Carbohydrates provide your body with the fuel it needs for activity. Healthy carbohydrate sources such as whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals. Since wheat is a healthy carbohydrate and easily stored, emergency management agencies recommend keeping a supply of wheat in your emergency kit. How much you store depends on who you are storing it for and how long you want your supply to last.
Disaster Kit
A disaster supply kit should contain anything you could possibly need in an emergency. Items to include are matches, a fire extinguisher, first aid supplies, batteries, flashlights, a camping stove with fuel, blankets, clothing, money, a can opener, cooking utensils and cookware. The food portion of your emergency supply should include a variety of foods so you can prepare healthy, balanced foods each day. Storing bulk items as well as canned items should offer enough variety.
Wheat and Storing
Wheat, in the form of wheat berries, is a bulk staple you can purchase inexpensively. It stores indefinitely if stored properly. Keep wheat in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid -- food-grade plastic buckets are recommended. Place the container of wheat off the floor in a dry area that maintains a consistent temperature.
Supply Recommendations
Everyone's food and water needs vary depending on age, health condition, activity level, climate conditions and individual diet needs. The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management recommends keeping at least a short-term, two-week stockpile; base this supply primarily on the members in your family and their individual needs. NJOEM recommends storing about 10 pounds of wheat per person for a month's supply. For longer-lasting emergencies, the University of Georgia Family and Consumer Sciences Extension recommends storing 240 pounds of wheat per person for a year supply.
Other Tips
Keep a hand-crank grain mill stored with your emergency supplies. If you find yourself in an emergency situation and do not have access to a mill, place the grain in a container and pound the grain with a hard object until it is broken down into flour. Eliminate insect eggs before storing the wheat or when you open the container it may have an infestation. Placing the wheat in the freezer or adding dry ice to the container should prevent any eggs from hatching.
References
- University of Georgia Collegd of Family and Consumer Sciences; Preparing an Emergency Food Supply Long Term Food Storage; Judy Harrison, Ph.D., et al.; December 1998
- NJ Office of Emergency Management: Emergency Food and Water Supplies
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way
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