Prepare: Getting Started Part Two Food

Overwhelmed? Gettting prepared is too much work? The thought of building a one year food supply seems too daunting? Never fear, the journey starts with a single step.

Survival experts say building a supply of stored foods for an emergency should be a priority. Whether it is a three day supply in the car or six months at home, having stored food is a great insurance policy. Many who are suffering in today's economy have been thankful they put back extra food. They have been able to live off their preps while money has been tight.

If you are new to prepping, maybe you have been reading some of those SHTF fiction stories online and feel completely out classed as the hero places an order for a one year supply of LTS food from Mountain House without a care in the world. It sure gets depressing when you look at your bank balance and know a similar action would be impossible.

But here's what you CAN do. You CAN buy extra food in small amounts and put it back for a hard time. You only need a plan and to get started. Don't get stressed because there is not a pallet of number ten cans piled up in the basement. Rather, focus on getting a one week supply, then two, then one month and so on. OR start getting certain bulk foods each week or every paycheck and building a multi month stockpile of food one at a time.

Note: we all eat differently. I know in my house, we are more likely to make meals from frozen or fresh meat, fresh vegetables and starches like rice, pasta or potatoes. In your home, you may use more canned and packaged foods. As long as there is not a dependence on "to go" meals or pre-packaged foods like TV dinners then a food storage plan can be developed.

And in a survival situation, we will have to make compromises in what we eat anod where it comes from.

So, for our survival food storage program, we are going to make some deliberate shopping choices when we go to the supermarket.

The easiest way to start is the "buy two" plan. Instead of buying one or two packages of spaghetti noodles, pick up twice as much. Two packages go in the pantry and the other two go into a storage bucket or bin. Take a piece of paper and write down what is in the bin and the quantity. Use this strategy and put extra effort on dried and canned goods.

Or you can start buying bulk sizes. A one pound bag of rice may be enough for a couple of meals. But for about the same price per pound, maybe even less, we can buy a twenty five or fifty pound bag of rice. Rather than going to the grocery store, we will get bulk purchases like these from the warehouse club or a specialty ethnic store.

The same can be done with pasta, dried potatoes, flour, sugar, salt, and spices.

Again, don't do this all at once. Week one, buy a fifty pound bag of rice. Week two, buy ten or twenty pounds of pasta. Week three buy twenty five pounds of brown sugar and so on.

Once a month, take an inventory of what is in the pantry and in storage. Then make a "fill in the blanks" shopping trip. That is, pick up the items missing which will complete a one or two week food supply. A few cans of chicken or tuna. Some canned soups. Maybe some bullion cubes or peanut butter. As they say, rinse and repeat. Once the checklist says that a one week food supply is complete, aim for a two week, then one month and so on.

Are warehouse prices better than the grocery store? Sometimes they are. Check the per can or package price and compare to your local market. My warehouse store has 12 cans of tomato sauce in a box for about six dollars. That's .50 a can. My grocery store has a similar product for about .80 a can, so the warehouse store wins.

However, grocery store brand canned vegetables are often cheaper, when on sale and are often three cans for a dollar. Keep a comparison "price book", watch sales and clip coupons. Again, if canned grean beans are on sale, pick up twice as many as you think you will use and store the extra.

Finally, understand where food comes from. You can raise some of your own food. Start a small vegetable garden in the yard. Plant tomatos and herbs in pots on the patio or porch. Plant a fruit tree. You can start a real food insurance program if you have the ability to produce some of what you eat.

Don't get overwhelmed about building a food supply. Start small on your food plans and build from there.

Get your supply of storable food at eFoodsDirect.com!

Prepare: The Prepper Diet

The new year means it is time to get rid of those holiday pounds. At least that is what many think this time of year. Dieting, working out, join a gym, and so on.

I have been working out for some time; a mixture of running daily with weights. I refuse to put money into a gym if I cannot guarantee I will go daily, so I lift in my garage.

This year, I tried something different and am killing two birds with one stone. I put myself on the Prepper Diet. I only eat the foods I am storing and plan on eating if the SHTF.

For breakfast, its oatmeal. I only put honey on it as refrigerated milk will not be available (I have dried milk, but I am saving that for the kids). I also put some dried fruit on from time to time as well.

