Keeping your food fresh helps rotate your food supply, and keep your diet healthy and varied. Feasting on Food Storage (Front Table Books, 2013), from mother-daughter team Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland, is full of tips and tricks on meal planning, safe food storage, and preparing for the unexpected. This excerpt from the first chapter concerns the minimum amount of food that one adult, over the course of a year, stores and consumes.
Long-Term Food Storage for 1 Adult
Food Supply: Per Day/Per Year
Wheat/grains: 2 1/4 cups/400 lbs.
Wheat, oats, rice, popcorn, barley, flour, spaghetti, macaroni, etc.
Vegetable oils/fats: 3 Tbsp/4 gallons
Oil, shortening, peanut butter, mayonnaise, salad dressing, etc.
Beans/legumes: 1/3 cup/60 lbs.
Dry beans, split peas, lentils, dry soup mix, etc.
Powdered Milk: 1 1/2 tablespoons/16 lbs.
Nonfat dry milk, evaporated milk (6 cans = 1 lb.), etc.
Sugars or honey: 1/3 cup/60 lbs.
White sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, jam, jelly, corn syrup, powdered fruit drink, flavored gelatin, etc.
Salt: 3 tsp/10 lbs.
Store in original containers.
Water: 1 gallon minimum/365 gallons
Store a minimum 2-week supply of water.
Baking necessities:
- baking powder
- baking soda
- dry yeast
- cornstarch
Garden seeds, non-hybrid recommended
Sprouting seeds, untreated
Heavy-duty nonelectric can openers
Nonstick cooking sprays
Cider and white vinegars
Medications as needed
Multivitamins, vitamin C, etc.
Baby foods and formula, if needed
Fruits
Vegetables
Meats
- frozen
- canned
- dried
Soups
- frozen
- canned
- dried
Condiments and seasonings (choose family favorites):
- basil
- beef and chicken bouillon
- catsup
- cayenne pepper
- chili powder
- cinnamon
- cloves
- cocoa
- cream of tartar
- cumin
- dillseed
- dill weed
- garlic (minced, powder, and salt)
- ginger
- Italian seasoning
- maple flavoring
- marjoram
- mustard (regular and dry)
- nutmeg
- dry onion
- onion salt
- oregano
- paprika
- parsley
- pepper
- poultry seasoning
- ranch dressing mix
- sage
- salsa
- seasoned salt
- soy sauce
- taco seasoning
- thyme
- vanilla
- Worcestershire sauce
- etc.
Read more from Feasting on Food Storage
Reprinted with permission from Feasting on Food Storage: Delicious and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland and published by Front Table Books, 2013.
