Emergencies tend to find many of us with our pants down from a preparedness perspective. My parents grew up on farms where it was common to have well-stocked root cellars or pantries full of home-canned foods. Just-in time shopping and delivery has discouraged having this kind of buffer for emergencies, sadly. The well-stocked pantry also facilitates bulk-purchasing of goods at good prices.

Goal: nutritious, calorie-dense foods, most of which can be stored for an extended period.

Canned Goods

  1. Water
  2. Meals in a can: Dinty Moore stew, chili, soups, broths
  3. Meats: Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, Chicken
  4. Veggies
  5. Salsa, tomato sauce, marinara (glass jars option free of plastic can liners)
  6. Fruits: pineapple, peaches

Dry Goods

  1. Nut butters (almond, cashew, sunflower seed, peanut)
  2. Nuts (pistachios, nuts in shells: almonds, peanuts)
  3. Bars (Made Good, Kind, Lara)
  4. Trail mixes (dried fruit, choc chips, seeds/nuts)
  5. Crackers (Breton, Dare, Grains first, look at labels for allergens)
  6. Rice
  7. Pasta
  8. Bread
  9. Beans, lentils
  10. Coffee, tea
  11. Dried fruits: raisins, cranberries, pineapple, apple, mango
  12. Chocolate bars, powder, chips
  13. Dry-cured salamis, jerky
  14. Salt, pepper, spices
  15. Cane sugar
  16. Flour
  17. Powdered milk

Refrigerated

  1. Eggs (fresh eggs w/ bloom don’t need refrigeration)
  2. Butter
  3. Milk
  4. Juices
  5. Cheese
  6. Hot dogs
  7. Ketchup, mustard, pickles

Frozen

  1. Meat, fish (prefer boneless)
  2. Veggies
  3. Fruits
  4. Juice concentrate
  5. Pizza (why not?)

Misc Foodstuffs

  1. Cooking oils (olive, coconut)
  2. Honey
  3. Herbs (grow some!)

Perishable

  1. Fruits: apples (honeycrisp), green & ripe bananas, oranges
  2. Potatoes, sweet potatoes
  3. Onions
  4. Garlic
  5. Avocado
Toilet Paper

Paper Goods, Cleaning

  1. Toilet paper
  2. Paper towels
  3. Facial tissue
  4. Hand soap
  5. Dish soap
  6. Clothes washer soap (powder/pods)
  7. Vinegar
  8. Bleach
  9. Rubbing alcohol
  10. Disposable gloves, yellow rubber cleaning gloves
  11. Garbage bags

Other

  1. First Aid supplies
  2. Medications
  3. Multivitamins
  4. LED Flashlights, lamps
  5. Batteries, disposable and rechargeable
  6. Propane grill or camp stove, spare propane
  7. Generator (a camping generator can run refrigerator, freezer, LED lights)