10 Best Survival Foods At Your Local Supermarket

Activist Post ^ | Oct 1, 2012

[djf]

As food prices continue to skyrocket, having a bulk supply of food is a great investment. But it also provides security and peace of mind against potential emergencies.

By now most people should be aware that grocery stores only have about 3 days of food in stock when crises strike. So if anything was to disrupt the food supply chain for an extended period of time, there would be untold chaos in most communities.

Any number of events could trigger mass disruption to a fragile food system, many of which are well documented and even predicted. Even NASA has warned its staff to prepare for potential disasters with survival foods and other precautions with their "Family Preparedness Program."

Prepping for disasters can seem overwhelming with so many aspects to be considered. However, for those just beginning to recognize how perilous these times are and are new to prepping, you can find many great survival foods at your local grocery store.

There are many fancy freeze-dried food companies offering light-weight storable meals. These are cost effective and great for new preppers. But if you don't have $1000 laying around to by a large supply, it may be better to pick up a few key items each week at the supermarket to build up your food bank gradually. And by buying base foods at the store, you'll ultimately save money.

It's best to keep your survival food list simple, and concentrate on storing foods with the highest amount of calories and the longest shelf life. This list is geared toward foods that will help you survive a crisis that lasts for extended periods of time.

Here are the ten best and cheapest survival rations available at any store:

Rice: Every time you go to the store you should buy one 10-lb bag of rice. You can find them for around $5 at most supermarkets. Rice will stay in good condition for 10 years or more if stored properly. It offers high carbohydrates which is especially important if you are exerting a lot of physical energy during a crisis.

Beans: Beans are known to be one of the best all-round survival foods. They're high in protein, and if sealed in food-grade buckets with a small amount of dried ice, they'll stay for up to ten years. Make sure to store them in a cool, dry, dark location. Buy a 4-5 lb bags of dried beans every time you go to the store. All dry beans are good to store; black beans, red beans, pinto beans, lentils, etc.

Cornmeal: All-purpose flours are good to store, but cornmeal may be the best overall. Cornmeal is packed with dense carbohydrates and contains oils that helps extend its shelf life. Additionally, if the power grid is down during a mega disaster, it is much easier to make good corn breads and tortillas with cornmeal in a simple skillet or solar oven, where refined flour will need yeast and oil to make decent bread or biscuits. Get a 5-lb bag of cornmeal ($10-$15) at each grocery visit. Seal and store the same way as beans (buckets, salt and dry ice), and it will safely keep 8 months to 2 years.

Lard: If you're a health-conscious reader, hydrogenated lard does not sound very appetizing, but in a survival situation you can't afford to be picky. Animal lard or vegetable shortening both offer much-needed calories during times of crisis, cooking oil for multiple uses, and it will keep longer than cooking oils because of the hydrogenation. Buy a 6-lb can ($12) and store in a cool, dry, and dark place and it will stay good for 2-3 years or longer.

Salt: Salt is one of the most useful survival food items. It's used for storing food, curing beef, and flavoring most meals. Salt will stay forever, so always buy extra when you're shopping.

Canned Fruit & Vegetables: These are another obvious survival food, but not as practical as many would think. They're heavy and somewhat costly for the calories they deliver. Additionally, acidic fruits and any cans with tomatoes will not keep as long as most people think. But most canned food is good for 5+ years. Buy green vegetables and fruits like peaches and pears for long-term storage, but more importantly, buy what you already eat in case you need to rotate them into your diet before they go bad.

Canned Meat: Canned meats like ham, tuna, and chicken are excellent to store. They typically will keep for 6-10 years and they're an excellent source of protein. However, if the grid is down for a long time (apocalyptic), hunting and fishing will likely provide most meats. Therefore, it may be sufficient to buy extra canned meats every other time you go shopping.

Sugar: Brown and white sugar will add much-needed flavor and calories to a survival diet and they'll keep for ten years or more if stored properly. Honey is also excellent as it will store forever. Make sure to buy extra every other time you go grocery shopping. You won't need too much, but they'll be well worth having if a crisis strikes.

