What to Cook and Buy During an Emergency {Food Storage Tips + Over 40 Recipes}
I debated about whether to type up a post like this or not…but since pretty much every conversation and text message and email I’ve had in the last week has been related to the emergency right now, it feels a bit like the elephant in the room NOT to address it.
Brian and I are talking about all of the issues with our kids, seeking information from viable sources (social media posts from random people and even celebrities are not one of them, FYI :), and trying our best to manage all of the changes and information with rational, calm minds and take actions personally to help flatten the curve of this virus.
While alternately sometimes completely freaking out (ok, that’s just me).
Watching everything from schools to churches to sports teams shut down across the country is a bit discombobulating, to say the least.
We live in Idaho and there is only one very recently confirmed case, so our schools are still up and running. Other than some of our sporting events getting canceled (wrestling would be a natural breeding ground for any type of virus) and church indefinitely going home-based, things *mostly* feel normal except for long lines at the stores and shelves cleared of tp, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, etc.
I know many places across our nation and definitely throughout the world have it much, much worse. I’ve been thinking a lot about the particularly vulnerable children and adults in this emergency (those kiddos that rely on schools for two of their daily meals, working parents and single parents dealing with the adjustments of schools shutting down and/or loss of work themselves, just to name a few things).
It’s a difficult time, there is no doubt about that.
But today I wanted to address a question I’ve been getting over and over this week from readers about food storage, what foods to stock up on, and what recipes to cook.
I don’t have ALL the answers, but here are a few thoughts that can be a great starting place for a discussion about this.
Please chime in on the comment thread with your feedback and thoughts! We can all learn from each other.
Tip #1: Only Stock Up on Food You’ll Actually Eat
If you have never cooked with lentils before, don’t buy them in bulk. Even if creamed corn is on a case lot sale, I wouldn’t recommend buying it if it’ll make your kids gag. Don’t buy a 5-gallon bucket of wheat berries if you don’t have a way to grind it into flour.
Just because “people” say you need such and such in your “food storage” doesn’t mean that’s true for you personally. Food storage will look different for each and every family.
Identify the ingredients that you use often and are familiar with, and stock up on those.
Extra tip: if you have the time and/or budget, think outside the box a little and make sure you stock up on a few treats, too. It’s not a bad thing to consider chocolate chips a pantry essential! And little sweet extras in the pantry can help get through tough times.
Tip #2: Don’t Go Overboard
With everyone in a panic, it might be tempting to buy 1,245 boxes of mac and cheese. But…I don’t know…maybe consider not going to quite that extreme?
Try to be sensible about the quantities of food you are buying right now. What are the expiration dates? Is it humanly possible to eat all of it before it even expires? Do you have places to store it?
If you have accidentally participated in a bit of, ahem, overstocking, consider donating any excess, unexpired food to your local food pantry or shelter.
Tip #3: Start with two weeks and work up from there
If you don’t have much of a food supply at home, it might feel overwhelming to think of getting what you need. It might be helpful to simply start with a two week supply of food.
Write a list of the foods (even detailing an actual “menu” can help with this) that you and your family would need for two weeks and try to source at least that much.
I know right now this might be a bit tricky as some stores are running out of things like milk and eggs, but consider looking for replacement-type items or foods that are more shelf-stable. Powdered milk. Dried or freeze-dried fruits and vegetables. Canned fruits and vegetables.
Also check around with neighbors and friends in your area to find out if any local farmers have some of those precious commodities: milk, eggs, cheese.
Extra tip: over the next couple of weeks as we all practice more social distancing and *maybe* have a bit more downtime, consider putting together a longer term food storage plan that you can put in place once this particular emergency is more contained. I’m a HUGE food storage nerd.
Twice a year, I inventory our food storage to make sure we have the essentials to get us through, so if anyone is interested in more info about this, I’d be happy to put together a more detailed post about food storage in general (and share my nerdy spreadsheets dedicated to the cause).
