What's in your food storage?

[Jenamarie]

Trying to get an idea of what items I might want to get to fill out my food storage. :) List what you have in yours (just a list of items, don't worry about listing how *much* of that item you have)

Thanks. :)

And here's what I have so far:

Wheat

Beans (both dry-pack, and canned in liquid)

dehydrated onions

quick oats

rice

pasta

pasta sauce

baked beans

canned corn

canned green beans

canned peas

apple sauce

fruit cocktail

canned tomatoes

water

chocolate drink mix

powdered milk

refried beans (both dry-pack and regular canned)

canned tuna

canned chicken breast

chicken broth

dehydrated garlic

dehydrated apples

spices

cooking oil

mac and cheese (the just-add-water kind)

Wow, I didn't realize I had so much already!

[NeuroTypical]

TP!

[Jenamarie]

Good call LM. Someone at church a few weeks ago suggested condoms.

[sleepychick]

I know you will need basics, toothbrushes, soap, tampons. Mine is stocked with baby wipes. I don't think I could live without those. lol.

[Misshalfway]

Well,

My list is pretty close to yours. Lately I have been working to finish my years supply. My focus right now is water, meat, wheat, rice, and beans. I just ordered some wheat from LDS.org and it is on back order. We made sure we have soap, laundry/dish soap, and paper products and first aid stuff. I need to stock up on meds for the kids. I also need to think about candles and fuel. I've got my 72 hour kits almost done. I have two items to add (little juices and trail mix). And I have little kits in both of my cars. And then it is all about making sure the savings account has enough in it. Our stake gave us until the end of the year to have our storage and finances in order -- so we working to make that goal.

I want to get those mylar bags and the sealer (lds.org). Then I can save sugar and rice I just got on special. Has anyone worked with the mylar bags? Do they last as long as a can? Someone just told me that they didn't but that didn't seem right to me.

[skalenfehl]

That's an awesome list, Jenamarie. I have an assortment of canned goods, pastas, sauces, etc and I even have containers of whey protein to mix with water. Since meats and other sources of protein in ample quantities can perish rather quickly without the expense of large freezers, whey protein is a good alternative for our protein needs. At least for me, anyway.

I learned that it's important to store what you will end up eating. Some folks will store containers of wheat but never use it. Others will store canned veggies but hate veggies, etc. It's important to make room for the things that we and our families will actually use. I also recommend good vitamins. Many have a shelf life of a couple years. Those are good to rotate through as well.

[Iggy]

Canned:

• Tomatoes/Tomato Paste/Sauce

• Corn

• New Potatoes

• Green beans

• Petite Peas

• Carrots (these are so soft and icky to me, I will be using them in

• soups, stews and mashing them up and adding to mashed instant

• potatoes)

• Pork-n-beans

• Baked Beans (small cans as well as large cans)

• Tuna (bought only when it is $0.50 a can or less)

• Chunk Chicken (large and small cans)

• Chunk Ham (large and small cans)

• Ham (smallish size can)

• Spaghetti sauce

• Vegetable Shortening

• Evaporated milk

Jars/Bottles of:

• Spaghetti sauce

• Gravy

• Jam/Jellies

• Peanut butter

• Ketchup/mustard/Bar B Que sauce

• Salad Dressings (non-refrigerated)

• One jar of Miracle Whip (learned the hard way this stuff gets

• out date fast!)

• Vinegar (white, cider, Balsamic)

• Olive Oil

• Vegetable Oil

Boxes/envelopes of:

• Instant mashed potatoes

• Shells and Cheese (only cook in water, add nothing!)

• Lipton's Rice Sides

• Lipton's Pasta Sides

• Rice a Roni (sealed in airtight plastic- seal a meal)

• Soup mixes

• Taco seasonings for beef and chicken

• Various seeds to sprout

• Sauce mixes

Pastas:

• Macaroni

• Spaghetti

• etc. All are done up in the seal a meal to keep bugs and moisture out

Spices/Staples:

• Salt

• Pepper (ground and whole)

• Season Salt

• Mrs Dash (and any store brand that is similar)

• Etc. I don't keep much on hand, like in large amounts because spices tend to loose their oomph once they are opened. I will be sealing them up in a seal a meal once I find a container to hold them all.

• Sugar (white granulated, Splenda, brown and powdered

• Cooking cocoa

• baking soda

• etc.

Grains:

• I have some whole grains, but not very much. I just do not have anywhere to store them. Any food is too expensive if you can not store it properly and end up throwing it out.

