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One-Year Emergency Food Supply For One Adult
(3,000 Calories per Day)

 Copyright © 2008,2013 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.


Introduction

Plate of Food The original retail price for each food item was established at the beginning of the year 2008 on January 9, 2008. The Total Retail Cost for the entire one-year emergency food supply on January 9, 2008 was $1,385 in the Southeastern United States.

  1. Year 2008 Inflation: The total cost of the one-year emergency food supply increased in price by 15.3% or $212 in twelve-months from January 9, 2008 ($1,385) to January 3, 2009 ($1,597).

  2. Year 2009 Inflation: The total cost of the one-year emergency food supply increased in price by 6.1% or $97 in twelve-months from January 3, 2009 ($1,597) to January 4, 2010 ($1,694).

  3. Year 2010 Deflation: The total cost of the one-year emergency food supply decreased in price by -1.4% or $-23 in twelve-months from January 4, 2010 ($1,694) to January 3, 2011 ($1,671).

  4. Year 2011 Inflation: The total cost of the one-year emergency food supply increased in price by 9.3% or $165 in twelve-months from January 3, 2011 ($1,768) to January 2, 2012 ($1,933).

  5. Year 2012 Deflation: The total cost of the one-year emergency food supply decreased in price by -0.2% or $-3 in twelve-months from January 2, 2012 ($1,933) to January 2, 2013 ($1,930).

Combined Five Year Inflation: Over the entire five year period beginning on January 9, 2008 and ending on January 2, 2013 the total combined impact of inflation on the One-Year Emergency Food Supply has been 39.4%. In other words, in the United States of America we are paying almost 40% more for our food every week than we were five years ago. This is significant because most of us in the United States, myself included, have not received any type of pay increase over that same five year period. Although my pay has not changed for five years I still consider myself extremely fortunate because I still have a job and I know that an overwhelming number of people cannot find work of any kind.


The One-Year Emergency Food Supply List

The retail Cost of the following "One-Year Emergency Food Supply" is based on prices as of May 1, 2013.