For lunch and dinner its rice, beans and ramen noodles. I make two cups of rice a day in the rice cooker and eat that throughout the day. I used canned beans for the first few days, but then switched to dry. I cook a big pot and eat them for two days straight.

The ramen are considered a treat and are not eaten daily.

The other day, I had four crackers with one of my meals again, as a treat and to break up the monotony. I only add salt and garlic powder to the beans and rice.

To drink, its tea or water only.

The diet results: I have last about six or seven pounds since starting. Yes, its starting to get boring and I have found myself staring at the can of Pringles in the pantry or the cookies left over from the holidays, but I am resisting so far.

One thing I do is tell myself that those other foods are for the kids and if this truly was SHTF time, I would eat less anyway and save as much as possible for the family.

This has been fun to try and if I lose some of this gut, then its a good thing. Finally, there is no reason to store rice, beans, noodles and the rest unless you really eat the stuff and are ready to live off it.

That's it.

Prepare: Budget Survival Food List

I have made similar entries on this topic before, but it comes up frequently in conversations with others unfamiliar or new to preparing.

Food. We take for granted that the grocers will be open twenty four by seven down the street or that Costco will have pallets of food always available. The reality is, we have it good with the amount and supply of food in our stores. It was not always that way.

"The First Things To Go After A Crisis"

Two generations ago, the standard grocery store was a corner Piggly Wiggly not much bigger than a 7-11. It was dominated by canned goods and staples like flour and sugar. Produce was out front in barrows for passersby to examine and purchase. A butcher stood at the back of the store and cut steaks and chops to order. There was no plastic wrapped meat and shoppers had a limited, but fresh choice of meats.

A generation before that, we had open markets with butchers, green grocers and the like often time hawking still living animals like chickens, geese and ducks. Eggs sat in baskets next to metal covered cans of milk.

And here we are today. With massive warehouses of food minutes away from home. Walmart, Sams, Costco and he numerous supermarkets as well.

Food, comparatively speaking to earlier generations, is still cheap. Those oranges from Brazil, coconuts and bananas from the Pacific, limes from Mexico were unheard of in our grandparents time. And the cost back then would have been a working man's wages for a handful or bananas or lemons.

However, at the same time that food is available and cheap, it is also a blink away from being gone. For instance, what happens when gasoline is no longer available for shipping? Or if civil war breaks out in Mexico? Or a virus or bug affects crops in Florida or North Dakota?

We depend so much upon healthy water, air, conditions, weather, relations with other countries and fuel that any of these factors or a combination of them could disrupt our food supplies in just a few days.

Fortunately for you and me, most of our fellow citizens are still scarfing down a) fast food, b) to go meals from restaurants, c) prepared foods from the gourmet grocers, d) frozen meals and e) a pre-packaged diet plan advertised by a middle aged celebrity which means..

There is plenty of food for us today and tomorrow to stock up on. Regular things like produce, meat, canned and packaged food, and frozen staples. That means we can stock up now and go back for more tomorrow before it is all gone.

With the diminishing power of the dollar, how long before Mexico, Chile or Brazil decide they aren't going to send any more lemons, limes, oranges or bananas our way?

Or what if the Middle East goes nuclear bonkers (five minutes away any day) and oil shoots to 200.00 a barrel? Nearly everything in the store will be in short supply or so high priced your mortgage payment will look like a deal compared to food.

With money tight, what can you do today?

First, stock up on things which can make meals for several days and months. Not a frozen "hot pocket pizza" but real food.

Suggestions -

- Rice
- Dried beans
- Powdered milk
- oil and cooking lard
- canned vegetables and fruit
- canned meats like tuna and salmon.
- Sugar, syrup and honey.
- spices
- salt
- canned soups
- flour, baking powder and baking soda

All of these foods will keep for months if not years. And when combined together, can make healthy and filling foods.

This will work as long as water and power are available. For water, start storing water now and have a plan to get more. Even rain water can be filtered and boiled and drunk. Further power can come from a hot plate attached to a car battery if need be.