Pasta: Pasta is a good light-weight storable food that is also a great source of carbohydrates. Pasta will not keep as long as rice, but it can stay for around 5 years in good conditions. Pasta is also very inexpensive and extra should be bought at each trip to the store. It will take up more space in your food bank that rice, beans and cornmeal, so plan your space the best you can.

Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a terrific source of protein, fat, and calories. Plus, it's just a great treat to have on hand. Peanut butter can last up to five years in root cellar conditions. Stock up whenever there are good deals at your grocery store. You'll be happy you did if the SHTF.

If you consistently buy these items 3-4 times per month, you'll quickly acquire a year's supply of survival rations for your whole family.

How to store it?

A really basic way to store the rice, beans, cornmeal, sugar and pastas is to buy several 5-gallon seal-able paint buckets or food-grade buckets from your local hardware store. Put a cup or so of salt into a sandwich baggie (opened) at the bottom of the buckets. Then fill it with food stuffs and add a couple of ounces of dried ice (found at large grocery stores) which will remove the oxygen from the bucket after it's sealed. Finally, label each bucket with its contents and the date, and place it in your cellar.

Please let us know what other food items you think will be useful for new preppers....

[greeneyes]

Well, if the pension checks keep coming, we have a little stash to try to help mitigate inflation. Also have a little silver dollars to hedge inflation and pay for property taxes if inflation spikes. Biggest worry is financial implosion, and no pension checks or social security.

Been thinking about that water thing too. We have a well. Still investigating how to use that manually, or how to use our generator just long enough to fill a bunch of food grade buckets a few times per week.

Just bought an above ground swimming pool on sale that holds 4000 gallons. Going to collect rainwater from the roof to water plants and garden. Reading about how to make that potable.

Print off the best of the web, and put it into a 3 ring binder for future reference.

[TexasTransplant]

***** “100g caffeine powder + chicory will make, at equivalent caffeine content, over 1000 cups of “coffee” for $9. *****

At my age .... that is a thousand year supply

I’d have to get a bunch more optimistic about my longevity

Great Post! Think I’ll have a cup of coffee

TT

[TEXOKIE]

I love millet. In fact, there is starting to be more and more evidence that modern wheat creates a lot of problems with many peoples’ bodies.

I offer this information for your consideration with utmost respect for each one’s need to decide what is right for them personally. If you are doing well with wheat, and have no health problems, ignore the following. If you have some health problems that you and your doctor have not figured out, perhaps this might be an area to explore. The systems of the body potentially affected by wheat are surprisingly diverse.

“Wheat Belly - Lose the Wheat Lose the Weight” by Dr. William Davis

http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543

Modern wheat is not what your grandma ate. It’s a genetically modified product with an opiate protein that affects appetite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfqInXc0MCE

See more related vids on “Wheatbelly” channel on Youtube such as

“Wheat the UNhealthy Whole Grain” Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSDkJEF9aBY&feature=related

[CARDINALRULES]

Cans of sweetened condensed milk. They just get better as they age to become like caramel. Many uses like adding to rice or drinks. Just make sure the cans are ok.

—

As a 47%er (Medicaid and EBT with a good chance at SSI - when I file) I can’t afford to do as much as I would like.

I get my EBT refilled at the start of the month so I plan on stocking up a little more the next two months than I have been and probably for longer.

I already have my shopping lists for the local grocery store for meats - pork steaks and country ribs this week. I need to read more about canning meats.

My Aldi’s list from what is on sale this week and staple items. 40 mile round trip so don’t get there as often as I would like. Most of my $200 will be spent here.

My W-M list of staples - gallons of water and 5# Co-Jack cheese for $15, among other items. Ice - my anemia is back and have been chewing a few bags a week for months. I can’t make it fast enough - have tried- and you do NOT want to mess with me when I’m craving Ice.

DG- canned corned beef - made in USA and for $3.50 and probably some more of the small 5oz cans of ham.

We also are lucky to have an US Foods outlet store and never know what we can get reduced. I just make sure the cans aren’t too dented. And they take EBT.

I rarely buy “junk” or convenience foods but I sometimes do for my very bad days. I usually buy meats on sale and I always look at price per unit or figure them out myself if needed.

