What Food Should You Store for an Emergency?

When disaster strikes your home, you need a damage and restoration expert – but you also need the right gear.

(Find out what to put in an emergency kit and what to put in an emergency preparedness bag, which is larger and stored outside your home.)

But what about food? What kinds of food should you store for an emergency?

What Food Should You Store for an Emergency?

When you’re putting together an emergency food supply, which you should store outside your home in case disaster hits, remember:

•          You need at least a three-day supply
•          Pick foods that your family will actually eat
•          Avoid packing foods that will make you thirsty

Some items that store well and make good emergency preparedness foods include:

•          Baby food and formula
•          Canned juice
•          Dried fruit
•          Dry cereal or granola
•          High-energy foods
•          Non-perishable pasteurized milk
•          Peanut butter
•          Protein or fruit bars
•          Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables (and a can opener)

Remember that your foods should always stay in covered containers or their original cans. Make sure that you discard food that comes into contact with flood water, or food that’s been at room temperature for more than two hours. Try to use ready-to-feed baby formula (you don’t know what’s going on with the water in many cases), but if you can’t, mix it with bottled water.

Never eat foods from cans that are swollen, dented or corroded – even if they look okay.

You can heat food right in a can if you remove its label and open it before heating over a candle warmer, chafing dishes, fondue pots or a fireplace. If you’re outdoors, you can heat a can over a charcoal grill or camp stove, too.