Tip #4: Gather your favorite pantry staple recipes all in one place
Having a few solid pantry-friendly recipes that you can rotate through (yes, even fun baking recipes!) can help you actually look forward to eating through your food storage.
Print them out, staple them together, put them in a binder, bookmark them on your phone, add them to a Pinterest board – just keep them in one place so you can access them easily!
I’ve gathered a few of my favorite pantry staple recipes and included them below and also at this link.
*the key to pantry friendly recipes is to get comfortable making substitutions! Leave out the meat, sub in canned milk for milk or cream, sub in canned green chiles for fresh peppers, etc.
Please let me know in the comments any thoughts you have about food storage, cooking right now, and other tips helping you through the chaos of our current situation. Hang in there, friends!
I would love a post on food storage! We have enough food for us for a year… it’s always nice to hear other tips and tricks!
“If anyone is interested in more info about this, I’d be happy to put together a more detailed post about food storage in general (and share my nerdy spreadsheets dedicated to the cause).”
I am extremely interested in seeing your nerdy spreadsheets and your food storage recipes! 🙂 Thanks so much for all of the delicious recipes, and please keep them coming!
I would love to see tips on food storage. I’m in the D.C. area, and there is NOTHING on grocery store shelves here. I was fairly well stocked, but I’m not sure if it is with all of the right things!! I have plenty of chocolate and wine, so at least we’ll be happy!
LOL! Chocolate and wine – always a good combination!
Thanks for this helpful post! I’d love more info about food storage/pantry because I had all but stopped keeping a pantry supply due to having so much waste from expired items.
This is my case too. Other than basics like flour, sugar, eggs, I pretty much just buy for specific recipes. Shopping to have a few things on hand felt like starting from scratch. Best of luck to you in the coming weeks. Stay healthy.
This is a great post. Thanks, Mel!
I’d love to see a post on your long term food storage!
I would love to learn more about your long term food storage plans!
I would love to see another post on food storage & also your spreadsheets!! I feel pretty confident about our storage so far, and I’d like to get better at rotating it.
Also, we are huge believers in “comfort” foods so are stocked up on chocolate chips, jellos (even though we rarely eat that usually!) and cake mixes. Thanks for that validation!
Yes please post your panty list and send spreadsheets. Love your blog and recipes are awesome. Always good and good basic ingredients!
I’ve made your oatmeal pancake mix earlier this week and I feel like it’s perfect for using staples. This might not be for everyone though, if you don’t have access to eggs and milk. We’re very lucky to still have those items in store! Thanks for addressing this topic Mel
I have watched and listened to the news like everyone and then thanked the the Lord for being in tuned for the more than 2 weeks of tp we all ready had in the garage and most of the other things we had in the closets up stairs. I didn’t have to run like crazy and worry to get any thing at the store. I don’t say this to be boastful or prideful.
We went thru a bad time about 10 years ago and because of this we learned a lesson about not being prepared for things to go south real fast. We aren’t over prepared. We have what we need to live on and rotate everything with dates on every can of food or package of food we buy ( my daughter Kim taught me this) I have a wheat grinder and wheat, so I can make my bread (and do most times). My freezer has nuts and butter, spices, dry milk, wheat enhancer, baking powder, soda, plus meat which are all rotated.
I’m still learning, but I’m not afraid and can still help my family if needed. I’m an old dog at 67 but know it’s never to late to learn new lessons in life. Thank you Mel for all you do to help others in keeping things in their perspective. You bring calm in a troubled world. (And great recipes and you hard work does not go without notice. You are admired by all who read your words and see what a great example you are!)
Feeling truly blessed to know you,
Linda
Thank you for sharing your talents and ideas with us! I would love to learn more from you. Please share your system and nerdy spreadsheets with us 🙂
I would also love to see a post about food storage. Thanks to you, I already have freezer burritos and cinnamon rolls in my freezer:) We love them!
