1 Week’s Food Storage Supply (Printable List)

Today, I want to share some ideas for a one week’s food storage supply for one person. I want to make this simple so everyone can understand the concept of food storage and then follow through to put a plan in place to do it. Here’s the deal, you may or may not like the food stored in your pantry or basement as much as you do fresh items, I get it.

I would love freshly served food, too, but we need a plan B in an emergency. So, I hope this gives you some ideas to prepare for the unexpected or add to what you have stored right now. Please remember that if the grocery stores are empty after an unforeseen emergency, you need to figure out how you will feed your family.

Let’s start with the basics, and you add your fluff, like chocolate chips. Yeah, baby, we need chocolate. Please understand that what I’m suggesting isn’t diet or calorie specific. If you have special food needs, you must make some adjustments to these items for your diet or health needs.

Be sure to check out this PRINTABLE: FSM Meal Planning Schedule

1 Week’s Food Storage Supply

Water

We need 4 gallons of water per day per person. We need to hydrate our food, cook our food, have water for personal hygiene maintenance, and wash our laundry, or at least our underwear. So, one person per week needs 28 gallons (4 gallons a day for seven days). Now, that may seem like a lot, but it’s not. I can almost hear, “But I have three kids and my partner, so I need to store 140 gallons of water. (28 gallons times 5 people=140 gallons).

This doesn’t mean you will be hauling that much water somewhere; you store it on your property somewhere. I had the majority of my bulk storage in the garage, some outside with UV covers to protect the water, some in WaterBrick containers under a queen-size bed, etc. Be sure to place two by 4’s of wood at least two inches off the ground or concrete to keep chemicals from leaching into your water containers.

Please take the figure of 28 gallons per person and calculate how to store what YOU need for your family. There are lots of options when it comes to water storage containers.

How to store 28 gallons:

Be sure to use a Lead-Free Hose to fill any water containers. I also use Water Preserver, so I only have to rotate the water every five years. If you use unscented bleach, you will need to rotate the water every six months. Please store water in several different ways—one container at a time—and buy right the first time.

WaterBrick 3.5 Gallon BPA Free Portable and Stackable – 10 Pack (these would equal approx. 35 gallons)

The awesome thing about the WaterBricks is the fact that they hold 3.5 gallons each. When filled with water, they weigh about 27 pounds. They have a handle and you can purchase a spigot for them as well. They stack on top of each other, or you can stand them up. I put several under my queen size bed in Southern Utah.

55-Gallon Water Barrels I have had four of these stored outside with a UV Barrel Cover (unavailable at this time)to protect them from the heat in the summer. These need a Bung and a Water Pump to get the water out when needed.

5 Gallon Water Containers (Six of these equals 30 gallons) In case you missed this post, The Best 5-gallon Water Jugs

BlueCans I’m sure you know that I store cases of this water by now. There is no need to rotate, and the boxes stack easily under a bed or behind the couch or a dresser. The cheapest place to find these is at Brownell’s. If they’re out of stock, put your name on a waiting list; they’re worth the wait. I buy the 24 cans (12 ounces each) in a box. So, if these equal 2.25 gallons per box, you will need just over ten cases per person per week. (Approx. 13 cases per person) I would use this water for drinking or cooking only.

I quote BlueCans website:

“1 Case – 12 oz of water per can – 24 cans per case – 2.25 gallons of water per case Pure Fresh Taste, Hermetically Sealed, Purified with 12-step Filtration, Reverse Osmosis, UV Light Treatment, Eco-Friendly Packaging, Tested BPA Free, No Chlorine or Flouride.”

Protein

Today, I am talking about cans of food. Some of you may have a freezer full of meat, but many don’t. It’s quite simple: You need seven cans of protein per week. You can choose from chicken, pork, beef, corned beef, Spam, roast beef, or beans. If you have the option to cook, you can buy bags of beans. I purchase both bulk and cans. Today, we are breaking out what to purchase for one person for a week.

If you never buy anything in a can to eat, that’s awesome. What’s neat about buying canned food for your storage stash? I love canned food, but by the way, it’s easy to store. And all you need is a can opener when it’s time to prepare a meal. In case you missed this post, Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store

At the end of the year, if you don’t eat all the cans of food stored, please check the expiration dates and donate them to the food bank. The food banks need our help for those less fortunate.

Of course, make sure you have a good can opener, Small Can Opener, and a Large can opener.

Vegetables

Do we love fresh vegetables? Yes, indeed. But today, we are talking about food storage for the pantry. If you have a garden, that is awesome, but not all gardens grow year-round. It’s quite simple: You need 7 cans of vegetables per week. Pick your favorites. We love green beans, corn, asparagus, carrots, canned potatoes, and beets. I love pickled beets, too!

Fruit

I love canned fruit at home, so if you have some, you rock! But today, it’s all about cans of fruit. You’ll need fruit in your canning jars or cans from the store. Remember, we are stocking your pantry for seven days. Choose seven cans of your favorite canned fruits. You may love pears, peaches, Mandarin oranges, apricots (hard to find), and applesauce. Do you see how many fruits you can choose from? If I had a bag of tortilla chips, I could eat a small jar of salsa. Don’t tell anyone! Tomatoes are a fruit, remember.

Grains

Now, let’s make this simple: for one person for seven days, you will need a 16-ounce bag of rice. I love Jasmine rice! If you want quinoa, stock quinoa. That’s what is great about breaking down the foods we need for seven days.

Dairy

You can start with one package (approximately 26 ounces) of instant milk. Luckily, you have water stored, so you can mix it with the instant milk to drink or pour it on your cereal.

If you want to store butter, I have tried every powdered butter offered in #10 cans. I gagged over all of them. Here’s the deal: They are fine for baking, but I would not spread that stuff on my toast or pancakes.

If the butter is essential to you, I get it. Grab a few cans of this brand. Yes, it is pricey, but you get what you pay for. Red Feather Canned Butter (unavailable at this time).

In case you missed my post on which powdered eggs to buy, How to Use Powdered Eggs, I can only recommend these OvaEasy eggs for scrambled eggs, quiches, etc. OvaEasy Eggs don’t have a long shelf life.

Miscellaneous

Please note that I did not add baking supplies to this list. If you cook or bake from scratch, your pantry is ready now.

Pancake Mix (16-ounce box)

Syrup

One box of Biscuit Mix

Cereal

Peanut butter and Jam (one small jar of each)

One box of your favorite crackers, I like Ritz, Saltine, Chicken in a Biscuit.

Tortilla Chips

Flour Tortillas

One jar of salsa (I would need two or three jars!)

1 Week’s Food Storage Supply

Final Word

I hope you enjoyed my post today on one Week’s Food Storage Supply! It’s quite simple: We do not need 10 cans of freeze-dried food, at least not right now. The prices are 4 to 5 times what I paid them 10-15 years ago.

I can’t even justify commercially prepared dehydrated food right now because food, in general, is so expensive. If you prefer buckets of food storage for each person, so be it. Please compare ounces to ounces in #10 cans; they vary greatly, as do the shipping costs.

Take your family to the store and have them fill their box for seven days or two weeks. You can label their boxes with their name and how many days they will feed them. Not only will it be fun, but you will also have food storage for each family member. Please remember to store what you eat; it’s quite fun, my friends. May God Bless this world, Linda

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