The Prepared Home: 15 Easy-To-Find Foods to Start Your Emergency Food Supply

No doubt the fears of possible coronavirus outbreaks in your community have you wondering if you should be proactive and pick up a few extra items at the store for good measure.

I am a big believer in rotating my food storage supply so that we always have a foundation to rely on during troubled times. That way, if an emergency occurs unexpectedly, we have food, and if there is time to further prepare, we can run to the store to fill in any gaps in our supplies.

Over the years, I have made recommendations for the best types of foods to put in your pantry, how to save on emergency food stores by learning how to can and dehydrate your own food sources, as well as providing the best rules to go by when creating an emergency food pantry. Ideally, you want the food you put in those coveted pantry spots to be versatile and serve many uses. These are the preferred food staples I like to keep stored away. I like them because they are versatile, cheap, and can usually be purchased in bulk to cut down on expenses.

Before you begin, take inventory of what you already have. Chances are, you may already have the beginnings of a solid emergency food pantry. While you are doing an inventory of your food and supplies, make a list of items you need to restock or purchase.

That said, the timing of emergencies can sometimes be rather sudden and you have to run to the store and quickly stock up. Therefore, the best advice I can offer you is to stick to the classics and build upon your supply. We like to err on the side of caution when it comes to emergencies and with fears of coronavirus outbreaks close to our community, we decided to pick up a few items to have on hand to reduce our need to run to the store in the coming weeks. Let’s be honest, preparing for the possibility of a pandemic is no easy feat! Here are some of the basics we stocked up on. Keep in mind, this is a basic supply list. Following these listed foods, are some other considerations to keep in mind.

1. Peanut butter
2. Jelly
3. Plant-based oil
4. Ramen and/or canned soups
5. Pasta and sauce
6. Rice
7. Beans (small beans like lentils and navy beans will require less water and time for cooking)
8. Boxed dinners like rice-a-roni and macaroni and cheese
9. Oats
10. Dried Milk
11. Flour
12. Honey
13. Antibacterial soap and/or hand sanitizer
14. Water
15. Bleach

A Few Other Items to Consider

For a more extensive food supply list for the family, click here. I also like layering my pantry foods with some healthy food items to ensure a well-rounded diet as well as a supply of multivitamins to keep immune systems healthy. Another item we purchased was pet food for our animals – don’t forget about preparing your pet.

We recently made a bulk purchase of paper goods including toilet paper and paper towels, so we were already stocked up on these basics. Add them to your list, if you need to.

N95 or N100 masks are in short supply at the moment, but we were lucky to find some N95 masks at our local Home Depot. Before you run out and waste your time, go online and see if your local Home Depot store has any in stock. If they do, they are usually in the painting section of the store.

How To Save a Buck

I know what you’re thinking. “How on earth am I going to be able to afford to buy all of this extra food?” I get it! Monthly budgets sometimes do not allow for expensive, top of the line purchases. Don’t underestimate what you can find at your local Dollar Store. Check out these 30 prepper-related items you could easily find at your local Dollar Store. Moreover, the checkout lines may not be long compared to the grocery stores. Another trick to beat the supermarket lines is to shop late at night but you take the chance on some items on your shopping list running out.

Hopefully, this primer will get you started on your emergency food pantry endeavors. As well, here are some additional articles to help you create a long-lasting and dependable food pantry.

11 Emergency Foods That Last Forever

Five Family Friendly Food Pantry Organizing Tips Anyone Can Do

Prepping With Wheat Allergies

5 Ways to Stretch Your Meals SHTF Style

72 Hours Without This Will Kill You: Survival Water Fundamentals