I also have a new appreciation for my half gallon canning jars:)
Thanks for all you do!
Our schools just closed for 6 weeks, so we’re all feeling a little adrift right now. Uncertainty and excitement are mixed at our house! We have a decent amount of food storage, so I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine for several weeks if need be. I’d be interested in another in-depth look at your food storage ideas and plans. Stay healthy!
YES! My mom always had cake mixes on hand even tho she doesn’t like cake from a box- you never knew when you were going to NEED a treat and she told us that in an emergency situation (including job loss, etc) you will “NEED” a treat. 🙂 (consequently, we have lots of chocolate chips, cake mixes and brownie mixes. Also marshmallows and popcorn to make caramel corn. haha!)
I would add that food storage is important regardless of the world economic situation. I want way more than what we’re going to eat in two weeks in the house because what if you’re too sick on pay day to venture out to the store? Or you have a migraine (ME)? Or if the power goes out for a while? (Ice storms and a truck crashing in to a transformer come to mind. And “snack foods” are great for that!!) Or if there IS a natural disaster? Or you lose your job and can’t buy more for a while? Or or or! I would further add that when we were first married and didn’t have space or budget, we kept 3-4 cans of whatever we DID eat on hand, and the freezer was always full of various meats and veggies. That will still get you through a few days.
The day before our state shut down schools I “showed” my kids our nice size pantry in the kitchen and the food storage shelves downstairs, to help calm them down. I pointed out we might eat so much spaghetti and bean dishes we might hate them in a couple weeks, but we have a ton of food! None of it was bought this week, other than things I would have bought on pay day anyway. We keep two extra jars of pb on hand (because Sams Club sells them in packs of two!) We keep extra soaps and cleaning supplies on hand. Even as soon as we open a Sams Club size thing of chocolate milk powder another one is purchased. We will be OH KAY. in the food dept. 😉
Thank you for the recipes! Since this happened at 4pm last night I need to spend some time this morning come up with a menu that keeps us out of the stores as much as possible. 😉 Thank goodness my husband loves to make bread because I have three sandwich eaters!
*** As a side note. Our state is having schools stay open for grab and go breakfast and lunch options for those who need it. Hopefully other places can do that too.
When we were first married, times were pretty lean for awhile—some months, we could only spend about $75 on food for the two of us. I got pretty good at cooking from pantry staples!
Two of our favorites were this creamy bow tie pasta (you can use any pasta really) and these open-faced tuna salad sandwiches:
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/18/creamy-bow-tie-pasta-aka-what-i-make-when-my-pantrys-almost-bare/
and https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/27/secret-family-recipe-open-faced-tuna-sandwiches-a-quick-meal-from-the-pantry/
I would love all the food storage info you’d be willing to share! I use your recipes often. I actually have a lot of food storage but not a lot of recipes to use it.
Thank you for this! I was already pretty well set, thankfully, but honestly went to the store for chocolate chips in bulk. I feel validated coming here! This little online community is the best. I would love, love, love a peek into your food storage system!
Thank you for this post! We’re in WA where the chaos has already hit. Your whole wheat blender pancakes and IP baked ziti are on our menu this week! We will likely refer to this list often over the next couple of months. I would be interested in seeing your food storage spreadsheets and longer term plan after this all blows over.
I’m feeling WAY underprepared and overwhelmed by where to even start. Please share your wisdom!
Tactful post and so true. Loved the part about donating to a food bank. That’s just good sense. I too have felt like what about people who can’t work from home or kids without meals and it makes me want to do something. Thanks for being a voice of reason I only check CDC) even if you are nervous. Bust out all the puzzles and outside play.
Not being of the Mormon faith, I always just assumed that the storage of extra food was a religious thing but a quick google search thing tells me it is just based on prudent living. I would be interested in the details of how you manage to keep stuff current, etc. Those of us with small basement pantries often find them out of date and useless. Any further info would be appreciated! Stay safe…..and healthy.