Best of all, budget and money. These foods above are relatively inexpensive. Unlike Long Term Foods like MRE, these ingredients can be combined to make many meals over a long period of time. MRE and the like are good for short term, on the move meals and worse of all, are very expensive.

So, save some money, make a list and start stockpiling these foods now. One more piece of advice, augment your stored food with a decent garden. Seeds are real cheap and available right now.

SHTF: Real Last Minute End Of The World Grocery List

The SHTF.. Zombies are running in the streets.. Nuclear weapons have exploded..

So you have one last chance to hit the grocery stores and add to your stocks at home.

Hopefully, you already have a multi-month supply of food on hand. There is no way one trip to Kroger or Safeway, (along with everyone else) is going to leave you with enough to survive the coming months and years.

Here are some things to grab while the getting is good and everyone else is grabbing beer, cigarettes, candy and liquor.

Food preservation -
Canning jars
Canning rings and lids
Canning salt
Salt, kosher, regular, rock and sea salt
Vinegar

Paper products -
Paper towels
Paper napkins
Paper plates
Toilet paper
Feminine products

Cleaning supplies -
Bleach
Lysol (spray)
Mr. Clean, Pine sol or similar type product
Sponges
Mop heads
Tub and tile cleaner
Ammonia

Cooking oil and lard -
Vegetable oil
Crisco or similar type product
Olive oil (often overlooked in the ethnic food sections)
Pam or other cooking spray

Food packaging -
Zip lock bags
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Plastic bags
Food saver bags

Medical -
Aspirin
Vitamins
OTC cold remedies
Stomach and digestion medicine
Herbal supplements
Bandages, first aid supplies
Sunblock
Insect repellent
Rubbing alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide

House and home -
Mouse and rat traps
Borax
Insect spray
WD-40
Liquid plumber

Fuel and lighting -
Matches and lighters
Camp fuel (if available)
Charcoal (use first, does not last long).
Lamp oil (citronella for instance)
Batteries (will be going fast and first, check the check out aisles).
Flashlights (same as batteries but necessary).

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables -
Potatoes, onions, carrots, shallots, turnips, beets and any other root vegetable lasts a very long time - take what is left.
Apples and oranges if available

Cooking supplies -
Yeast
Baking powder
Baking soda (also a cleaner)
Flour (who is going to loot flour?)
Sugar
Salt
Dehydrated egg whites
Powdered milk
Baking mixes including corn bread, bisquick and pancake mix

Miscellaneous -
Protein powder
Protein bars
Weight loss drinks (full of protein)
Bullion cubes
Energy drinks
Tea bags
Coco

Most of the items on this list are "boring" to the average panicked looter. Remember, they will be grabbing comfort foods (soda, sweets), canned goods and expensive vices (liquor, beer, cigarettes, cigars, ice (of all things!) and chocolate.

Take what is available and keep in mind non-traditional outlets for food like convenience stores, dollar stores and truck stops.

Stay safe and don't bring children or elderly along during these forays.

Good luck and get ready!

Remember to comment and click below! I want your feedback!

SHTF: Food Riots

A long time ago, I wrote a post which basically laughed at concept of "food riots". For the most part, I stick by what I said which is "food riots" are unlikely in our present situation.

BUT and that's a big but, there are some situations which would lead quickly to rioting over food.

Here are some real scenarios which might lead to food riots.

Long term trucking strike - Teamsters (and truckers in general), emboldened by a new Democratic political leadership and inspired by repeated bailouts and favors for other strained industries demand lower fuel costs, increased wages, lower taxes on their rigs and better working conditions.

When Congress and private business is unable to meet their demands, truckers begin a sudden and rapid shutdown of trucking across the country. At first average drivers notice less traffic on the freeways and enjoy their shorter commutes. But as gasoline deliveries cease, and businesses start closing for lack of deliveries, the country begins to worry.

The president considers issuing an emergency order temporarily nationalizing critical parts of the trucking industry which further exacerbates the problem. Consumers start to make runs on banks, grocers and retailers to stock up so they ride out the crisis.

Grocery stores run out of critical products in the first day and within three days are nearly out of stock of most items. The President orders National Guard troops to start transporting food stocks from distribution warehouses, but the allocation becomes a political nightmare as various members of Congress, state governors and well connected city mayors get preferential deliveries to their constituents over other, less well connected leaders.

