You may find yourself needing a food supply when you face unemployment, a community disaster, or a supply chain disruption. Don’t PANIC! In an emergency you can “SHOP” your very own PREPARED PANTRY. Food that is 1. prepared regularly 2. can be rotated and 3. is shelf stable is easiest to store & maintain.
PANTRY: Organize. Inventory*. Make room to expand as needed. Use green PAINTER’S tape to date food items. Expiration dates will be easy to see and rotate. FIFO (first in first out) results in less wasted food.
PLAN: Plan daily meals. Collect “shelf stable” recipes or adapt your own. Search Pinterest or YouTube for Shelf Stable Meals. Melissa Peter’s video reference below has many great ideas*. Do you have rice, beans, and oatmeal stored? What meals can be prepared with these? What do you need to add? Budget.
PERSUADE: You might need to work with your household to get them “on board”. Encourage involvement. Everyone can help with the PROCESS, learn to cook, and have a POSITIVE experience.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE: Store what your household will eat and enjoy! But also try something new!
PURCHASE: Buy ingredients needed and budgeted for. Adding just a few items a week adds up. Starting in March, by purchasing two additional complete meal ingredients per week you will have accumulated almost 90 meals by year’s end. That is about a 30-day supply of meals! PRIORITIZE PREPARATION.
PREPARE: Make your meals and “try” them then see what needs to be adjusted.
PRACTICE: Trying your recipes will help you know if you have the needed pots and pans, kitchen tools, ingredients, and seasonings. Try your emergency stove and equipment. Store the needed fuel.
PACKAGE: Meal ingredients can be “bagged” together in kits and stored with recipe and seasonings. You will have your own “Fast Food” ready for busy nights. One pot or one skillet meals are easier to prepare in an emergency POWER outage. Try making your own seasoning or baking mixes to have on hand.
Re-PLACE: Restock any used ingredients. “One out - one in” will maintain your PREPARED PANTRY.
PRAY: We can ask for heaven’s help to be PREPARED!