Emergencies Happen - Make Sure You Have Food on Hand

Emergencies can happen from a variety of reasons both natural and not. Power outages can be common especially if you're in a rural area and widespread power outages can take days or even weeks before being restored.

During this time, it's important to have a plan in place for food. If you're snowbound or can't get access to a supermarket, you're going to be hungry. It pays to have some emergency food storage in your home for that "just in case" reason.

Here are some helpful things to keep on hand in case of emergency.

1.Ready to eat foods, straight from a can. Not the healthiest, but eating them is better than eating nothing. Purchase canned meats, fruits, vegetables and soups. If your power is out, you might be limited on what you can cook, so keep that in mind while you're out shopping.

2.Prepackaged foods. We've probably all gotten one of those sausage, cheese and cracker packages for Christmas from Uncle George. That's exactly what I'm talking about. They don't require refrigeration and probably have enough preservatives to last a very long time. Pick up a few of those, or don't toss the ones you got for the holidays!

3.Juice, milk and water. Canned juices are great because they don't require refrigeration and can add something healthy to your canned meat diet. Remember to keep a manual can opener on hand. They also sell milk that does not require refrigeration, or pick up some dry milk. Water is the most important thing to have on hand, so stock up with plenty of that. Gatorade can also provide nutrients that you will be lacking.

4.High protein foods and snacks. Pick up some extra peanut butter and jelly. Granola bars and trail mix in single serving packages are great also. You can eat some, and the rest won't get stale if you have to ration your food. Protein shakes are a great way to add protein to your limited diet. Check the health food stores, or even Wal-Mart.

5.Don't forget your comfort foods! Staying in the house without power can be stressful, especially if you have children. Pick up candy bars or cookies to eat on a limited basis. Candy like the ones sold at Halloween is a great way to stock up quickly without having to eat a full candy bar.

6.Coffee and tea. If you're like me, you can't start your day without coffee. Pick up some instant coffee or tea bags and condiments to go with it. Instead of buying a 5-pound bag of sugar, consider single serve packages similar to the ones handed out at restaurants.

7.Other condiments. If you're not a "Spam" fan, chances are you'll want to spruce up your canned meat a bit. Pick up ketchup, mustard, relish or anything else in small packets. They will keep longer, and you can use them as a single serving without worry of the rest going bad.

We have to prepare for our family and ourselves for times when emergencies hit. Being without food is a terrible experience so it pays to have some on hand. Make sure you rotate your food on a regular basis and check expiration dates so you don't wind up sick if you do have to use it. Stock up now, and you'll be glad you did.