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 long-term 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.
