Six Common Mistakes of Survival Food Storage

As the fabled 2012 deadline fast approaches, natural disasters seem to be dominating news coverage, and a poor economy leaves many people unemployed, survival food storage is quickly becoming a household conversation of not "if" but "how." As you prepare your family's survival food and water stores, plan carefully to avoid some common mistakes made by inexperienced emergency planners.

Amount

When it comes to emergency planning, over-storing is always a better mistake than under-storing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a minimum of one gallon of drinking water per person, per day. This doesn't include extra water for brushing your teeth, washing dishes or preparing food. Include extra water for any pets you have based on each pet's average daily water intake. If you live in a warm climate, or anticipate an emergency during hot summer months, you and your pets might need more water saved.

The CDC also sets a two week minimum on stored food amounts. Aim for 2,000 calories each day for an adult. Some food storage items, like Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), contain extremely high caloric levels for a small amount of food. Consider that you might need high calorie needs if you are working to repair your home or walking long distances.

Variety

Few of us eat the same food for every meal in normal, daily life. Yet, when planning for an emergency we tend to imagine ourselves surviving on home-made wheat breads and powdered milk. Include a variety of foods of all storage types, including freeze-dried and dehydrated, and aim for all the food groups. In an emergency situation, even more than everyday life, we need quick, convenient comfort foods. You might be injured during an emergency situation or need to cook and eat quickly while traveling. Include ready-made entrees, like casseroles or lasagna, in freeze-dried forms that can be prepared quickly and will give your family a sense of normalcy.

While you should also include staples like wheat, powdered milk and eggs, remember to plan for your budget as well as your family's needs. Small children often can't digest wheat well. Consider whether your family members have allergy needs, are lactose intolerant, or have health concerns like diabetes.

Prepare a special box of spices and seasonings including bouillon cubes, powdered cheeses, ground onions, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. These will help you use basic staple foods to prepare a normal meal for your family. Eating the same, bland foods over and over again can lead to appetite fatigue, in which some people prefer not to eat at all rather than eat a certain food again. This can cause your family, especially children and picky eaters, to lose their strength and make them more prone to illness during an extended emergency situation.

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential to a food storage plan. During an extended shelter-in-home emergency, especially one that lasts for weeks or months, a lack of fresh fruits, vegetables can lead to vitamin deficiencies. Consult a physician for your children's vitamin needs based on the types of stored foods you are collecting. For adults, include a good multi-vitamin, calcium supplements, extra Vitamin-C tablets, and fiber additives. Add any other herbal supplements your family takes regularly and research which herbal supplements can be used medicinally.

Junk Food

If you have children, a "junk food" stash will help retain a sense of normalcy and comfort. Junk food doesn't have to be fattening or high-calorie. Just include some individually-packaged, no-cook snacks and foods for your family. Jell-O or pudding cups, a variety of candy, mixed nuts, energy bars, and sealed cookies and crackers store well. Also include some powdered drink mix to encourage your children to drink enough water during the emergency. Add instant meals, like Easy Mac macaroni-and-cheese and other "just-add-water" type meals your children already eat.

Use Proper Containers

Familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of different container materials. Keep all your food stores in cool, dry locations with minimal light. Many emergency food companies sell freeze-dried and dehydrated foods in a #10 tin can. This is good size to keep food sealed without spoiling large amounts after it's opened and it will keep out bugs and moisture.

Rotate Your Foods

One of the biggest concerns for inexperienced emergency planners is the amount of money spent of foods that they might not use. You must actually use your food stores on a regular basis and replace some of them every few months. Once you get on a rotating cycle, you will keep a supply of food that is fresh without wasting money throwing away spoiled stored food. Consider that most canned foods last a couple of years and most freeze-dried and dehydrated foods like 10-20 years.

This is important for another reason too. Imagine you are suddenly hit with an earthquake and must shelter-in-home for two weeks. Do you know how to prepare breads from scratch with your stored flour, powdered eggs and powdered milk? Do you know how to prepare freeze-dried foods and dehydrated foods? Purchase a stored-food cookbook and learn to cook a variety of meals. If you are an inexperienced cook, you definitely don't want to be thrown under the bus in a highly stressful situation learning to cook meals with limited resources.