Quantity Calories Cost Item (Number In Parenthesis = Total Calories per One Bag, Jar, or Can)
70 Pounds 105,000 $ 31 Long Grain White Rice in 10 or 20 pound Bags (very long shelf life) (15,000 Calories per 10 lbs.)
70 Pounds 105,000 $ 25 Whole Wheat Berries or Flour (not self-rising) (7,500 Calories per 5 lbs.)
30 Pounds 48,240 $ 15 5 lb. Bag Corn Meal (8,040 Calories per 5 lb. Bag)
4 Boxes 12,800 $ 10 32 oz. Box Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete Pancake/Waffle Mix (3,200)
4 Boxes 18,000 $ 16 42 oz. Box Quaker Quick 1 Minute Oats (4,500)
4 Boxes 31,720 $ 10 5 lb. Box Quaker Quick Grits (7,930)
36 Boxes 60,480 $ 36 16 oz. Box Spaghetti Noodles (Angel hair or thin cooks faster) (1,680 Calories)
24 Cans 11,520 $ 24 15 oz. Can Chef Boyardee Brand Macaroni and Cheese (480)
24 Cans 12,000 $ 24 15 oz. Can Chef Boyardee Brand Pasta (lasagna, ravioli, spaghetti with meatballs, etc.) (500)
24 Cans 8,640 $ 48 18.8 oz. Can Campbell's Chunky Soup (buy the soups with chicken) (360)
48 Cans 9,000 $ 73 5 oz. Can Bumble Bee Brand Tuna in Oil (water pack has fewer calories) (187)
12 Cans 9,600 $ 46 16 oz. Can Dak Brand Canned Ham (no refrigeration required) (800)
24 Cans 24,480 $ 60 12 oz. Can Spam (1,020)
24 Cans 9,000 $ 12 5 oz. Can Vienna Sausage (375)
24 Cans 9,000 $ 96 12 oz. Can Roast Beef (375)
24 Cans 18,720 $ 52 15 oz. Can Hormel Roast Beef Hash (or Corned Beef Hash) (beef and potatoes) (780)
48 Cans 30,240 $ 119 24 oz. Can Armour Brand Beef Stew (with potatoes & carrots) (630)
48 Cans 33,600 $ 60 15 oz. Can Chili with Beans (700)
96 Cans 35,520 $ 65 15 oz. Can Beans (assorted different varieties) (370)
180 Cans 25,200 $ 122 15 oz. Can Mixed Vegetables (note: green beans have very few calories) (140)
12 Boxes 41,280 $ 32 32 oz. Box Instant Potatoes (add water only preferred) (3,440)
48 Cans 15,120 $ 47 15 oz. Can Fruit Cocktail (or peaches, pears, pineapple, etc.) (315)
24 Cans 3,000 $ 11 6 oz. Can Tomato Paste (125)
36 Cans 15,120 $ 42 26.5 oz. Can Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce (Do not buy the Hunt's Brand) (420)
12 Cans 480 $ 12 4 oz. Can Sliced Mushrooms (not pieces) (40)
12 Cans 3,600 $ 12 10.75 oz. Can Cream of Chicken Soup (or Chicken Noodle) (to eat if you get sick) (300)
12 Boxes 76,800 $ 219 64 oz. Box Powdered Instant Non-fat Dry Milk (long shelf life) (6,400)
24 Cans 11,520 $ 24 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk (480)
3 Boxes 7,680 $ 14 32 oz. Box Velvetta Brand Cheese (short shelf life) (2,560)
12 Boxes 38,400 $ 36 1 lb. Box Butter (short shelf life unless frozen) (no margarine) (3,200)
5 Jars 60,000 $ 58 50.7 oz. Glass Jar Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (12,000)
2 Cans 24,860 $ 10 3 lb. Can Crisco Shortening (very short shelf life) (12,430)
12 Cans 10,800 $ 34 8 oz. Container Hershey's Cocoa Powder (900)
8 Cans 9,600 $ 15 16 oz. Can Hershey's Cocoa Syrup (1,200)
25 Pounds 42,500 $ 15 5 lb. Bag White Granulated Sugar (indefinite shelf life) (8,500)
12 Pounds 10,200 $ 15 1 lb. Box Light Brown or Dark Brown Sugar (indefinite shelf life) (1,700)
12 Pounds 10,800 $ 15 1 lb. Box Confectioners Sugar (indefinite shelf life) (1,800)
12 Boxes 26,400 $ 18 20 oz. Box Brownie Mix (or Cake Mix) (2,200)
6 Jars 11,520 $ 13 16 oz. Jar Light Corn Syrup (indefinite shelf life) (1,920)
6 Jars 7,200 $ 42 12.5 oz. Jar 100% Pure Maple Syrup (indefinite shelf life) (1,200)
9 Jars 10,240 $ 60 16 oz. Jar "Sue Bee Brand" Clover Honey (indefinite shelf life) (1,280)
12 Jars 36,480 $ 31 18 oz. Jar Peanut Butter (3,040)
12 Jars 15,600 $ 19 16 oz. Jar Jelly or Preserves (very long shelf life) (1,300)
48 Each 960 $ 11 Beef Bouillon Large Cubes (20 per large cube) (1 large cube = 4 small cubes)
48 Each 960 $ 11 Chicken Bouillon Large Cubes (20 per large cube) (1 large cube = 4 small cubes)
12 Boxes 20,160 $ 12 16 oz. Box Corn Starch (indefinite shelf life) (1,680)
24 Boxes 0 $ 17 16 oz. Box Baking Soda (indefinite shelf life)
12 Jars 0 $ 72 2.62 oz. Cream of Tartar (indefinite shelf life)
24 Pkgs. 0 $ 12 5/16 oz. Package Hodgson Mill Brand Yeast (store in Ziploc bag in the freezer)
6 Bottles 0 $ 22 2 oz. Bottle Vanilla Extract (indefinite shelf life)
24 Pounds 0 $ 9 4 lb. Box Pure Salt (Morton Brand Canning and Pickling Salt) (indefinite shelf life)
12 Jars 0 $ 14 2.6 oz. Ground Black Pepper (or Whole Peppercorns have an indefinite shelf life) (Walmart)
12 Jars 0 $ 6 5.5 oz. Seasoned Meat Tenderizer (Walmart)
12 Jars 0 $ 6 3.12 oz. Onion Powder (Walmart)
2 Jars 0 $ 1 0.9 oz. Oregano (Walmart)
2 Jars 0 $ 2 2.5 oz. Garlic Powder (or Garlic Salt) (Walmart)
2 Jars 0 $ 1 2.37 oz. Cinnamon (Walmart)
1 Jar 0 $ 5 1.75 oz. Cayenne Red Pepper
2 Bottles 0 $ 4 15 oz. Bottle Lemon Juice (short shelf life)
1 Jug 0 $ 4 1 Gallon Jug Apple Cider Vinegar (indefinite shelf life if stored in glass jar at 40°F-70°F in the dark)
------------------------
Totals = 1,129,040 $1,967One-Year Emergency Food Supply for One Adult


Explanation of the Foods Included in the One-Year Emergency Food Supply

Indefinite Shelf Life: Indefinite does not mean infinite. Infinite means forever and no food lasts forever. Indefinite means undetermined. In other words, when the food shelf life test was terminated the food item being tested was still edible and there was nothing wrong with it. Therefore the shelf life test could not put a specific expiration date on that food item and it was simply labeled as having an "indefinite" or undetermined shelf life.

Frozen Foods: Do not invest in frozen foods for a long-term hard times event. Do not invest in a big freezer for a long-term hard times event. During a long-term hard times event you may not have any electricity. If you produce your own electricity using solar panels or a generator then you will need to use that electricity in the most efficient manner possible. A food freezer is not a good way to use that electricity. The reason is because you can currently purchase a huge variety of delicious foods that do not require refrigeration or freezing. The money you would have invested in a food freezer would be much better invested in a larger inventory of foods that do not need to be refrigerated or frozen.

Comfort Foods: The above list contains 60 different food items. However, you should also purchase some Kool-Aid, Tang, Coffee, Tea, Soft Drinks, Beer, Wine, Miniature Tootsie Rolls, Caramels, Assorted Hard Candies, or whatever else appeals to you. These are referred to as "comfort foods" and they can definitely help make the hard times more bearable.

Can Opener: Every family should invest in an old-fashioned manually operated can opener. This type of can opener is placed on the top of the can, then the handles are squeezed together to puncture a hole in the top of the can, and then the crank is rotated to open the can. If the electricity is off then you will be very glad you have one of these manually operated can openers. It is okay to have a "Dollar Store" quality manual can opener as a backup but each family should also own a high quality stainless steel can opener. Being able to open your canned foods safely and quickly will help to prevent a wide variety of accidents during hard times. (Note: Rinse the piercing/cutting edge in clean water after each use to keep the can opener clean and sanitary and to significantly extend its useful life.)