In The Freezer:

• Real butter

• 5 lb bags of flour(white and whole wheat)

• Bread

• Meats

• Vegetables

• Single meals

Non-Food Items:

• T.Paper

• Paper Towels

• Toothpaste

• Toothbrushes

• Batteries

• Flashlights

• Hurricane Lamps

• Lamp Oil

• Laundry Detergent (liquid only)

• Laundry All Color bleach (liquid only)

• Liquid Dish Detergent

• Automatic Dish Detergent

• Dish washing scrubby sponges

• Clothes pins (need to get some non-cotton clothes line)

• Sewing items

• Bottled water (cases of 16 oz bottles)

We have approximately 3 months worth of food right now. More if we don't eat a meat at every meal. The ones who will suffer are the cats. I do need to stock up on their food. They only eat dry, so that is easier and cheaper for us to keep extra for them. I also need a better storage container for their 20 lbs bag of dry food than what I am now using. The lid is a flip lid and not secure.

[MorningStar]

Snickers

Brownie Mix

Twix

Milky Way

Toilet Paper

Maxi Pads

Cool Ranch Doritos

Hubba Bubba

Milka

Toberlone

Those chocolate orange thingies that you whack to break apart

Cheese

Junior Mints

Milk Duds

Heath Bars

M&M's

Tootsie Pops

Ice cream

Doughnuts

We just need some Reese's Peanut Butter cups and I think we're all set!

[WillowTheWhisp]

Has anybody mentioned things like antiseptic and plasters (elastoplast) candles, matches?

[Misshalfway]

Snickers

Brownie Mix

Twix

Milky Way

Toilet Paper

Maxi Pads

Cool Ranch Doritos

Hubba Bubba

Milka

Toberlone

Those chocolate orange thingies that you whack to break apart

Cheese

Junior Mints

Milk Duds

Heath Bars

M&M's

Tootsie Pops

Ice cream

Doughnuts

We just need some Reese's Peanut Butter cups and I think we're all set!

Lol! Hope you store a dentist in there somewhere!

[MorningStar]

Lol! Hope you store a dentist in there somewhere!

Why would I need that? I have no teeth. I'm still waiting for my third set to come in, but it's taking a long time.

[Iggy]

I forgot to mention the cans of soup, jars of fruit, individual cups of fruit, fruit in jello, puddings. Plastic knives, forks and spoons.

MorningStar- you crack me up. Where are the chocolate cake mixes, brownie mixes, cookie mixes? Chocolate syrup?

Willow- you are right, we should all have an extensive first aid kit. I have a shoe box filled with an assortment of bandages, but no real first aid kit. I do, however have a road side emergency kit- paid nearly $70 for it. All I need to replace in it is the emergency flare and the batteries for the flashlight and flashing beacon. The flares don't last very long and need to be replaced on a 6 months basis. Need to test the batteries too.

[meredith14]

tomatoes,tom sauce,pizza sauce

artichoke hearts,peas,corn,beans,carrots dried,mushrooms dried and canned

three bean salad

apple juice,grape juice, kool aids, juice boxes, pear and prune and tomatoe juice as well.

lots of jams jellies

cranberries

fruit cocktail

apple sauce

peache and pear,pineapple,mandrines oranges

bbq sauce, hot sauce, salad dressings, mustard, vinegar

loads of pickles, olives, hot peppers, relish, pickles beans, pickled beats,

sugar, brown, powdered, extra fine,

flour, all types

rice -three different kinds

lentels- four different kinds

barley, wheat

meats- fish, chicken, spam, tuna, clams, pork

peanut butter

soups -about 10 different kinds

canned beans- about 10 different kinds

Milks- pwd, sweet, soy, cocconut, evap

everything for baking, syrups, pwds, chocolate

salts, and seasonings

lots of chocolate and sweets

crackers

cearals

pastas-about 10 different kinds, top ramen,

first aid kits

all bathroom stuff

about 3 months of cleaning supplies except bleach, I have a year on that.

hubby has loads of guns and ammo

I'm still stuck on the fuel, we only have 8 gals of white gas for stoves and lights. I know I need more...just don't know how much.

I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of things. We are set and have been for a bit. I have a spare room and it set up to look like a store when you walk in it. I shop from food storage during the week and then when I go to the store I buy what's on sale.

[MorningStar]

MorningStar- you crack me up. Where are the chocolate cake mixes, brownie mixes, cookie mixes? Chocolate syrup?

quote]

I ate them.