As the accusations start to fly, people begin to panic. Convenience stores, vending machines and restaurants are stripped of anything edible by roving mobs caught up in the situation. Criminals begin targeting homes for food stocks rather than cash or jewelry. Grocery store managers and owners are targeted for violence and kidnapping.

As some deliveries make their way into the cities, mobs overrun the trucks and distribution points leading to shootings and gun battles with police. Several cities go under curfew and the Guard is called out.

Hospitals, day care centers, schools and other institutions are either out of food or on short rations leaving the most vulnerable to starvation and illness. The situation spirals out of control as the President comes on television to announce to a hungry nation he is ordering national martial law and nationalization of the entire food production chain in the U.S. for the duration...


A distant war
A sudden flash fire war breaks out as Israel drops conventional bombs on Iran which escalates to a small scale nuclear conflict in the region. As a result, all oil exports cease suddenly leaving the Western world, dependent upon 70% of its fuel from oil products, without little fuel.

Naturally, the government steps in and declares immediate rationing and curtailment on fuel usage. Farmers need fuel for their machinery, truckers and trains need diesel to run and homeowners need fuel oil for their heaters and winter is setting in. Mathmatically, there is not enough fuel to go around and to make matters worse, Mexico and Canada are stopping all exports to supply their own country's needs.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, designed to tide the U.S. through these types of crises, has only a 90 day supply of crude and most of that is of a grade unusable by U.S. refineries. The situation worsens.

What started as an inconvenience for the American worker and consumer has become a life and death struggle as grocery stores are emptied by panicking mobs. Police and ambulances, running on rationed fuel, are unable to respond to emergencies and the problem explodes.

Mobs fight over food from stores, restaurants and each others homes. As soft politicians used to polls and backroom deals are unable to confront the crisis, new strong men spring up and quickly demonize farmers who are "obviously hoarding vast quantities of fresh produce, meat, eggs and other foods" from those who need it more than they. Impromptu allocation forces (raiders) begin the task of spreading out from urban areas to "inventory and request" (loot) any agricultural operation within traveling distance.

The situation deteriorates as the violence leads to civil war within the U.S....

Food riots can occur in certain situations. Hopefully they won't..

Best to get ready anyway...

SHTF: Emerigency Lightweight Foods

At school, the office or on the road, there is no worse fear than the thought of being miles from home without transport. Being the kind of distance which requires days or weeks to get home on foot.

In this situation, what you can carry on your back or pack may be all that is available and edible? First, one must be prepared.

A quick list of lightweight foods to see you home or to another location...

- Ramen noodles (eat cooked or raw).
- Oatmeal and grits.
- Granola, dry cereal.
- Protein bars, the higher protein the better.
- Cereal and granola bars.
- Single sliced Spam packages.
- Crackers.
- Sealed packages of tuna or salmon.
- Dried fruit, raisins, etc.
- Candy, not chocolate (melts) but hard candy.
- Dried milk
- Coffee, tea bags
- Drink mixes like Kool Aid and Tang.
- Cookies
- Pop tarts
- Bullion cubes, dried soup mixes

Pack plenty of zip lock bags for repackaging.

Only thing left is water, how to carry it and where to get it.

Part two!

SHTF: Survival Foods on a budget

Remember the TV show "Jericho"? If you recall, the story centered around a sudden nuclear attack on the United States which left the country fractured and disorganized. Food shipments stop and within a few months the town is existing on rice rations and trying to grow turnips and carrots in their backyards.

I don't ever want to be in that sort of jam and for several years have been into preparedness. Most of my preparedness plans however, have centered around food - where to get it, how much on hand, etc.

With those two things in mind, there are several types of "preppers". Most can be broken down into one of two groups: Those who have been doing it for years and those who are new. The newcomer camp is getting stronger because of the recent financial news, gasoline shortages and hurricanes.

If you are a new prepper and found this site while searching the internet and just received your golden parachute payment from AIG, Lehman Brothers or Bear Stearns, please go to either the Ultimate Family Preparedness Pak link above or the Mountain House link on the right and get a year or more supply of food.