Canned Spaghetti Sauce: Although the Del Monte Brand and the Hunt's Brand both contain 26.5 ounces of spaghetti sauce, and they sell for the same price per can, the Del Monte Brand has 420 calories per can whereas the Hunt's Brand only has 300 calories per can. The Del Monte Brand is thick spaghetti sauce. The Hunt's Brand is watery spaghetti sauce. I do not know when Hunt's decided to change the consistency of their spaghetti sauce but it now contains a lot more water than the Del Monte Brand. The last time I opened a can of the Hunt's spaghetti sauce I was shocked that the sauce poured out of the can almost like water. I was expecting it to flow out slowly like thick spaghetti sauce should. It didn't. That was when I checked the number of total calories per can for both the Del Monte and the Hunt's Brands. The Hunt's Brand now has 120 fewer calories per can than the Del Monte Brand because the Hunt's Brand now contains more water. Adding more water is one method a company may use to keep the can size the same, and the number of total ounces the same, and keep the selling price the same, but actually deliver a cheaper product to its customers. I mention this because with the economy being depressed, then more companies may decide to use a similar strategy. Therefore if you are buying a lot of food for future consumption then you would be well advised to check the total calories inside the can and compare it to the number in parentheses in the above list before you invest a lot of your money.

Quantities: You should have enough food for each member of your family for at least six months. If you are an experienced farmer or rancher living on your own land, then you should also have enough seeds to replenish your food supplies on an annual basis. You will also need your own canning jars and lids or you will need to know how your ancestors preserved food without electricity or canning jars. If you have no previous experience with farming then you would probably be better off with a two or three years supply of food for each family member.

Appetite Fatigue: Your emergency food supply must have a reasonable variety of different food items. If you only have a limited number of different food items to eat then appetite fatigue will result in your starvation even though you have food. Your mind and your body will simply reject the thought of eating the same food again and again and again. If you doubt the truth of this statement then conduct a simple test. Pick your favorite four food items that you enjoy eating more than anything else and then only eat those four food items for one-month. Before one week has passed you will be repulsed at the thought of eating those foods again. Try it and see if you can force yourself to only eat those four foods for an entire month.

Appetite fatigue does not occur when there is no food available. For example, long-term war prisoners in a P.O.W. camp will generally eat almost anything. Each day they do not have the option to eat or not eat. On many days they get nothing to eat. When they do get fed there is never enough food to satisfy their hunger and therefore they will eat almost anything at any time and be grateful for whatever it happens to be.

Appetite fatigue occurs when you have food to eat and you have the choice to eat or not eat. This is one of the reasons old people in a retirement home usually lose weight and their health. The cafeteria serves the same basic bland food over and over again.

Therefore you should have some reasonable variety in your emergency food supplies.

Substitutions: If you are allergic to a food then do not buy it. If you do not enjoy the taste of one of the above recommended foods then do not buy it. Feel free to substitute any food item and name brands you prefer. However, you should try to keep a reasonable balance of meat, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy products.

For example, instead of buying 48 cans of Fruit Cocktail you may wish to buy a few cans of apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and pineapple based on your own individual taste preferences. The important issue is to have some canned fruits in your food storage plan.

The same concept applies to vegetables. The above list recommends 180 cans of mixed vegetables, 96 cans of beans, 12 boxes of instant potatoes, 48 cans of beef stew (meat, potatoes, and carrots), 24 cans of roast beef hash (meat and potatoes), and 48 cans of chili with beans. If you like the canned "Mixed Vegetables" then purchase them. But you could purchase cans of corn, peas, spinach, or any other vegetable you wish. However, you should consider the nutritional value of each vegetable by reading the nutrition label. For example, green beans cost almost the same as all the other vegetables but they have very few calories. Therefore, green beans would be a poor choice from a nutritional value standpoint. There would be nothing wrong with having a few cans of green beans in your pantry for variety but the number of those cans should be very small compared to the other vegetables. However, most other canned beans have relatively high levels of protein and calories.

You should also adjust the recommended quantities based on your family's actual needs. If you have several family members who drink a lot of milk, then you should purchase more dry powdered milk than suggested.

Calories: An active adult engaged in normal physical labor can burn 3,000 calories per day without gaining weight. However, an adult who has a desk job would gain weight. Therefore the concept of a "One-Year Food Supply" is based on the average physically active adult. If you were not very active during a disaster event then you could easily reduce your calorie intake to 2,000 calories per day and still maintain your weight. Therefore, the above food reserves would last a non-active adult for 18 months with no weight loss. If you wanted to lose a little weight, then the above food could last for 24 to 30 months. (Note: For an investment of approximately $1,967 one adult could stay alive and in good health for two and one-half years. Or the above food could feed two adults for 15 months.)

Brand Names: All the above foods are generic brand or store brand except where brand names are specifically indicated. For example, in my opinion Armour Brand Beef Stew is pleasant to eat but the cheaper brands are disgusting. Therefore, purchase and eat one can of each of the above food items to see if the flavor of that brand is agreeable to you before you purchase a year's supply of that item and then discover it tastes horrible.

Taste is a very personal experience. Two people in the same exact family can have entirely different opinions about the same exact food. The limited number of brand name foods I recommend are based on my individual taste preferences and I do not have any financial interest in any of those food companies. You will need to make your own decision about which brands of food you prefer.

