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If you couldn’t buy food for a week due to an interruption, what would you do?  Ideally, you would go to your pantry, select items from it, and prepare meals*.  Sounds simple, but what should be in your pantry?

Here is an example of what I have in my pantry:

  • Rice (Jasmine, Brown, Wild, and Mixed)
  • Pasta
  • Dehydrated potatoes
  • Refried beans
  • Spaghetti sauce
  • Chili beans
  • Canned corn
  • Soup
  • Artichokes
  • Garbanzo beans
  • Chicken stock
  • Canned tomato products (diced, sauce, puree, etc.)
  • Evaporated milk
  • Coconut milk
  • Canned peppers (Jalapeno, Green Chilis)
  • Crackers
  • Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, and Sunflower seeds)
  • Peanut butter
  • Honey
  • Tea (Green, Peppermint, Earl Gray, Orange, and Herbal)
  • Sugar (White, Brown, and Turbano)
  • Salt (Iodized and Kosher)
  • Spices
  • Beef Jerkey
  • Snacks (Wasabe peas, Sesame sticks, pea crisps)
  • Bisquick
  • Freeze dried entrees (Mountain House pouches)
  • Emergency food supply
  • Drink mixes (Lemonade, Gatorade, Emergen-C, and Tang)

I also keep other items like paper plates, plastic utensils, and other consumables in the pantry.  Most of these items are products that I already use on a regular basis so they are familiar to me and I know how to prepare meals with them.  Some (like the beef jerky and freeze dried foods) are only used when I go camping but I keep them on-hand for emergencies as well.  The goal is to store food that you already eat since you won’t waste money buying food that won’t get consumed.

How much should you have on-hand?  I would start with two weeks and build up to a 30-60 day supply as your budget allows.  The goal is to have enough food available so you can handle a temporary interruption in supply.  Keep in mind, the items in your pantry have a shelf life and should be used and/or donated on a regular basis.  To learn more about canned food shelf life, expiration dates, and the like, visit this page.

Everybody’s list will vary, there is no “one-size fits all” answer for this need.  However, if you start with what you have now and simply add more to it, you will be well on your way to filling your pantry with what you need for an emergency.  So get started today and you’ll be ready before you know it!

*On a camp stove or some other non-electrical cooking device