What to Do For Food in a Survival Situation

When you find yourself in a do-or-die situation, knowing what to do for food for your survival is essential. Not only do you want to gather enough food for you to eat throughout the coming days, weeks, and possibly even months, but you also want to ensure that your loved ones living with you are also covered.

When you know how to get food, your chances of survival dramatically increase. It becomes easier for you to get through devastating situations and come out alive. Let’s talk about what to do for food in a survival situation.

If there was ever a time in our Country when food was expensive for families, it’s now. It’s not going to get better in the short run, although the Federal Reserve is reporting that inflationary trends seem to be tapering off. I’m reading that farmers must sell their land because they can’t afford to feed their livestock or fertilize their crops.

What constitutes a “survival situation” may be different for each family. If you’ve planned ahead and set aside food storage and water for a disaster, you’re certainly in better circumstances than families who haven’t. Few of us picture ourselves with a bow and arrow, traps, snares, or fish bait and hooks as the only means to acquire survival food. It could come to that, but the best plans are to start now, gather foods we’ll eat, and rotate them so we don’t exceed expiration dates.

What to Do For Food in a Survival Situation

1. Contact Family and Friends

Mark and I have always been taught to use family as our first source of support when struggling to feed our family. There are so many reasons families can find themselves faced with the challenge of providing enough food for themselves. The events of 2020 and 2021 due to the virus have shown us what is possible.

Businesses suspended operations, people have been furloughed or laid off, and families have lost the key breadwinner for some time or permanently. Even in normal conditions, people get sick, have accidents, lose their physical ability to work, companies have layoffs, and more.

If you haven’t stored enough food to support your family correctly, the first source you should reach out to is your extended family. Sure, they may not have the resources needed, but you need to ask. You may be surprised who is willing and able to step up with at least some help, either financially or with foodstuffs.

We call certain people in our circle “friends” because we not only enjoy their association and company, but they are a source who can hopefully “have your back” by providing some financial help or the food itself. It’s not easy to ask, I get it, but true friends will understand your circumstances and try to do what they can to step up and help. Remember, if the situation were reversed, you would do the same for them.

2. Reach Out to Governmental Agencies

We are all familiar with family, neighbors, fellow church members, and others who have had to rely on food stamps, EBT cards, and other programs to help them properly feed their families. Most of us haven’t had to deal with a situation like that, but we shouldn’t shy away from taking advantage of those programs if needed.

If the current circumstances are primarily due to the loss of work, check into unemployment compensation as a source of funds to buy food. It may prompt you to swallow your pride, but remember, you’ve been paying your fair share of taxes over the years, and now it is your turn to benefit from various government programs.

3. Visit Local Churches and Food Pantries

You can next stop by local churches and food pantries to see what it takes to qualify for their support. Even if they determine you don’t qualify, they may be able to recommend other non-profits or support organizations that could help. Don’t be afraid to ask at every turn what people you contact may suggest.

Many churches collect canned foods and other non-perishable items they give to needy families yearly. They may still stock those items for you to grab and carry home.

4. Pick Crops From Family and Community Gardens

Take some time to look into any community gardens operating in your area. You will probably need to spend some time working in the garden before you can take home any of the grown products. The required time may be reduced if you have other family members who can donate time and muscle.

Although your tummy may be unable to wait for the produce when the survival situation presents itself, consider getting involved with these groups now. When something does come up, you’re already in the trenches, working to support your family and others in need.

Also, consider approaching neighbors you may know about those who have family gardens to see if they would be willing to share some fruits and veggies. If you explain your situation to them, they are more than likely willing to provide some help. Offer to help pull weeds, cultivate the soil, or whatever in exchange for produce.

Although these crops won’t last long unless you can preserve them, you can still put them to good use by eating them and giving them to loved ones to stay full until your next meal. Access to fruits and vegetables is beneficial when you don’t know when you’ll have your next full meal.

5. Know Which Foods Are Safe to Eat in the Wild

Many of us don’t live close to rural areas where native plants are growing in the wild so we don’t know which plants are edible wild plants. Before dealing with an actual survival situation, taking your family on an exploratory venture in the mountains or other open areas reasonably close to home may be a good idea. Take some time to ensure you know what is and isn’t safe to eat out in the wild and how to recognize them. During desperate times, you’ll need to search for different things you can consume, such as berries growing on bushes and trees, flowers that aren’t toxic to ingest, forage, and even some insects. 

While it probably doesn’t sound ideal, there may come a time when you’ll need to consume grasshoppers and crickets to survive. Collect what you can and begin storing them in any containers you might have available. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a plastic container or a glass one, as long as you have what you need to survive. 

Consider taking up fishing if you’re near a body of water. You’ll learn what fish are available, the license and daily limits, and you can have fun with your family. You never know when what you learn now will be helpful in a survival situation. Some people pressure (can) jars or freeze the fish so it’s available for future consumption. Give it a try!

6. Ration: What You Can Find to Make It Last Longer

Once you’ve collected certain foods, you must ration what you can to make it last longer. Eating a lot is tempting when you haven’t had a good meal in a long time. However, if you overeat one day, you might not have enough for the next several days or weeks. 

Ration everything you have between yourself and your loved ones to ensure everyone gets something to hold them over for the day. Not only will you need to ration your food, but you’ll also need to do it with water. 

If you haven’t found a spot to collect clean water to drink, you need to do what you can to make what you have last as long as possible. For that reason, it’s such a good idea to have a water filter straw that you can use to drink from many bodies of water you can find. Life Straw I like the products from Big Berkey and Portawell when it comes to having a water filtering system available.

Which Items to Store for Survival 

So, which items are best to bring home in the food pantry or church storehouse? You may not be given a choice, but I’d try to find these essential items if at all available:

• Peanut Butter. It’s a great source of protein, contains plenty of calories, and can keep you full. It also lasts longer than many other items!
• Canned Meats. Look for canned meats, such as chicken, ham, tuna, and sausages. The protein in these meats can leave you feeling more energized and full.
• Protein Bars. They’re easy to carry around with you, don’t go rancid quickly, and can keep you full for extended periods.
• Canned Vegetables. Try to get the vitamins and nutrients from different canned vegetables, such as green beans, beets, peas, and carrots.
• Rice and Pasta. They have a long shelf life and can be used with so many meals. They are also fairly inexpensive.
• Grains. Mark and I have numerous buckets of wheat so we can grind it for bread, if the need arises. Also, consider oats for oatmeal. You can also combine some nuts for granola.
• Instant Milk. My shelves have plenty of small “pantry” cans of instant milk from Thrive Life, the company I buy my freeze dried items from. If you have instant milk and some drinkable water, meal planning in a pinch in much easier and provides many of the nutrients we need.

In case you missed this post, Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store

Final Word

When you need food for survival due to an emergency, these are some things you can do. While eating items found outside doesn’t always sound appetizing, it can save your life during some of the most challenging times. How would you handle a survival situation if one comes your way? May God Bless this world, Linda.

Copyright Images: Food Donation Box AdobeStock_302131975 by happy_lark, Food Distribution Center AdobeStock_538041256 By TSViPhoto

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