If you are already happy with a specific name brand then it would probably be a better investment than a generic brand you are not familiar with. However, if there is a big price difference between the brands, such as 52 cents for the generic and 94 cents for your brand, then it would be a good idea to buy one can of the generic brand and take it home and eat it to see how it compares to your preferred name brand food item.

Prices: All the above prices are the average retail price in United States Dollars in the southeast United States. None of the prices are special temporary sale prices. If you can find any of the above items offered at a really good discount, then you should stock up on that item during the week it is on sale.

Package Sizes: Larger packages are usually a little cheaper per ounce, but if half the package spoils after you open it and before it can all be used, then you lose. Therefore resist the temptation to buy the large one-gallon size cans of food. If you need more food per meal than one regular size can then you can always open two cans. However, instead of opening two cans of the same thing you might consider opening one can of two different food items to provide more variety during the meal.

Storage Area: You should carefully consider where you will keep your emergency food stored for the following reasons:
  1. It takes a lot of space to store a one-year supply of food.
  2. It will take a significant amount of time and effort to move all the food between locations.
  3. The food should not be located where it may be accidentally discovered by anyone.
  4. Absolutely no one, except your spouse, should know about your emergency food reserves.
  5. The above recommended foods need to be stored in a temperature controlled environment for a variety of reasons.
  6. If a disaster unfolds rapidly and unexpectedly, you will need to be able to get to your food without drawing attention to your family.
If possible, always purchase your food on cardboard flats for easy convenient stacking when you put it into a storage area. In other words, purchase canned goods in multiples of 6, 12, or 24 depending on the number that fit onto a standard cardboard flat. Take the cardboard flat with you through the check-out line when you pay for the food. If your store cuts one side off the front of the cardboard flats then take two cardboard flats and turn them end-to-end one inside the other to make one new cardboard flat that will hold your canned goods without collapsing.

When items are on sale at your local grocery store they sometimes leave them on cardboard flats at the end of an aisle. Just pick up an entire cardboard flat of food and put it into your shopping cart. If appropriate, put two, three, or more flats of food into your shopping cart and then pay for them at the cashier station. It would not hurt to have a little more food than you think you might need.

Usually it is much easier to buy large quantities of food at a place like Sam's Club or Costco. You can pick up entire cases of food already enclosed in plastic wrap and put them on your flatbed cart and take them to the checkout area. However, food items are very, very heavy so resist the temptation to purchase an entire year's food supply in one trip. Your vehicle may not be able to move 2,000 pounds of food in one trip. The only disadvantage of purchasing at a "Membership Warehouse" is that the store keeps a permanent record of all your purchases in its computer, even if you pay with cash. On the other hand, if you pay with cash at a grocery store and do not use a "Store Shopping Card" then there will be no permanent record of your food purchases. The lack of an electronic trail to your emergency food supplies may allow you to keep your food if the government decides to collect all the food purchased by "unethical hoarders" who made their food purchases just prior to a worldwide food shortage. If you need to use a credit card to finance your food purchases, then you should consider going to your local bank and asking your bank teller to give you a "cash advance" against your credit card. Most banks will do this regardless of which bank issued the credit card.

Each time you go to the store it is usually better to purchase food in more than one food category instead of investing all your money in only one food item. This way you could gradually build your emergency food reserves. If a disaster were to occur before you finished, you would still have some food in each major food group, instead of having lots of rice and no vegetables, as an example.

Either write or tape a simple label onto each cardboard flat of food indicating the date you purchased it.

It is very easy to forget what you have already purchased so you should keep a written list of all the food items you have added to your reserves. This list will help you to strategically build your food stores without overlooking something or buying too much of something else.

The shelf life of most of the above items is five years or more, regardless of the expiration date printed on the package.

Store food at temperatures between 40ºF to 70°F if possible. Higher storage temperatures shortens the shelf life, reduces the vitamins and calories, and changes the taste.

Mix It Up: If most of your cans are approximately the same size such as 15 ounces, then you should consider mixing your canned foods together on a single cardboard flat. For example, some people have canned corn, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, fruit cocktail, spaghetti with meatballs, and chili with beans, and these cans are stored 24 cans per cardboard flat. However, instead of having 24 cans of exactly the same thing on a single cardboard flat it would be smarter to mix the canned foods together and put some of each type of canned food on each cardboard flat. For example, a cardboard flat that contains 24 cans could hold:
This would be advantageous for all the following reasons:
  1. Plan A (Staying Home): If a hard times tragedy event were to occur and you were forced to start consuming your emergency food, then some of each type of food would be in the cardboard flat on top of a stack. You would not have to move everything to get to a food item that was on the bottom of the stack. This would also help you to use your emergency food in a more balanced nutritional manner because you would know you should consume all the food on one cardboard flat before eating food items off the next cardboard flat.
  2. Plan B (Living with a Relative): If you were going to transfer some of your canned food to the home of a close relative, or into a storage area at a distant small rural town, then you could move a few cardboard flats of food to that location and you would know you had a reasonable assortment of foods on each cardboard flat.
  3. Plan C (Disappearing into the Wilderness): If you were forced to quickly evacuate your current home and you only had a few minutes to load your vehicle, then you could add as many cardboard flats of food as you could and you would know each cardboard flat contained a reasonable variety of canned foods.
Rotation: Long-term food storage advice usually includes the recommendation that you use your emergency food on a regular basis and replace it as you use it by employing a first-in first-out inventory strategy. This is good advice but it is very difficult for most families to execute. The sheer volume of any reasonable emergency food supply makes it very difficult to rotate your food without a tremendous investment in time and energy. Therefore most families simply buy their emergency food, put it into a suitable storage area, and then forget about it. May I suggest a compromise between these two extremes. Most of the recommended long-term storage food items have a shelf life of five years or longer. The major exceptions are yeast, spices, lemon juice, fresh butter, Velvetta Brand cheese, flour, and corn meal. If you will store these items where you can easily get to them then you could gradually use these items and replace them as they are consumed. If you discover that two or three years have passed and some of these items have not been used then you should consider replacing them with fresh food. However, the balance of your emergency storage food should still be safe and enjoyable to eat, even though you did not rotate it the same way you did your short shelf life foods.

