One Year's Supply of Food

Food: One Person, One Year

With the earthquake and the possibility of large storms dropping unusual rainfall on us, I’ve been perusing my cupboards wondering if I have enough of the right stuff.  Most of us don’t have much food stored for emergencies but the LDS church encourages their members to put aside a years worth of supplies.  Here is one display put together by a woman’s group within the church.  The shelf contains enough food, based on a 2300 calories per day diet,  to feed an Adult Male for one year.

The creators of the display say that using the ingredients displayed that each adult male could have a loaf of bread and 1/3 cup of dried beans daily–not exactly haute cuisine  but filling and reasonably nutritious.  Of course, cans and boxes of processed food work too.  They just take up more room, are more expensive, and can be less nutritious (though canned fruits and vegetables would really help bring up the vitamin content of the shelves in the photo.)

A little over a year ago I interviewed several survivalists for an article I wrote for the NCJournal. One of the men said, “People used to understand that you need a couple weeks worth of food” but now they have no more than a day or two. I try to keep a couple weeks on hand (though I don’t always succeed.) Because of the remodeling we’ve been doing, I’ve cooked up many of my stores but I’m ready to stock up again.

Remember that stocking water is important too.  Because we have our own well water and could access other sources , I only have two gallons tucked away but

Here’s  a list of questions below the fold that I’ve posted before that will help you to see if you are ready for an emergency:

Is Your Family Prepared?

________ 1. Do you have a plan to meet family members at a pre-

set point if you cannot access your home? (5 points)

________ 2. Does your family have a plan for where family members will stay if they are unable to reach home?
(5 points)
________ 3. Do you have an emergency “message center” plan? That

means agreeing on an out-of-state friend or relative where every family member can leave word after a

disaster strikes. (5 points)

________ 4. Do you have an emergency stash of food supplies at your

house? (5 points plus 5 bonus points if you have a full

week of supplies)
________ 5. Do you have an emergency stash of water supplies at your

house?(5 points plus 5 bonus points if you have a full

week of water)
________ 6. Do you have a small emergency medical kit at your house,

including a copy of your prescriptions, spare

eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries and other health

essentials? (5 points)
________ 7. Do all family members know how to shut off your water,

gas and power?(5 points plus 5 bonus points if you have

a wrench tied to your gas shut off valve or have an

automatic gas shut-off valve.)
________ 8. Do you have a plan with your neighbors to check on each

other after a disaster? (5 points plus 5 bonus points

if you have a Neighborhood Emergency Response

Organization group established in your neighborhood.

Add 5 more bonus points if your home emergency kit

includes a battery operated radio.
________ 9. Have any of your family members taken a current First

Aid Class (5 points
________ 10.Do you have an emergency kit of food, water and other

essentials in your automobile?(5 points)

How to Score:
50 points or more = Your family has prepared well.
40 points or more = Pretty good but some issues need to be addressed.
30 points or less = Your family could suffer in significant ways when

the inevitable strikes. Suffering succotash!  I better get cracking.  The way the financial crisis is shaping up, “inevitable” doesn’t quite convey the coming doom.

NOTE: This test is taken from VASHONBEPREPARED.org with some editing.

 

Thanks to Heather for the Photo.

 

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Ernie's Place
Guest
14 years ago

Kym
You’re going to need yeast. You cant make beer without yeast.

I hope that your display is just representational, and not factual. A realistic person would add some dried foods, and some yeast or leavening. The storage containers are important to keep little critters and oxidization out. After a month or two of eating spoiled food you might decide to just go ahead and kill yourself.

Get the basics, but plan to make surviving practical. Oh… And the most important thing is… You might like to have a little gunpowder. To protect yourself from unprepared neighbors. If you are not willing to protect yourself from your neighbors? Well….. I guess that we just don’t want to talk about some things. Either that or have enough to supply everybody.

It is sad, but just look a the riots in Haiti. Those people are fighting over food, not for themselves, but for their families. I don’t think that we would be much different.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

I remember in the 64 flood my dad driving his little motorbike over the hills into town to get a few supplies and my mom stretching them with food from her food supplies to feed the neighborhood. I don’t know for sure but I suspect we’d (I’m including you in this, Ernie) would be trying like heck to feed our neighbors because most of them are like family. And, if I’m wrong, my husband has enough bullets to stand off a small siege and my son enough fascination with Hannibal Lector that we’d have a supply of meat one way or the other;>

Staff
Member
14 years ago

I remember in the 64 flood my dad driving his little motorbike over the hills into town to get a few supplies and my mom stretching them with food from her food supplies to feed the neighborhood. I don’t know for sure but I suspect we’d (I’m including you in this, Ernie) would be trying like heck to feed our neighbors because most of them are like family. And, if I’m wrong, my husband has enough bullets to stand off a small siege and my son enough fascination with Hannibal Lector that we’d have a supply of meat one way or the other;>

