The Most Complete & Nutritional Emergency Food

Maintaining a complete and nutritional emergency food supply supports your family when interruptions occur to traditional food access. Natural disasters, loss of income or even interruptions in the flow of energy can lead to shortages in essential food and water. Setting up emergency food storage gives you psychological and real security in bad times. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends maintaining a two-week supply of food and water. Others, such as Sharon Astyk, author of "Independence Days," suggest keeping a three-month food supply.

Protein

Meat, unless dehydrated as jerky, does not store well for emergency use. However, protein is essential for nutrition and many sources of protein should be part of your emergency food storage. Canned tuna, chicken or salmon keep well and require only a can opener. Powdered milk and peanut butter provide protein and fat without requiring heating or cooling. Dried legumes, such as beans and peas, offer protein and can be prepared with water, herbs and canned vegetables heated by a solar oven or an outdoor cook stove.

Carbohydrates

Rice, oats, pasta, sugar, honey and flour require preparation with heat and water to provide nutritious meals in a variety of recipes. To prepare a three-month emergency food supply, plan to store 50 lbs. each of rice, beans, flour and oats. Add to those carbohydrate sources approximately 30 lbs. of sugar, 5 gallons of honey and dried fruits, such as raisins. Include in your complete, nutritional emergency food storage a few cases of nutrient-rich canned goods such as pumpkin, tomatoes and spinach.

Condiments, Supplements and Water

Some condiments enhance flavor, while others promote cooking and leavening. You need salt, yeast, baking powder and baking soda for baked goods. Maintain at least 5 gallons of cooking oil. Herbs come dried for storage and add flavor to protein and carbohydrate-based meals. Keep a 90-day supply of vitamin and mineral supplements for the entire family.

The Department of Defense and the Office of Civil Defense recommend storing 1 gallon of water per day per person. For two-weeks for a family of four, that requires 56 gallons of water. Preparing for a longer emergency, the storage requirements for water become daunting. In lieu of storing all the fresh water your family might need, The National Terror Alert Response Center suggests using a water purification system such as SteriPEN Water Purifiers. Keep stored water in clean containers away from sunlight and not near polyethylene plastics storing gasoline or kerosene. To purify local water without a SteriPEN-like system, add 5 to 7 drops of bleach per gallon of water.

Considerations

Make a list of the food types and quantities needed to maintain a nutritional emergency food system for your family. Include food for family pets. Although a two-week supply of food and water does not require significant storage space, emergency food supplies sufficient for three months requires creative thought to find storage locations.

When placing food or water into storage, add a label and date for each item. Rotate items out of storage regularly and replace them with fresh items. Be prepared for events when your ability to prepare foods and cook with electricity is not available. A grill or outdoor cook stove can help, as can a solar oven, which heats food using sunlight. Your food stores need to survive the loss of cooling, powered by electricity necessitating dried foods or ingredients. Manual support for food preparation requires a hand can opener and possibly manual grinders for wheat berries and hand mixers for bread or pasta.