Consumption: Carefully ration your food at the beginning of hard times. Don't wait until half your food is gone before you consider rationing.

Chef Boyardee Macaroni and Cheese: The Chef Boyardee Brand Macaroni and Cheese is recommended instead of the boxed macaroni and cheese because it contains almost twice the calories and it is already cooked so it only needs to be heated before you eat it (you don't have to add both milk and butter to cook it). In addition, the powdered cheese packages in the boxes of macaroni and cheese have a relatively short shelf life and they will go bad long before the dry macaroni noodles. Therefore, the canned macaroni and cheese is a better value from a nutritional perspective and an ease of preparation perspective and a shelf life perspective.

Campbell's Chunky Brand Soup: Canned chicken was removed from the list because many families, including my own, do not find the taste of canned chicken to be very enjoyable. However, the Campbell's Chunky Brand Soups that contain chicken also contain a lot of other tasty foods, and they have more volume, and they have more nutrients, and they cost less than a can of chicken. Therefore, in order to add chicken to the menu in addition to beef, tuna, and ham, the Campbell's Chunky Brand Chicken Based Soups are perfect. Some examples would be: Chicken Broccoli Cheese with Potato, Chicken Corn Chowder, Chicken and Dumplings, Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, and Fajita Chicken with Rice and Beans. (Note: If your family does like the taste of canned chicken then you should include it as one of your emergency foods.)

Cooking From Scratch: At the current time you may not use some of the food items in the recommended food list. However, in the event of an emergency you will probably discover you will need all the foods in the list, including the spices. I recommend you access the recipes on my web site and print a hard copy of all my recipes. Then store those recipes in a three-ring binder with your emergency food supplies. During an actual emergency those recipes will help you to prepare an interesting and pleasant variety of meals using the basic staple foods and spices in the above recommended list of foods.

Additional Food Items: If you have the money and the space, then purchase extra white rice, beans, and wheat.

White Rice: Ordinary white rice should be one of the primary emergency foods every family has stored in their home. White rice goes well as a side dish with almost any meal (including wild game and fresh fish). White rice is normally enriched with several vitamins and it is a complex carbohydrate which is something the human body needs.

White rice is extremely cheap when compared to other foods. A ten pound bag of white rice can be purchased at many grocery stores for about six dollars (or a twenty pound bag for about twelve dollars). At approximately 60 cents per pound you are buying 1,500 calories per pound or 15,000 calories per ten pound bag. That is a true bargain. And white rice has a shelf life between twenty to thirty years if stored in a cool, dry area that is kept between 40 to 70 degrees year round. (Note: Brown rice has a shelf life of six months or less.)

In a hard times survival situation a ten pound bag of white rice would feed one person for about 52 days if the person ate 1.5 cups of cooked rice per day (equal to 1/2 cup uncooked rice). This would be approximately 300 calories per day from rice. A recommended one-year food supply of white rice for one person would be approximately 70 pounds of white rice. Obviously other foods would also need to be eaten but the white rice could serve as an inexpensive part of the daily menu.

However it should be noted that white rice has two disadvantages in a hard times survival situation:
  1. White rice needs to be prepared with fresh clean water. Therefore each family must determine how they are going to address the water issue. Additional information about water is on this web site at: How to Find Water and How to Make Water Safe to Drink.
  2. White rice has a tendency to become very unexciting after it has been eaten on a regular basis for an extended period of time.
There are a vast multitude of recipes that use white rice as a primary ingredient. Unfortunately most of those recipes require an assortment of herbs, spices, and many other ingredients that most of us don't have in our kitchen pantries. The recipes listed on this web site are unique in that respect. Most of the white rice recipes on this web site only require a few ingredients, and many of those ingredients are ones that most of us already have in our kitchen pantries. Therefore the white rice recipes on this web site will help to relieve the problem of dietary boredom or appetite fatigue.

Beans: A small quantity of dry beans may be substituted for some of the canned beans. Dry beans can be planted as seed in a garden and they will produce a new crop of beans at the end of the summer growing season. Dry beans are sold at most grocery stores inside 1, 2, and 4 pound plastic bags. However, it should be noted that dry beans will continue to get drier and drier with the passage of time and they will gradually become too hard to cook and eat after about 3 or 4 years in storage. Therefore, if you anticipate storing your beans for an extended period of time then the canned beans are a better option. Canned beans are already fully cooked inside the can and they will be edible many, many years after the printed expiration date on the can. (Note: I have personally eaten canned beans that were ten years old and they tasted just like they had been recently canned.)