Same here, Beth! I’m a food blogger, so I have to keep a ton of things “in stock,” but with respect to personal use, I have the same experience you’ve described—and had made the same assumption. I would love some more information on how it can be made practical, short of buying a ton of freeze-dried ingredients that I would probably never use (and then forget I even had). Oh, and Mel, of course I love this post! I was considering addressing something similar myself and then there you were, already on top of it. ❤️
I would love a food storage plan or even food pantry staples list!! We have baby #3 arriving in the next 3 weeks (2 boys already, and I am pretty sure we have another) and I swear we are always running out of staples- I need to get more organized and buy larger quantities!
Please talk about food storage and your spreadsheets – I’ve done a few over the years and would love to see how someone else does it! And I picked up chocolate chips at Costco yesterday wondering if I really needed them – love that you validated that decision!!
Food storage doesn’t have to be a huge initial investment like some people think! I’m constantly restocking my pantry. It’s never an all-at-once thing. I watch for sales and that’s when I stock up. Or buy 2-3 items instead of just one (for example, if I’m getting low on soy sauce, I buy a couple extras to store in the pantry). If you have the mentality that you’re saving some for later, you can stock up a little at a time and it doesn’t add a lot of expense. Like you, I’ve learned to store what we eat and eat what we store. I have powdered eggs and milk and there have been multiple times where I started making something assuming I had eggs (or milk) because I always have those things, but realized I was down to my last egg or ran out of milk. The powdered varieties might not be good by themselves, but they work great for cooking! If anyone wants another resource, Jordan Page with Fun, Cheap or Free has great tips about how to prepare for emergencies and how to use what you have to cook your meals.
Wonderfully written post! Thanks to good timing, we are fairly well stocked except for one thing: we have no chocolate chips!!! ARGH!!! What was I thinking?! I’ve been working on improving my diet and exercise the last several months and am seeing results, so when I spent a whole five seconds contemplating picking up chocolate chips this week before the virus hit our state, I decided “No, I don’t need the temptation.” Now, I’m thinking, “I need the comfort – and a way to make Mel’s awesome cookie recipes!” Hahaha!
Just a little humor in this scary time.
Praying for health and sanity for everyone. Praying the Lord will be help us all see a positive side and cherish this much-needed break from our crazy schedules. Praying we can create some special memories for our kiddos and discover what it means to truly be a family again. And repeating over and over: “Wash your hands, kids!”
This post provides a lot of comfort and perspective. I really appreciate seeing which recipes can get us through, pantry staple recipes, and I especially love the varieties of breads and chocolate chip cookies!
Thanks Mel! I’m excited to try some of these recipes! Your muffin recipes (especially your applesauce oat muffins) are simply the best! I have found that 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed together with 3 tablespoons of cold water makes an excellent egg substitute in homemade bread items. I have subbed up to four eggs at a time this way and haven’t been able to tell a difference in the finished product. If you can’t find eggs right now, look for ground flaxseed. It’s really been a lifesaver for us!
What a great selection of delicious recipes! Especially in a time of illness or health concerns, good healthy food will keep you going. We are pretty much stocked up, year-round as it has always been my way. We are in Montana with only a couple of confirmed cases but will keep a healthy outlook and of course, wash Our Hands! Thanks.
That’s a lot of cookie recipes, I want to be at your house in an emergency! We loved making and eating your dark chocolate energy bites yesterday. Most of the family admitted to eating way too many, but my 8 year old felt left out that he had only eaten one. So we will have to make them again. Thanks for all your work on the blog Mel!
Would love your food storage spreadsheet!
Please, please, please do the longer term food storage post! I, too, am a huge food storage nerd, but as my father is a farmer and we get plenty of pork and beef from him, my plan is largely freezer based. This is fine as long as we retain power, but I do get nervous during hurricane season. Would love to see your strategies!
I would love your food storage spread sheets. I’m Fairly new to the concept and trust your opinions on it.
