Price and other details may vary depending on the size and color of the product. The beginner's prep guide explains the pros and cons of each method, as well as basics such as how much food you should store for your family. And if you're not yet familiar with the FIFO model “store what you use, use the model you keep, take a look at it too. One of the most recommended foods is dried beans.
However, I do NOT recommend dry beans for beginner preparers. And keep in mind that dry beans in bulk (such as dried rice and starches) can become infected with insects. If you want to store large quantities of dried beans, check out this post on how to store dry beans for the long term. You know your own eating habits better, but lest you think it's infallible, check out these 15 common food storage mistakes.
Food storage containers include mylar bags, vacuum seal bags, and buckets. Oxygen and moisture absorbers can help extend the shelf life of foods. When deciding which storage containers to use, consider how long you plan to keep food sealed. Some people like to think of a 10-year timeline, while others want some foods to be stable for 25 years if possible.
An oxygen absorber is a must for mylar, but not for vacuum sealing. The three most common categories of prepared foods include canned goods, pantry staples, and freeze-dried foods. Whatever you choose, “plan food supplies so that you can eat at least one well-balanced meal every day,” they say. I'll cover the basic groupings of food types and also include some frequently asked questions that new preparers have yet to have.
One of the first things to consider when building your preparer food reserve is to buy the food you already eat. Just know that MDRs are certainly not a preparatory food that you should eat day after day for months in the event of a collapse. Although there is a specific list of foods below and you'll be fine if you only buy from that list, it's worth understanding the basic differences between what's good for your pantry and what's not. Given that general recommendation, let's now look at 3 types of preparer foods that focus more on long-term storage, foods you can use to “bolster your supplies for prolonged SHTF scenarios.” The serious prepper can buy a household freeze dryer as a DIY tool (follow that link for more information).
Before jumping into the full “DIY” list, it's worth mentioning that there are many reputable prepared food companies that offer starter kits. The foods that many preparers store are foods that I never have in my house, so I wouldn't miss them if they weren't suddenly available. I also wanted to compile a checklist that more experienced preparers could use to compare what they had with what they needed.