Salt: The above food list recommends the purchase of more salt than you would need in one-year because almost all the canned and processed foods already contain adequate salt. The reason salt is on the list is to provide the option to cook, season, and/or preserve any fresh vegetables or meat you may be able to obtain during a long-term disaster event. Salt is one of the basic ingredients the human body requires to maintain good long-term health. At the present time salt is very cheap but during a disaster event it may become very difficult to acquire.

Pure Salt may be used to help preserve food. Iodized salt should not be used as a food preservative. However, iodized salt is the best salt to use when adding salt to your food just before you eat it. Your body needs a little iodine on a regular basis and a good way to get iodine is by adding a little iodized salt onto your food at the table. I recommend the Morton Lite Iodized Salt because it can also be used to create an "electrolyte beverage." Therefore, in addition to Pure Salt, it would probably also be a good idea to purchase one or two 11-ounce Morton Lite Salt containers and add them to your one-year emergency food supply.

Pepper: If your family enjoys the taste of pepper then you will need to store some pepper as part of your emergency food supplies. You have two options: ground black pepper or whole peppercorns. Whole peppercorns have an indefinite shelf life if stored in their original packaging in the dark in a temperature controlled environment. Or you can vacuum seal the peppercorns to completely eliminate any aroma or taste loss as a result of exposure to the air or humidity. If you invest in peppercorns then you will also need to invest in a pepper grinder. I suggest you purchase a refillable normal pepper grinder and not one of those little pepper grinders in the spice rack of your grocery store that contains a small amount of peppercorns. The majority of those little pepper grinders cannot be opened and refilled.

Yeast: Freeze store bought yeast until it is needed. Stir a little crumbled yeast into some warm water (105ºF to 115ºF or 40ºC to 46ºC). Test the water on your wrist. It should feel warm but not hot. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast. If the water is too cold it will slow down the process. Adding a little sugar to the water will speed up the process. Adding salt or fat will slow it down. Good yeast will become foamy and creamy after about 10 to 12 minutes.

Don't waste your package yeast. After you have added yeast to some bread dough, pinch off one handful of the bread dough after the first rise and save it in an airtight container in a cool dark place. The next day thoroughly mix (knead) the old dough into a new batch of dough. The yeast will multiply and spread throughout the new batch. After the first rise, pinch off a handful of dough and save it. Continue this process each time you make yeast bread and you will be able to make bread for a very long time from that one original package of yeast.

Baking Powder: Both yeast and baking powder will cause your bread dough to rise. But both yeast and baking powder have relatively short shelf lives. The good news is that you can make your own baking powder as follows:
Baking soda, corn starch, and cream of tartar have an indefinite shelf life if properly stored.
However, after you mix them together a slow chemical reaction begins and the shelf life of the resulting baking powder is much less.
Therefore make your baking powder as you need it and do not make more than you will need in a specific recipe.

Coleman Camp Oven Baking Options: During a serious hard times event you may need to cook and bake using a wood burning fire.
For baking you have two options as follows:
  1. Cast Iron Dutch Oven: Instructions for using a Dutch oven for baking are at the following link on my web site: Cast Iron Cookware.
  2. Folding Camp Oven: You could purchase a folding metal camp oven and bake over a propane stove or a campfire. These folding ovens come in a variety of different sizes and they may be purchased at some Army/Navy stores, some hardware stores, and some Walmarts.
Seasoned Meat Tenderizer: The reason the seasoned meat tenderizer is on the list is because it is really cheap at the current time and it will make it a lot easier for your entire family to gradually adjust to the flavor of any "wild game meat" you may be able to acquire during a long-term hard times event.

Bouillon Cubes: Bouillon cubes are also a seasoning. A large cube should be cut into quarter sections so each piece is the same size as a regular small cube. These cubes may be used to enhance or improve the flavor of a variety of different foods. For example, a cube may be used to enhance the flavor of white rice by adding it to some boiling water before you add the white rice, or it may be used to enhance the flavor of a casserole. A large cube only contains twenty calories and a small cube only contains five calories. Some of the different brands of cubes do not contain any calories. Bouillon cubes do not contain any carbohydrates, or protein, or vitamins. Therefore their food value is negligible, the same as any other seasoning or flavoring. If you simply add a bouillon cube to some water then you will change the taste of that water but you will not be creating a full-bodied soup that will sustain you and restore your energy. You will only be creating some flavored water.

Long-Term Storage Foods: Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods are also an outstanding choice for long-term food storage and you should include them in your food storage plan if you can find them available at a price you can afford. Occasionally these items are on backorder and it may take weeks or months before the food is delivered to you. That is one of the advantages of buying food at your local grocery store. You take possession of your food immediately and you don't have to worry about receiving a very polite notice at some future date that your order has been canceled and it will not be shipped to you for reasons beyond the control of the seller.


Vitamins

The following is not medical advice nor is it a medical recommendation. If you have a medical question then please consult a licensed medical professional.

During a long-term hard times event the nutritional value of your daily meals will probably not be as high as during normal times. To help maintain your health and to help prevent a number of vitamin deficiency health problems, your family should have a reasonable supply of complete multivitamins. The health benefits of vitamins is usually not fully appreciated by people in the United States until they have a vitamin deficiency and a health problem develops as a result of that deficiency, such as bleeding gums and loose teeth. Therefore each member of your family should take a complete multivitamin on a regular basis, unless they have been advised not to by a medical professional.