Thank you for your post!! I am in incredibly grateful that you are willing to share your talents. You have provided some excellent menu ideas that have become family favorites and now you have shared some food storage and preparedness wisdom. Thank you!! I would love to see your spreadsheet ideas as well!! You are amazing
Yes, please please provide more info in the future on how you do your food storage!! Regardless of anyone’s stance on coronavirus, it’s just a good idea to have at LEAST 2 weeks supply of food on hand. We have been trying to evaluate our food storage and get it to where it should be, and recently decided we needed to have some kind of a “menu” so we don’t just have a bunch of random stuff that we don’t really know what to do with… It is a bit overwhelming (and expensive) to know how to start with food storage so I’d love to see more on this at some point. I think you’ve got a pretty grounded, reasonable view on stuff- thank you for being brave enough to post on such a hot topic right now.
Thanks Mel for the awesome post! Our schools are closed for eLearning and then spring break. I know we are going to go a little stir crazy, but I’m planning on cooking and baking a lot. My grocery store had no bread yesterday, so I grabbed a few bags of flour to make my own. Hope you and your family stay well!
You’re the best Mel! And yes, PLEASE do a post on how you inventory your food storage!!! I’m pretty good about having a detailed chest freezer inventory, but I am on the hunt for a good way to inventory all the dry goods, hygiene items, etc. in my storage room. And I was so happy to see your weeknight pasta sauce near the top of your list, it’s my favorite! Thanks Mel.
I always have a stocked pantry so I am keeping on with my normal life. I am getting so frustrated with people buying things in ridiculous quantities and not leaving anything for anyone else. I can’t even do my normal shopping anymore!
This hoarding mentality is making the whole situation 100x worse than it needs to be! I went to Costco to buy parchment paper and there was a 50+ person line just to get in!! I didn’t even bother.
Hopefully people will stop the hysteria soon so I can buy a pack of chicken! Lol
Thank you for your loving voice of reason during this crazy time. Fear can make the worst come out of any of us. Good knowledge and information is the best way to alleviate that. Thanks for always being so generous in your giving of such helpful and practical information!
Mel,
I would love to know all about your food storage, spreadsheets, and organizing it. We have food storage so I’m not freaking out. But I do get worried if I let myself think about it too much. Or I sit and analyze how long it will last or if we have the right ratios of everything. And I really worry about all the kids and elderly people that won’t have the food and supplies that they need. And I just generally worry about those that don’t have food storage. Thank you so much for all your recipes and being willing to share them. I feel like we would be kindred spirits if we actually knew each other and lived close to each other. We seem to nerd out on all the same things, like neatly organized recipes, Food storage spreadsheets, and chore charts for kids. And my family is on a first name basis with you. And we talk about you like you’re part of the family.
Mel, this was very helpful to have a bunch of your “pantry staple” recipes in one place. Thank you! Take care.
Thank you for this post, Mel. I am not one to panic but decided to stop by the grocery yesterday to pick up a few items we actually needed. Imagine my surprise to find the entire parking lot full and empty shelves throughout the store! Lines stretched to the back. Holy Moley, I text my husband, I guess I should pick up more than the cheese I needed for dinner. Cat food! He typed back. The dog can eat what we eat. Well, the cat food was almost gone. Yes, what are people thinking? My diet choices are limited the next week or so as I prepare to have a throat biopsy done later this week. I just had one in January so I know what to expect. But no, I might be eating melted chocolate chips next week! Ha! Be safe, Don’t panic and wash your hands, everyone. We will get through this! Sans TP apparently.
Hi from Cork, Ireland where all our schools, colleges and child care facilities have been shut down for the next two weeks in hopes of stopping the coronavirus spread! My office is mostly going to be working from home though those of us in admin are going to skeleton staff to keep the doors open.
So even though I’m not necessarily in quarantine for these two weeks I still want to be out and about as little as possible so a massive thank you for your tips here.
