Emergencies can happen at any time and without warning. Many can be terrifying, and things can worsen if you aren’t prepared. This is why you should have a pantry stocked with food before the emergency event so that your family has something they can fall back on until your situation improves. Follow these tips to learn how to stock your pantry.
Please note I continually update posts sometimes more than once. I will add new information and change out old information because things change. The last time this post was updated was 4-5-2021. I have new readers every day and I’m grateful I can teach them new items I learn.
I call my pantry my in-home grocery store. There is something about not having to run to the store for a can of this or a bag of that. Whatever, it helps me stay out of the grocery stores. I still have to go get milk and bananas for Mark’s cereal each morning, but that’s it for most days. In case you missed this post, Cooking From Scratch 101
How to Stock Your Pantry
Are you afraid of being labeled a “doomsday prepper” like the people you see on TV? You shouldn’t. Having an emergency food pantry is pretty smart and has nothing to do with living in fear. Get to work stocking your pantry with these tips. I updated this post, which was written a few years ago, as requested by some of my readers.
1. An Established Pantry Takes Time
For most of us, we simply can’t afford to buy an entire pantry’s worth of food with only a few trips to the grocery store. It’s not a logical decision because you have other expenses to account for in your budget. Stocking a pantry takes time and planning. You need to make notes of what your family prefers to eat and how to organize things based on preferences and meal plans. I’d start with pantry staples and add to your inventory over a few weeks.
Remember that you will also be paying a lot more if you choose this route, which brings me to my next point. In case you missed this post, Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store
2. Look For Deals
I love a good bargain, whether it’s when I’m shopping for a new pair of shoes or when my local grocery store has an awesome sale on all of its canned goods. You can save a lot of money by waiting for those deals and then stocking up instead of buying everything at full retail.
Just try not to wipe out the entire grocery shelf by hoarding those items because that won’t be fair to other customers. Please ask your grocery store managers to have “case lot sales” if they don’t already. If we can have them here in Utah and in the surrounding states, other states should also have them. They seem to be most common in late summer or early fall. It could be they are based on harvest and related manufacturing schedules.
It all depends on supply and demand, I’m sure. You may be wondering where I put all this food, and I have some closets that I use to stock different foods. I have a small home, so that’s my life right now.
3. Only Buy What You Will Eat
You know your family better than anyone, so don’t waste your money on food your kids won’t touch, even if their lives depend upon it. Those canned mushrooms may seem like an excellent deal at the time, but if you’re the only one eating them, it won’t do your family much good. Stock your emergency pantry with foods that everyone enjoys. Get the family involved in the emergency stash shopping trips, and don’t be tempted to make impulse buys. Stick with the basics as outlined here and make the most of your food budget.
4. Keep Allergies in Mind
For those of you who have family members with food allergies, I’m sure that you take their needs into account every time you’re at the grocery store. You’ll want to do the same when creating a stockpile for your pantry so that they have something healthy to eat without allergy concerns.
That doesn’t mean you can’t still stock up on some of those food items for your other family members, but you will want to keep them in your pantry separately so there’s no mix-up. You may want to make a list of the foods you’re concerned about so if others prepare a meal when you’re gone they understand the issues.
5. Have a Variety
It’s a big deal to have a variety of foods your family can eat during an emergency. Your situation may already be challenging and tedious enough, and if all you have are cans of fruits and vegetables to hold you over, that will be one more reason for your kids to complain.
Instead, have a variety of pasta, grains, nuts, and snacks for emergencies so that you don’t end up with food going to waste.
6. Buy in Bulk
Purchasing foods in bulk makes a lot of sense for large families. It saves them money on items that their family eats a lot of and means fewer trips to the grocery store. Consider buying foods like bagged rice, dried beans, and peanut butter that you can keep in your pantry. By creating different dishes with these items, you’ll get several meals out of them. Bulk buying usually saves money, too!
I like to check how much items cost by the ounce. Sometimes we get caught up buying a certain brand or certain size container out of habit. Most stores now post not only the price but how much it costs by the ounce or pound. You may be surprised that an item you thought was pricey is actually a good deal based on its unit cost.
7. Preserve Your Grown Vegetables
You don’t have to rely entirely on the grocery store for all your emergency pantry needs. You could also preserve the vegetables you grew from your garden and enjoy them when needed.
They taste better, too! I have many tips on my blog for those of you who have never canned before. In case you missed this post, Home Canning-Important Do’s and Don’ts
Dehydrating Posts I have done:
- Dehydrating Apples
- Dehydrating Bananas
- Dehydrating Blackberries and Powder
- Dehydrating Blueberries and Powder
- Dehydrating Cilantro
- Dehydrating Cucumbers and Powder
- Dehydrating Ginger and Powder
- Dehydrating Kale and Kale Powder
- Dehydrating Kiwi
- Dehydrating Lemons and Powder
- Dehydrating Marshmallows
- Dehydrating Peppermint Marshmallows and Powder
- Dehydrating Mushrooms and Mushroom Powder
- Dehydrating Onions and Powder
- Dehydrating Pears
- Dehydrating Pineapple
- Dehydrating Raspberries and Powder
- Dehydrating Spinach and Powder
- Dehydrating Strawberries
- Dehydrating Tomatoes and Powder
- Dehydrating Watermelon
8. Have a Rotation System in Place
Non-perishable foods may have a much longer shelf life, but that doesn’t mean they never go bad. You’ll want a rotation system to use up anything nearing its expiration date.
At the same time, you’ll want to replenish that item with more product so that your pantry doesn’t start to thin out.
One way of doing this is to keep the older dated items on the front of your shelf and, when you purchase more similar items with a new date, place them behind the older ones.
9. Stock Up on Non-Perishable Food Items
Now that you have a better understanding of some of the do’s and don’ts when stocking your pantry, you need to purchase foods that will last you a long time. Here’s a closer look at some non-perishable food items you should consider stocking up on.
- Canned fruits and veggies
- Canned soups and stews
- Canned meats (beef, chicken, turkey, fish, etc.)
- Canned or dried beans (great for chili if it’s cold outside)
- Boxed pasta
- Rice
- Tomato sauce and paste
- Vinegar
- Oatmeal (as long as you have a heating method if the power is out)
- Powdered milk
- Spices (salt, pepper, cinnamon, sugar, etc.)
- Condiments (mustard, ketchup, mayo, BBQ sauce, hot sauce)
- Applesauce
- Protein bars
- Beef sticks, jerky
- Nuts, trail mix ( keep in mind food allergies)
- Peanut butter (most families with children can’t go without this food item)
- Honey
- Snack items: Chips, snack cakes, fruit snacks, candy, etc. (It’s okay to fall back on comfort foods during an emergency. Remember that most don’t store for very long, so you will want to rotate them out regularly.)
In case you didn’t know, I was asked to write a book called “Prepare Your Family For Survival.”
Final Word
As long as you follow these basic steps, stocking your pantry can be easy while saving you money. It also prevents those last-minute extra trips to the grocery store. Your family will also be left with one less thing to worry about if an emergency ever happens to you. What are some tips you have for stocking your pantry? May God Bless this world, Linda.
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