During a hard times event if you are not sure how long it will be before you can replenish your supply of vitamins then you may need to ration your vitamins and only take one vitamin every two or three days. This is a decision you will need to make yourself.


Vacuum Food Sealer

  1. Many foods can be protected from insects, oxygen, and humidity by sealing them inside a vacuum seal bag. Some examples would be salt, peppercorns, baking soda, corn starch, corn meal, sugar, dry noodles, grits, instant potatoes, instant milk, oatmeal flakes, white rice, tootsie rolls, and hard candies.

  2. Vacuum sealing will preserve the freshness and the original flavor of the sealed food approximately three to five times longer than if the food is not sealed.

  3. Vacuum sealing will also significantly extend the shelf life of some foods because you eliminate the oxygen and the humidity that can gradually destroy the food.

  4. If you use vacuum sealed storage bags you will not need to purchase any of the "oxygen absorber packets" because the vacuum sealing process will remove all the oxygen from inside the specially designed bags.
A cheap good quality food vacuum sealer will cost about $40 and a two-roll box of vacuum seal bags will cost about $22.
If you buy the 11-inch wide rolls that are 16-feet long then you can cut individuals bags from the roll to the exact length you need.
Therefore there will be very little waste because:
Immediately after you vacuum seal an item inside a vacuum storage bag use a medium tip permanent black magic marker to write a brief description of the contents on the top of the bag and the date you sealed the bag, such as:
16 ounces Pure Salt, Sealed Feb. 2010.

Note: Vacuum sealing is not a substitute for refrigeration or freezing. Any food item than needs to be refrigerated or frozen will still need to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer after you vacuum seal it. However, vacuum sealing will help that food item to remain edible about 3 to 5 times longer than if it wasn't sealed. It will eliminate the problem with freezer burn because you will have isolated the food from the cold dry air inside the freezer.


Instant Non-Fat Dry Powdered Milk

Instant Nonfat Powdered Milk will last at least 20 years if properly stored.

The easiest way to store and preserve instant milk for future consumption is to use a vacuum food sealer. However, if you simply pour some instant milk powder into a vacuum seal bag and then you attempt to draw a vacuum on the bag you will discover that some of the milk powder will be sucked into the seam area. This will result in the bag not being properly sealed and air will gradually enter the bag and your instant milk will deteriorate more rapidly.

The simple solution to this problem is to purchase instant powdered milk in the one-quart paper packs. There are usually several of these one-quart packs in a box of instant milk. Open the box and remove the one-quart packs of instant milk. Select a vacuum bag of a matching size or cut a bag that will work from a long roll of vacuum seal material. Either two or four of the one-quart instant milk packs will usually fit nicely in one vacuum bag, depending on the size of the bag. Use some scissors to snip a very short cut (about 1/4 inch long) into the edge of each paper milk pack to break the seal of the pack. Then place the milk packs inside the vacuum bag and draw a vacuum on the bag. The air inside the paper milk packs will be withdrawn but almost none of the dry milk powder will escape. This means you will have succeeded in vacuum sealing your instant milk.

Then store your sealed instant milk inside a suitable container with a lid in a dark cool dry place.


Wheat Berries

I recommend the Golden 86 or White Wheat in a six-gallon pail.
This type of wheat is closer in flavor to the average bread that most people in the United States now eat.

A six-gallon pail of wheat berries will cost about $72 (which includes the shipping fee) and a six-gallon pail contains about 72,000 calories.
One internet store that sells wheat berries is:

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/buy_wheat_whole_grain_red_white_wheat_berries_making_bread_flour.aspx

The wheat is vacuum sealed inside a mylar bag and then sealed inside the six-gallon pail.
Therefore the shelf life of the wheat inside one of these pails will be more than 30 years.
You will also need a hand-operated wheat grinder.

If you can afford it then you should consider buying an equal amount of red wheat berries and white wheat berries. One type of wheat is better for loaves of bread and one type of wheat is better for cakes, cookies, and donuts. The above web site has some good information on the different types of wheat berries.

Unlike some of the other food items, if a hard times event does not force you to eat your wheat berries, then your wheat pails can be an investment that you can pass on to your children and grandchildren.


Reasonable Food Safety Precautions


  1. Do not buy dented cans of food or canned foods that show any sign of aging such as rust on the outside of the can, or labels that show visible signs of aging.
  2. If you do not protect the exterior of the cans from the natural moisture and humidity in the air then the cans will gradually rust and the food inside will be lost. One easy way to protect a case of canned foods from moisture and humidity is to place the entire case of food inside a standard kitchen sized garbage bag and then carefully force all the air out of the bag and either twist tie it closed or tape the bag down tight against itself so air cannot enter the bag easily.
  3. Some canned foods are packed in water and the moisture in those cans may find a weak spot on the inside coating of the can and gradually eat its way through the can. If this happens then you will need to discard the entire can of food.
  4. High acidic foods, such as tomatoes, will gradually eat right through the can. However, some canning companies use a special coating inside their high acidic food cans to help minimize this problem.
  5. When selecting moisture packed canned foods, purchase and open one of the cans and then carefully examine the inside coating of the can to determine if the canning company is using a quality coating on the inside of their cans. If you are satisfied with the coating on the inside of the can then you could purchase additional quantities of that food item for long-term food storage.
  6. Before using any item that has been in storage for a long time, open it and then carefully examine it. It should look okay and it should smell okay. If it doesn't look and smell okay then it is probably not safe to eat. Never, never eat any food that has an offensive or unusual odor, or that has something growing on it.
  7. Boiling a food item before you eat it, or cooking it until its internal temperature exceeds at least 200ºF (93ºC), will kill almost every harmful microorganism that might be present in the food item. Therefore all canned meats and all canned vegetables and soups should be cooked at a high temperature before eating them.