[Iggy]

MorningStar- you crack me up. Where are the chocolate cake mixes, brownie mixes, cookie mixes? Chocolate syrup?

quote]

I ate them.

Then you better replace them don't ya think???

[MorningStar]

Then you better replace them don't ya think???

I did. But I got hungry.

[pam]

Can anyone else share what they have in their 3 month supply? All the things mentioned above are great items.

[Truegrits]

~~~Iggy~~~

The ones who will suffer are the cats. I do need to stock up on their food. They only eat dry, so that is easier and cheaper for us to keep extra for them. I also need a better storage container for their 20 lbs bag of dry food than what I am now using. The lid is a flip lid and not secure.

My cats & dogs also eat dry food. Actually, the dogs will eat anything! Haha

The best thing I have found to store their food in, is a container made of a durable nylon fabric (which makes it easier to store than a rigid container) and it has a large lid that screws on and off. It holds about 30 lbs. of food. I love it.

[Truegrits]

I store what my family normally eats. That makes rotation easy and less/no waste.

~~~meredith14~~~

I have a spare room and it set up to look like a store when you walk in it. I shop from food storage during the week and then when I go to the store I buy what's on sale

What a great set-up you have.

I have a large dining room, with one side having a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling built in china cabinet. I am storing my food in the bottom cabinets. The top is glass doors, so I store the china, glasses, pretty things there. I need more space though, and since the room is so large, my son-in-law is installing a wall-to-wall cabinet system on the opposite side of the room. But this one, instead of having the top cabinets, will have a buffet-style top, for serving. The bottom will all be for food storage. I just need to get mine organized better, and the extra space will help a lot.

[auntmonnie]

rice

salt

juice

pasta, many kinds

dry beans

canned veggies

canned beans

juice

water

kool aid

tomato sauce

tomatoes stewed

chicken broth, canned

TP, lots

paper towels

tampons

pads

shampoo

body wash

dish soap

bleach

fruit, canned

ham, canned

tuna, canned

matches

lamp oil

seaonings

baking items

Jello

popcorn

oatmeal

Rice mixes

mac & cheese, just water kind

gas

ammo

generator

tarps for emergencies

first aid kit

we still have a long way to go yet.

[bayoumom]

Years ago we had a visiting pianist from Poland I believe. He gave out addresses of friends etc overseas that could use supplies and for years my mother sent toothbrushes and toothpaste. I can't remember what else she sent.

So exactly how much is a years supply of TP and Paper Towels?

Right now we are pretty good for 3 months of most things maybe even more once my Walton order arrives. What I am not sure about is the stuff I put up several years ago, I had to open to see if it's still okay. I am super bad at rotating.

We've been working on the 72 hour kit. With the storm in the Gulf I guess now it's on my mind once again. If we loose electricity I should would want to know where the flashlights are (that's the trouble with having 10 grandsons.... they love flashlights).

[BenRaines]

Oh I thought the cats were a food source Iggy. :)

Ben Raines

[Iggy]

Oh I thought the cats were a food source Iggy. :)

Ben Raines

Oh Ben, I couldn't do that - I just can not eat animals that I have named.

Besides Fred only weighs in at 5 pounds. Ethel is 12 pounds, but she is rock solid and would undoubtedly be tough as nails! Once you remove the skin, fur and tails- there wouldn't be enough meat for all that work.

My Uncle raised rabbits for food- his wife flat refused to deal with chickens. She and I both loathe live chickens. We refused to gather the eggs and when the rooster attacked her, I went after it with her tennis racket. Killed it too- then she took it and dumped it into the refuse pit.

He figured she would do better with the rabbits. NOPE- she went and named them! He ended up selling them all to a neighbor.

If I give a food source animal a number then I can eat it. BUT I will not be the one butchering it. I'll cook & it, and that is it. The only creature(s) I will catch, kill, clean, cook, and eat is fish.

[abbykay13]

If you want clean water, visit my site I'm A Mormon Too! we have water filters that you can take anywhere. Get your water from a river,lake, etc and filter it. One filter can last up to 3,000 gallons of water.

It's a must if you are wanting to have clean fresh water. Free Shipping, and 20% off for LDS members!

[AngelaBarbara]

Bayoumom,

Keep track of what you use in a month. Multiply by 12. That's a year's supply.

Each family is different, so each family has to figure out what they use. Guidelines are good, but there is no substitute for actually doing the figuring yourself!