—
Not all of us 47%ers are going to be voting for obama. I actually think of that every time I have to renew and smile when filling out the form because I know I won’t be voting like they want.

[Stonewall Jackson]

Here's another option.

[pops88]

“Ice - my anemia is back and have been chewing a few bags a week for months. I can’t make it fast enough - have tried- and you do NOT want to mess with me when I’m craving Ice.”

Interesting. I’ve been chronically anemic all my life and was quite the ice chewer. Working in a hospital, I had easy access to it. I used to test my blood on our in unit equipment regularly, as did the other nurses. I disclosed that to a new, 20th something doctor who wanted to run a bunch of test on me then. If I made it to 53, and I’ve always been that way, I’m probably fine, now take your head out of your laptop, moron...oh, and up your malpractice insurance because you’re an idiot.

[CARDINALRULES]

I should have known it wasn’t just because almost 2 months of high 90’s and 100+ heat and it was the anemia again. I would have started eating more beef and taking the dreaded iron pills again. But no, I had to let it get to the point I can’t breathe, heart pounds and I get dizzy doing the slightest thing like walking 10 feet to get my next cup of ice.

It should be well known that a lot of people that chew ice might be anemic. I have known that since I was a teen. But then doctors don’t know every thing but some think they do.

—
I love the ice at the hospital as it is like Sonic ice. Twice in 2010 I was in there for a week and then two weeks and the nurses probably liked me -except when they had to do a new IV line- because I was happy as long as they kept my cups full -no water. I drank water bottles I had my mom bring so they were fine with the no water in my ice.

—
Just looked and saw it is the 3rd now - 2 years ago tonight I was in the ER and on the 4th I went to my doctor the first time and she put me in the hospital after about a 15 minute visit. Was in there 2 weeks and had to have 7 IV sites and those are the ones that lasted a day or two.

Have managed not to go back again but just a matter of time.

—
Good thing we have cast iron pans and I can get some iron that way when SHTF. Actually think I will start using the griddle more now to help. I hate the pills as they make me sick.

[djf]

Just buy a bit extra whenever you can. And it’s best to buy something you normally don’t eat, what I mean is another gallon of ice cream isn’t survival food, it won’t last long enough.

Hang in there and spread the word, talk about it with your neighbors. There’s a very good chance you know how to do something that few others around you can.

Surviving is going to mean preparations, but it will also mean community.

As far as iron ingestion goes, check your diet and check Google. There are alot of things dietary wise that will almost totally block a persons absorption of iron.

Hang in there. We will need can-do people if SHTF. People who are willing to ask questions and learn.

Whiners need not apply!

;-)

[Kartographer]

Here’s a nother option. CVS has Dak Canned Hams on sale this week 2 for $5.00. If they are out get a rain check. Thry will do it and honor them I got 10 that way.

[Bitsy]

Thanks, I’ll look it up.

[gopheraj]

I re-use the soaking water on my beans. I wash them before hand to get rid of dirt. Soaking cuts down on cook time and will soak the “toots” out. You have to throw the water out and re-wash the beans to get the flatulence stuff off but in bad times, I would think that “toots” would be the least of our problems. ;)

[MileHi]

Thanks

[USARightSide]

Thanks for excellent description.
(Wonder how far from neighbors - - -) : )
Much dedication here.
Ever featured on TV, as others have been?

As you may know, very few basements in California - - -

[dervish]

impressive.

Just got finished with another batch of dried tomatoes.

I love the sound of oxygen absorbers in canning jars. Pong.

[TEXOKIE]

One thing that can be done with a vacuum sealer is to use it to pack big fluffy items such as a jacket if you are going on a trip or are storing it. It will take the air out and shrink it into a much smaller area so you have room for other stuff in your luggage or on the shelf.

[piasa]

Pancake mix is pretty risky in long term storage.

[Carriage Hill]

Thanks, but you’re the impressive one if you can various foods. Even as a Farmer with 20ac, I never took the time to do it. I was always too busy with the Family Business and many, many employees. I envy you and all who can their foods. I can grow anything like the dickens, but never took the time to learn canning.

[Excellence]

It would be better to unpack a bit at a time than have 25# of rice sitting around. I bought a bag of rice at Costco. It took three years to go through it.