A Brief Summary of Several Shelf Life Food Studies on a Variety of Food Items

(The following information is being presented for fair use and educational purposes only.)

The following list of foods have an indefinite shelf life if the food is sealed, kept dry, stored in a dark place, and it is not exposed to high heat.
If possible the foods should be stored in a temperature controlled environment between 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (or 4°C to 21°C).
If these conditions can be met then the following foods will still be edible many, many decades from now:
  1. Salt.
  2. Baking Soda.
  3. Cream of Tartar.
  4. Corn Starch.
  5. Granulated Sugar.
  6. Brown Sugar.
  7. Confectioners Sugar.
  8. Vanilla Extract.
  9. Wheat Berries.
  10. Honey. (Note: If the honey begins to crystallize into sugar then put the jar of honey into some very warm or hot water, but not boiling water, and the honey will gradually melt back into a honey consistency.)
The following foods will still be edible for at least 30 years if all the above conditions are met:
  1. White Rice.
  2. Potato Flakes.
  3. Rolled Oats.
  4. Dry Pasta (Spaghetti and Macaroni).
  5. Dried Corn.
  6. Canned Meats.
  7. Canned Vegetables.
  8. Canned Jelly or Jam or Preserves.
Instant Nonfat Powdered Milk will last at least 20 years if properly stored.


Revision History:

Special Note: On January 3, 2011 a few minor changes were made to the recommended food list. During the year 2010 some package sizes were discontinued by the manufacturer and replaced by other package sizes. Therefore the original data was revised to match the package sizes that are currently available for sale. A list of the changes appears below in the "Revision History" for January 3, 2011. This changed the total price from $1,671 to $1,768 at the beginning of the year 2011.

Revised May 1, 2013 - Updated all food prices for the month of May 2013.
Revised April 1, 2013 - Updated all food prices for the month of April 2013.
Revised March 1, 2013 - Updated all food prices for the month of March 2013.
Revised February 2, 2013 - Updated all food prices for the month of February 2013.
Revised January 2, 2013 - Updated all food prices for the month of January 2013.
Revised December 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of December 2012.
Revised November 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of November 2012.
Revised October 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of October 2012.
Revised September 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of September 2012.
Revised August 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of August 2012.
Revised July 2, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of July 2012.
Revised June 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of June 2012.
Revised May 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of May 2012.
Revised April 2, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of April 2012.
Revised March 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of March 2012.
Revised February 1, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of February 2012.
Revised January 2, 2012 - Updated all food prices for the month of January 2012.
Revised December 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of December 2011.
Revised November 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of November 2011.
Revised October 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of October 2011.
Revised September 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of September 2011.
Revised August 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of August 2011.
Revised July 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of July 2011 and added Bouillon Cube paragraph.
Revised June 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of June 2011.
Revised May 3, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of May 2011.
Revised April 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of April 2011 and added a Baking Options paragraph.
Revised March 1, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of March 2011.
Revised February 1, 2011 - Added instructions for vacuum sealing instant milk. Updated all food prices for the month of February 2011.
Revised January 3, 2011 - Revised a few package sizes to match what is currently available for sell. Removed baking powder, Sloppy Joe mix, and canned chicken. Added Campbell's Chunky Soup, Roast Beef Hash, and Chef Boyardee Pasta. Changed macaroni and cheese from a box to a can. Changed pancake syrup to maple syrup. Changed parsley flakes to seasoned meat tenderizer.
Revised January 3, 2011 - Updated all food prices for the month of January 2011.
Revised December 1, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of December 2010.
Revised November 1, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of November 2010.
Revised October 2, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of October 2010.
Revised September 1, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of September 2010.
Revised August 2, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of August 2010.
Revised July 1, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of July 2010.
Revised July 1, 2010 - Added 2 Sections: Summary of Shelf Life Studies and Reasonable Food Safety Precautions.
Revised June 2, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of June 2010.
Revised May 1, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of May 2010.
Revised April 2, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of April 2010.
Revised March 2, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of March 2010.
Revised February 2, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of February 2010.
Revised January 4, 2010 - Updated all food prices for the month of January 2010.
Revised December 2, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of December 2009.
Revised November 2, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of November 2009.
Revised October 3, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of October 2009.
Revised September 2, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of September 2009.
Revised August 1, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of August 2009.
Revised July 1, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of July 2009.
Revised June 1, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of June 2009.
Revised May 1, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of May 2009.
Revised April 2, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of April 2009.
Revised March 3, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of March 2009.
Revised February 3, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of February 2009.
Revised January 3, 2009 - Updated all food prices for the month of January 2009.
Revised December 1, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of December 2008.
Revised November 1, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of November 2008.
Revised October 3, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of October 2008.
Revised September 1, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of September 2008.
Revised August 9, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of August 2008.
Revised July 4, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of July 2008.
Revised June 2, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of June 2008.
Revised May 2, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of May 2008.
Revised April 4, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of April 2008.
Revised March 1, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of March 2008.
Revised February 6, 2008 - Updated all food prices for the month of February 2008.
January 9, 2008 - Created this new web page.

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