Toni
Guest
14 years ago

That supply of vegetable oil and salt would last me eight years, not one year, although if that was ALL I had to eat it probably wouldn’t last nearly as long. I agree with Ernie in that they are missing some essential items…yeast, baking soda and/or powder, powdered eggs maybe. Good food for thought. (yeah, I know – bad pun) 🙄

Toni
Guest
14 years ago

That supply of vegetable oil and salt would last me eight years, not one year, although if that was ALL I had to eat it probably wouldn’t last nearly as long. I agree with Ernie in that they are missing some essential items…yeast, baking soda and/or powder, powdered eggs maybe. Good food for thought. (yeah, I know – bad pun) 🙄

Black Flag
Guest
14 years ago

The Freeze Dry Guy will ship dried foods sealed for 10+ years, dried foods are easily transported. I would store water even with a well-
defense against zombies is the problem with SoHum being less than a tank of gas from the Bay Area and isn’t nearly as “rural” as most think it is.
Being able to grow your own food is a key planning issue also. Heirloom seeds- get them before they get outlawed, like they are in European Union, or Iraq. If a city got nuked or we took an EMP the country will never recover for decades and you don’t want to beg the UN for food that contains vaccines in it’s genetics.
Stored Food is ILLEGAL under the Patriot Act, it is a FELONY- so one must be able to hide their food because it will be the second thing FEMA will steal after they cuff you and point weapons at you and your children. The first thing they will steal is your firearms, the third are your valuables- anyone who has been through a hurricane knows the biggest looters are the government operatives.

Black Flag
Guest
14 years ago

The Freeze Dry Guy will ship dried foods sealed for 10+ years, dried foods are easily transported. I would store water even with a well-
defense against zombies is the problem with SoHum being less than a tank of gas from the Bay Area and isn’t nearly as “rural” as most think it is.
Being able to grow your own food is a key planning issue also. Heirloom seeds- get them before they get outlawed, like they are in European Union, or Iraq. If a city got nuked or we took an EMP the country will never recover for decades and you don’t want to beg the UN for food that contains vaccines in it’s genetics.
Stored Food is ILLEGAL under the Patriot Act, it is a FELONY- so one must be able to hide their food because it will be the second thing FEMA will steal after they cuff you and point weapons at you and your children. The first thing they will steal is your firearms, the third are your valuables- anyone who has been through a hurricane knows the biggest looters are the government operatives.

myphotoscout
Guest
14 years ago

I am not convinced that you need a full years worth of food. In case of an Earthquake, I assume 2 weeks are sufficient (On the map it looks as if the San Andreas and the Hayward faults meet under my house).

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  myphotoscout

I think two weeks is a dang good start.

myphotoscout
Guest
14 years ago

I am not convinced that you need a full years worth of food. In case of an Earthquake, I assume 2 weeks are sufficient (On the map it looks as if the San Andreas and the Hayward faults meet under my house).

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  myphotoscout

I think two weeks is a dang good start.

Mr. Nice
Guest
Mr. Nice
14 years ago

Y’all know costco sells emergency food buckets.

Get some MREs, etc.

Sacks of flour? These church ladies are stuck in 1850.

Mr. Nice
Guest
Mr. Nice
14 years ago

Y’all know costco sells emergency food buckets.

Get some MREs, etc.

Sacks of flour? These church ladies are stuck in 1850.

nature girl
Guest
nature girl
14 years ago

I try to be prepared with food and water, etc. but I also think a lot about supplies when I am in the car.
How many of us have a gallon of water and some food and a blanket in our vehicles? People tease me and say I can make a meal anywhere, but I think it is important to think about what we would do if we were catch in a situation when we were just trying to pick up the kids. Most accidents happen within a close radius to our homes, but that does not mean that we will be home when they happen.

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  nature girl

Nature Girl, I think you are right to be prepared. I just struggle to make sure I have my kid’s coat;> Someday, I ‘ll be more organized.

nature girl
Guest
nature girl
14 years ago

I try to be prepared with food and water, etc. but I also think a lot about supplies when I am in the car.
How many of us have a gallon of water and some food and a blanket in our vehicles? People tease me and say I can make a meal anywhere, but I think it is important to think about what we would do if we were catch in a situation when we were just trying to pick up the kids. Most accidents happen within a close radius to our homes, but that does not mean that we will be home when they happen.

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  nature girl

Nature Girl, I think you are right to be prepared. I just struggle to make sure I have my kid’s coat;> Someday, I ‘ll be more organized.

forkboy
Guest
14 years ago

I learned my lesson after surviving the hurricane season of 2004 when Charlie, Francis and Jeanne made mince-meat of central Florida.

