Stock up on these budget-friendly non-perishable foods for emergency preparedness. Whether it’s a natural disaster like a hurricane or a pandemic, when disaster strikes, it’s always best to be prepared! This food supply list has shelf stable foods that you can store in your pantry for disaster preparedness. Here are the guidelines for shelf stable food safety from USDA.gov. Even if you are just looking to stockpile or to have a master pantry checklist, this list will come in handy.
In a hurricane situation, you potentially won’t have power so you should stick to the foods that don’t need to be cooked on a stove, microwave or refrigerated. I’ve put a star next to those items for your convenience.
Dry Goods Non-Perishable Foods
- pasta
- spaghetti
- boxed macaroni and cheese
- ramen
- jarred pasta sauce
- jarred alfredo sauce
- rice
- white
- brown
- jasmine
- yellow
- quinoa
- lentils
- stuffing mix
- oats
- cream of wheat
- dry beans
- black
- white (cannellini, navy)
- kidney
- garbanzo
- flour
- cornmeal
- sugar
- breadcrumbs
- baking powder and soda
- oil and vinegar
- honey
- instant potatoes
- dehydrated hash browns
- baking mixes
- pancake mix
- biscuit mix
- cornbread mix
- muffin mix
- boxed au gratin
- hamburger helper
- pasta salad mix like Suddenly Salad
- boxed ready meals / precooked entrees
- powdered eggs
- powdered creamer for coffee
- yeast
- maple syrup
- soy sauce
- pickles
- tabasco sauce
- condiment to go packets (mayo/mustard/relish/ketchup)
- salsa
- olives
- processed cheese product like Velveeta
- commonly used herbs and spices
- salt
- pepper
- Italian seasoning
- cumin
- paprika
- curry powder
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- cocoa powder
- vanilla extract
- bouillon cubes
Canned Non-Perishable Foods *
- tuna
- meat products (like ham or corned beef)
- canned pre-made meals like beef ravioli, spaghetti-Os, chicken and dumplings, chili, etc.)
- chicken
- salmon
- soups
- stews
- corn
- green beans
- mixed vegetables
- beans
- peas
- carrots
- potatoes
- spinach
- diced tomatoes
- fruits (peaches, pears, pineapple, fruit cocktail, pumpkin)
- beef, chicken and vegetable broth
- gravy
- nacho cheese
Drink Non-Perishable Foods
*
- shelf-stable milk
- evaporated milk
- nondairy milk such as canned coconut milk
- powdered milk
- powdered hot chocolate
- juice
- apple
- cranberry
- fruit punch
- grape
- vegetable juice
- lemonade
- gatorade
- water
- tea bags
- coffee
- powdered drink mixes
- flavorings for water
- meal replacement drinks like Ensure
Snack Non-Perishable Foods*
- granola bars
- applesauce
- protein bars like Clif
- peanut butter
- trail mix
- beef jerky (some beef jerky can be very expensive, but I’ve found that the Matador brand is reasonably priced ($3 a bag at Walmart)
- peanuts
- almonds
- cashews
- cookies
- crackers
- saltines
- butter crackers
- sandwich crackers
- graham crackers
- dry cereal
- rice cakes
- fruit snacks
- chocolate
- vanilla wafers
- fruit leather
- raisins
- energy bar like LARABAR
- dried fruits (ALDI has great prices on these compared to other places (at least in my area))
- dried cranberries
- dried bananas
- dried apples
- dried pineapple
- dried mango
- dried apricots
- pretzels / chips
- fruit bars
- dried sausage
- tuna pouches
- popcorn
What Foods Can Be Frozen?
Keep in mind that if you have the freezer space, you can freeze many perishable items as well. It’s definitely worth getting a chest freezer, not just for emergency preparedness but for buying sale items and freezing them for future use. You can save hundreds of dollars just by doing that!
- Butter
- Bread
- Cheese
- Tortillas
- Doughs and Batters
- Broths, Pestos and Tomato Sauces
- Herbs (freeze in little ice cube trays with olive oil)
- Eggs (cracked into ice cube trays)
- Meats (cooked and raw including bacon and lunch meat)
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Here is a tutorial for how to freeze the fruits and vegetables
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