergency kit in your home, at work, and in your car as well since you never know where you’ll be when a disaster strikes. But for the purposes of this article, we’re focusing on food and the types of food that you should have on-hand for your emergency kit.
General Guidelines for Emergency Food
The best types of food to have in case of an emergency are non-perishable items that are easy to prepare or require no preparation at all. The American Red Cross and FEMA recommend having a three-day supply of food available in case of an evacuation and having a two-week supply of food available at home in case you aren’t able to leave your house for some reason.
Of course, if you have kids and pets, you should also have enough of their food available and packaged in a way that it can be accessed quickly and easily. In addition to foods, make sure to put a manual can opener and a few utensils along with your emergency food supply.
Specific Foods to Stock Up On
Canned fruits, vegetables, and meats set the standard for emergency foods because they are often ready to eat without any prep work. It’s also a good idea to stash away some canned juices, peanut butter, granola, dry cereal, and dried fruit to balance out your meals. High energy foods, such as protein bars, are also good options to put in your emergency food kit. Meanwhile, nuts and trail mixes provide good sources of protein to keep your energy up during an emergency.
Without refrigerator and freezers, many of the foods in your home will spoil and become unsafe to eat. This is why it’s best to have a good supply of pantry foods that can be stored without special care. To be extra prepared, you may want to invest in a small camping stove or JetBoil product so that foods can be warmed up and potentially taste better.
Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates
One of the best ways to ensure that you’ll get the nutrients your body needs during an emergency is to have a supply of fruit and vegetable concentrates in your home that can easily be packed up and be ready to go. For example, Seagate’s Carrot Powder is a great source of nutrients and can easily be mixed with water for a no-fuss, healthy meal or snack.
This is also a very economical option to have during a long-term displacement because a glass of juice made from this carrot powder comes out to only about $1 per serving. Store carrot powder in a cool, dry place that’s not too hot or exposed to direct sunlight; and keep it out of the refrigerator until you need it. The other food concentrates that we offer can supply your body with the pure nutrients of tomatoes, pomegranate, artichoke, broccoli and more until you’re able to access fresh fruits and vegetables.