If you are a new prepper and recently watched your net worth drop to pocket change but still want to build a supply of survival foods for the coming months and years, I can help you there.

When building your survival pantry, you must remember the goal; do not starve. Often, newcomers get caught up in the "eat what you normally do" philosophy and quickly realize they don't have the money or space for several cases of Slimfast, Stouffers frozen dinners or McDonald's (or 365 lattes from Starbucks) nor to mention the means of keeping such fare fresh and edible.

Rather, plan on building a "just in case, budget survival food system for the end of the world".

Welcome to the Frugal End of the World Restaurant. Here are the specials...


Oatmeal -




Healthy and filling, oatmeal is cheap and easy to make. Go to the grocery store or better yet, warehouse club and purchase 10 or more big containers of instant oats. No, not the little packets, but the big 3 Minute Oat canisters.

You will be eating a cup of this a day. It is easy to make and can make itself by adding boiling water and leaving in a thermos or closed pot for 15 minutes. You will need one cup of water for each bowl of oatmeal, so store an equivalent amount of water now. Water comes from the tap in your home or apartment and is less expensive than the bottled stuff. Put water in large sealed container and it will last a long time.

Price: Large containers with multiple servings = less than $5.00

Ramen Noodles -



Ramen Noodles are the cheapest food known to man. Exaggeration, but nearly true. They sell Ramen by the case, but individual packets are usually .10 or .15 each. My warehouse store sells a case of 40 or 50 packets for less than 7 bucks each. Buy as many cases as possible and stick them under the bed.

Another cup of water should be stored for each packet purchased.

Price: Case of 24 to 72 from different retailers = less than $5.00

Vitamins -
A good multi vitamin to replace nutrients missed due to lack of variety and fresh foods. Buy a generic rather than a One-A-Day type product. Get at least 500 tablets, more if you can afford them.

Price: Large bottle of generic vitamins = $10.00 or less

Tea -
Coffee is too expensive and sodas won't keep long. Your body will want caffeine once you drop the daily Starbucks habit post-TEOTWAWKI. Tea bags are cheap, cheap, cheap, especially the store brands. Get a few hundred and add to your stores.

Water again, one cup per tea bag.

Price: 100 count box of generic tea bags at my local market = $2.99

Bisquick -



You may prefer another type of product, but I like Bisquick for preparing easy pancakes and biscuits. Bread is a comfort food and people like it.

Many Bisquick recipes call for milk or eggs. Let me tell you from my poor lifestyle past experience, you can get by with water in many cases and it works.

Bisquick comes in really big boxes at warehouse stores they sell to organizations which host pancake breakfasts and what not. You can generally get a big box for less that $5.00.

Price - Big box with multiple servings = $5.00

Rice -
Rice has gone up in price, but has stabilized lately and is readily available again. Start with a 25 or 50 lb bag and build a supply from there. Put it in a bucket with lid to keep the bugs and water out.

Again, cup water for each cup (actually two, but you get my drift).

50 lb bag at warehouse store - $20.00

Extras -
Buy some large bags of generic sugar, flour, and salt. Garlic powder and pepper are nice to have as well.

Extras - $2.99 - 11.99 per bag.

That's it.

What about protein? Guess what? In a survival situation, you can survive without it. For the big meat eaters out there, it will take some getting used to, but if you are man enough for the new world, you will deal with it.

(If you really are a baby, buy a case of Vienna sausages or Spam. Treat yourself to a can once a week for Sunday dinner. Odds are you will gobble the whole case down the first week so this is a moot point).

What about variety? There won't be much, but for a couple of hundred dollars, you can easily put together a 1-3 month food supply. And with the food suggestions above, you can estimate how much water will be needed and start storing that as well (it is found in the tap in the kitchen, again).

Budget a hundred dollars this month and next (that's 22 Starbucks visits) and you can build a fast supply of foods which incidentally, will last for several months if not longer.

Repackage most of the above products in water proof buckets and store under the bed or back of closet.

When the poop hits the fan and your cupboards are running bare, you have a supply of food that most of your neighbors will be envious of. (Might want to take some of those food savings and make a tangible investment with Remington, Winchester or Ruger).