Stocking up a three month food pantry takes time and dedication. As such, it is advisable to be wise when storing up your food and water. However, avoid going into extremes. For instance, it is not prudent to go into debt in order to establish your pantry all at once. If you plan carefully, you can establish a probable home storage supply over time, as well as a financial reserve. The best approach when starting a food storage survival pantry is to establish the basal metabolic rate of each member; i.e. the amount of energy they burn when at rest, and then try to maintain the specified calorie count each day. Of course, there is bound to be accelerated body activity during an emergency situation so try to be slightly on the higher side when counting the calories. In extreme situations when food is scarce, you cannot afford to go on a 2000+ daily calorie intake. In this case, you can settle for daily calorie intake of 1200 -1500 calories.
In that light, the best technique is to start with a small supply of food as a part of your everyday diet. One good way to achieve this is to buy a few extra supplies each week when shopping to come up with a one week food supply. You can then increase your supply gradually until it is enough for three months. Even then, you should try to rotate these items on a regular basis to avoid spoilage. The following list is a 7 week project that would provide seven different meals for three months, rotated weekly, and is ideal for a family of 4. Keep in mind that you can replace these meals with your own favorite menu ideas. Simply take each ingredient from your ideal menu and multiply by 12 to get a three month’s worth. In addition, if you find it hard to keep up with the purchases, you can always spread out the quantities to extend to a period of 12 weeks or so. This means that, if you were to purchase 12 cans of meat, chicken soup, and tomato soup in one week for instance, you can just divide the amount to meet your budget. For example, rather than buying 12 cans all at once, you could buy 4 cans for that week, then add 4 more after two weeks and so on. The trick is to strike a balance in order to achieve the 7 different all rounded meals you can eat in an emergency situation to meet your daily recommended calorie count. The quantities on the right are the specified ingredients for 4 people. Here is what you need to purchase in the seven weeks:
Week 1:
Spaghetti (for 4 servings)
6 pounds of spaghetti noodles - 8 ounces
12 jars of spaghetti sauce with meat - 1 jar
Week 2:
Tuna noodle casserole (4 to 6 servings)
6 pounds of spiral noodles – 8 ounces
12 cans of tuna – 1 can
12 cans of condensed mushroom soup – 1 can (10 oz)
2 quarts worth of powdered milk– 2/3 c. milk
Week 3:
Chili or stew (4 to 6 servings)
24 large cans of chili or stew - 2 cans
Week 4:
Bean burrito enchiladas (4 servings)
12 cans of refried beans – 1 can (16 oz)
12 cans of red enchilada sauce– 1 can (12 ounces)
12 flour tortillas
36 cups of unbleached flour
1 canister of baking powder – 2 teaspoons
1 canister of salt – 2 teaspoons
1 tub of Lard or vegetable shortening - 4-6 tablespoons
1 ¼ cups of warm water
Week 5:
Pot pie
24 pie crusts
2 4 cans of mixed vegetables – 2 cans
24 packets of dry chicken gravy – 2 cups
12 cans of chicken – 1 can
Week 6:
Hawaiian haystacks (4 servings)
12 cans of chicken – 1 can
24 cans of chicken soup – 2 cans
24 cups of dry, hot cooked rice – 4 cups
You can also include a wide range of fresh or canned items such as thawed frozen beans, mushrooms, pimiento, mandarin oranges, corn, peas, water chestnuts, tomatoes, coconuts, almonds, cheddar cheese, pineapple chunks, frozen/dehydrated peppers, dehydrated onions, and olives. For a 3 months’ supply, purchase 12 cans of each (or 12 servings).
Week 7:
Sheppard’s pie
12 cans of ground beef – 1 can
1 canister of dried onion – 1 tablespoon
12 cans of diced tomatoes – 1 can
12 cans of tomato soup – 1 can
12 cans of tomato sauce - 1 can
12 cans of drained corn – 1 can
12 cans of drained green beans – 1 can
24 cups of mashed potatoes – 4 cups
Obviously, buying all the above items will probably cost you a fortune. Additionally, relying on store bought canned foods means that if the supply is diminished, there is very little you can do about getting more food. That’s why it is best to learn how to can your own food so that you can be canning your own foods whenever you want. This will definitely give you a lot more flexibility than any other strategy. Let’s discuss canning in the next section.