Organize Your Life // Emergency Food Supply

via martha stewart

This topic has been on my mind lately. It's something that I know my family needs but doesn't have. We insure our homes, cars and lives...but how many of us have food insurance?! There is so much information out there on how to organize your home to be prepared for an emergency. There is so much to learn about food storage (year supply, 72 hour kits, 3 month supply, water drums vs. bottled water, etc)!

What a great feeling it is to be prepared! So if you have a sudden loss of income or a natural disaster occurs you can feed your family!!

It seems like an overwhelming task for both storage space and finances. So I googled around to find someone who has done it so they can tell me where to start!

Here is what Provident Living Today suggested:

When I set out to put together my three-month supply of meals ready to eat, it seemed overwhelming. I needed a plan. My friend, Claudia also wanted to put together a plan that broke this project down into steps. Here's what we came up with:

1. Pick out 2 weeks of recipes. Use easy meals your family eats now.



2. Convert each meal to “non-perishable” foods. If you use fresh chicken, use canned. Fresh or frozen corn, use canned. You get the idea.



3. Write each converted recipe on a 3 X 5 card. Run each card off 6 times.



4. Times each ingredient by 6 and write how much or how many you need on a shopping list. There you have it a 12 week supply of food.



5. Go shopping!!! Remember to take some help! You can do this in one big trip if you have the money, or gather the supplies over the next few months.
   
   
   Note: Use name brand labels.
   The metal is heavier and stores longer.
   
   
6. Take each recipe and all the ingredients and put them in a gallon freezer bag - right down to the spices and cup of rice.
7. 
   Use Ziploc freezer bags, they hold up better. You can also buy the Jumbo size bags for a large family. Put the spices in a snack size bag. The ingredients like rice or a cup of biscuit mix can go into a sandwich size bag.
   Now put the recipe in and ZIP . . . It’s “ in the bag!” Store them in boxes under the bed or bins in the closet. You want them to be easily accessible.

Keep a few meals ready to eat in the pantry and use them on busy hectic days. Keep the recipe cards. When you have a few stacked up, go to the store and replace the ingredients. This is a great way to rotate your three-month supply of food. Start eating your food storage now and save money.

I like this concept because it's food storage that your family will actually use and be accustomed to. You can use the items before they expire in your every day life, as opposed to canned wheat you need to grind to use. I am so on it! And don't forget water and medications too!