But now living in Ohio I have become lazy about such matters. Perhaps it’s time to reassess.

forkboy
Guest
14 years ago

I learned my lesson after surviving the hurricane season of 2004 when Charlie, Francis and Jeanne made mince-meat of central Florida.

But now living in Ohio I have become lazy about such matters. Perhaps it’s time to reassess.

Tj
Guest
Tj
14 years ago

Enjoyed rethinking the storage of foods. We try to always keep staples on hand and in reasonable quantities for about a month. Use to keep seeds, but it means restocking or saving each year and I have kind of given up on that. I probably shouldn’t though. Have a question on black flag’s comment… we are amazed that it is illegal to store food. That can’t be quite right, can it?

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  Tj

I’ve never heard that before either.

Tj
Guest
Tj
14 years ago

Enjoyed rethinking the storage of foods. We try to always keep staples on hand and in reasonable quantities for about a month. Use to keep seeds, but it means restocking or saving each year and I have kind of given up on that. I probably shouldn’t though. Have a question on black flag’s comment… we are amazed that it is illegal to store food. That can’t be quite right, can it?

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  Tj

I’ve never heard that before either.

sageplant
Guest
sageplant
14 years ago

this post reminds me of “way back” in the 80’s and a group we were part of that was convinved there was going to be a huge economics crash, so went went and stocked big buckets of wheat,corn,oil, salt etc and gallons of water that i put several drops of bleach in each gallon. we did this while we were living at my parents house as we were trying to save for our own place (another story). Well when nothing really happened and there was no crash and we did buy a little modest house, we left all these gallons of water at my parent house who were perplexed at what they would do with all this stuff. I eventually went and dumped out the water and have no idea what we did with the old food supplies. (didn’t have chickens in those days)
then we did a small version of that near the y2k time, but we used up the honey,beans and rice this time. Anybody seen “The Road” yet? saw a trailer and it definitly makes you think you better have more than a few bullets around!!

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  sageplant

Sage,
THe way I stock up is buying food I already use in bigger quantities that way I just eat them in rotation. For instance, I do a lot of baking so I buy brown sugar in 25 lb bags (unless I’m going through one of my “I should buy everything totally organic stages” where I can’t find it in that large of an amount.;>

sageplant
Guest
sageplant
14 years ago

this post reminds me of “way back” in the 80’s and a group we were part of that was convinved there was going to be a huge economics crash, so went went and stocked big buckets of wheat,corn,oil, salt etc and gallons of water that i put several drops of bleach in each gallon. we did this while we were living at my parents house as we were trying to save for our own place (another story). Well when nothing really happened and there was no crash and we did buy a little modest house, we left all these gallons of water at my parent house who were perplexed at what they would do with all this stuff. I eventually went and dumped out the water and have no idea what we did with the old food supplies. (didn’t have chickens in those days)
then we did a small version of that near the y2k time, but we used up the honey,beans and rice this time. Anybody seen “The Road” yet? saw a trailer and it definitly makes you think you better have more than a few bullets around!!

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  sageplant

Sage,
THe way I stock up is buying food I already use in bigger quantities that way I just eat them in rotation. For instance, I do a lot of baking so I buy brown sugar in 25 lb bags (unless I’m going through one of my “I should buy everything totally organic stages” where I can’t find it in that large of an amount.;>

sageplant
Guest
sageplant
14 years ago

i guess i am trying to figure out the balance of not over buying and wasting food now that we usually only have our son and grandson here. Having had a large family i am used to buying allot. I too would love to buy all organic but alas, when i pick up certain food items that are triple the price, i just cant do it. we do still buy in bulk with oats and beans and flour…and i cant wait to get my garden going again!!!

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  sageplant

I know what you mean about wanting your garden–real tomatoes, real cucumbers. Ahh, my mouth starts watering.

sageplant
Guest
sageplant
14 years ago

i guess i am trying to figure out the balance of not over buying and wasting food now that we usually only have our son and grandson here. Having had a large family i am used to buying allot. I too would love to buy all organic but alas, when i pick up certain food items that are triple the price, i just cant do it. we do still buy in bulk with oats and beans and flour…and i cant wait to get my garden going again!!!

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  sageplant

I know what you mean about wanting your garden–real tomatoes, real cucumbers. Ahh, my mouth starts watering.

olmanriver
Guest
olmanriver
14 years ago

sageplant- In the late seventies I had a connection into the Hopi nation and was hearing what their elders were saying about this period of earthchanges and bought into the fear over the planetary alignment called the Jupiter effect in 1984. I must have had four or five quarts of spirulina stashed.
I still have one quart left, which is surely dangerous stale by now.
As a single person, I have kept stores for a decade or more, but using up the old and restocking has been a challenge. I need to have more dinner guests to use up my old beans.
I am hoping that the community park gets more into protein crops and that I will have access to their hard work.

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