One of the things I am always asked is “What should we stock up on and store for our longer term pantry?” The answer to that is simple: What you’ll eat.
DISCLAIMER – there are a few things I’ve found wrong with almost ALL food storage calculators:
- There is no itemized count for fruits or vegetables.
- There is little ‘play room’ for figuring if you tend to eat less wheat and more of another grain.
- Often canned foods do not include fruits and vegetables, but shortening and puddings.
So with that said, we have to do a good deal of tweaking to our own long term food calculations. Don’t feel that you have to stick to a food storage calculator to be safe. Use it as a guide and make one that suits your family.
Take what you know you would eat and multiply by the number of people and the number of weeks you intend to have on hand as storage. As you use it, replace it.
Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more
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Popular Questions
What food should you store, and how can food calculators help?
Store foods your household already eats, such as rice, beans, pasta, oats, canned vegetables, canned fruit, cooking oil, and shelf-stable proteins. Choose items with long shelf lives and rotate them by using the oldest packages first. A food calculator can estimate quantities from the number of people, storage period, and serving size, but adjust its results for allergies, dietary needs, and familiar preferences.
How do you decide what food to store for an emergency?
When deciding what food to store, begin with several days or weeks of meals that require little water, fuel, or refrigeration. Include drinking water, ready-to-eat foods, a manual can opener, and ingredients for simple meals. Food calculators are useful for estimating portions, yet your final list should also account for children, pets, medical diets, and the cooking equipment available during an outage.
Are food storage calculators accurate for planning stored meals?
Food calculators can give a helpful starting estimate for how much food to store, especially when calculating servings for a specific household size and time frame. Their results may not match real consumption because people eat different amounts and packaged serving sizes vary. Check the calculator against actual meal plans, then add a modest reserve and record expiration dates so supplies can be rotated.
What food should you store if you want a practical long-term supply?
For a practical long-term supply, combine staple carbohydrates such as grains and pasta with beans, canned meat, vegetables, fruit, fats, seasonings, and foods rich in protein. Store dry goods in airtight, food-safe containers in a cool, dry, dark location, and keep cans off damp floors. Use a food calculator to estimate amounts, then test a few meals before buying in bulk to confirm that your household will eat them.
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