All the best to you and yours (and to all the others in the comments too) we can get through this!
Mel, How truly precious you are and how blessed all of us are for having YOU in our lives!!!! This is wonderful what you have posted. I believe you have put many at ease. And you know what, you have made us all feel like one big family going through trying times together. And that my dear, is a gift that you have. This is great for young and yes, us old folks too. Thank you so much for this dear heart and God bless you. Prayers for all of us and our country. Great recipes too…. Many many email hugs to you Mel….
Claudia
I’d love to see your essentials inventory. Thank you for sharing all of your tips & recipes. I look forward to your posts.
Hey Mel!
Great article! I would love your pantry inventory list too! We are all set on meat and eggs cause we grow our own. But one thing I’ve been looking for at the store for a couple weeks now and they’ve been out is dried milk. My children love sausage gravy in the morning and We are going to stick by not leaving our property for the three weeks just out of courtesy any thoughts on a substitution if there’s no dry milk left anywhere LOL! I just told the kids we will not be drinking milk for a couple weeks and they were ok! But the gravey lol!!
My parents came through the Depression on farms, my mother’s family being sharecroppers, and that colored their lives forever. Storing food was just what they did, and I learned all the ways to grow food and keep food. As my children grew up and left home I’ve moved away from that discipline. Uhoh! It actually makes me uneasy when there isn’t a good supply of all the foods I use in the house, and that’s where I am now, at just the wrong time. Stores here are entirely crazy, and yes, people are buying ridiculous amounts of everything but food. I’m staying home because I’m in the age range that needs to be a little more careful. It is hard to think in a straight line to organize things during a crisis situation, and I applaud this work you’ve done. It’s a help to me as I try to make a grocery list for Instacart (a whole new world for me, and not one I relish the thought of.)
Thanks so much.
Mel, I absolutely love this post. Thank you for all you do, always! My family and I live in Seoul, South Korea, and have been watching the coronavirus unfold here for the past two months. We are entering week four of school closure and online learning. My husband and I are both teachers, and I’ve been able to work from home a lot these past three weeks, which has also given me more time for cooking. You need to know that your recipes are seriously giving us so much comfort! We have been enjoying your Super Simple Spicy Thai Noodles (always a favorite anyway) and your Beef and Broccoli Ramen a lot lately, and I plan to make several meals that you’ve suggested in this post. Again, THANK YOU, and stay safe and healthy, everyone!
Hi Mel! I was surprised to see that you debated doing this post as you have mentioned prepping and food storage before and you’re the expert as far as I know! Your website was the first place I checked yesterday morning (before the post was up), looking for solid advice as I made a grocery list and meal plan. Fortunately I’ve done done once a month cooking and such in the past so I ended up doing most of what you recommended anyway, planned for two weeks plus a few staples, didn’t buy lentils in bulk (), and stuck with recipes I know my family likes. Probably should have planned in more desserts and snacks, but I do think we’ll be fine, there’s a pretty good stash of chocolate chips in the pantry already.
Thankful for you and that God made you to naturally love learning and teaching, you’re a straight up blessing to the world. Thank you that you’re ready and able to put up posts like this. (Remember your running posts? I was motivated to try a couch to 5k for the first time ever because you made running seem doable.. and now I run half marathons regularly and it’s changed my life!) The world is truly a better place because you’re in it. Keep up the good work, and thanks for this post!
Food storage planning, stocking and using comes naturally too me . My mom was a good example.
I’m grateful for that, and the fact my kids are also doing great at this. My girls are truly your biggest fans Mel! Hopefully we can all learn from this situation and do better.
One thing I do and have helped others do, is start with a top 10 plan.
Make a list of the top ten FOOD items your family couldn’t do without. Ex.. water, peanut butter, formula.
Also the top 10 NON food items. ex.. TP , toothpaste, diapers
Think of your list as if they would be the only 10 things you would have.
Build a month supply of each , working until you have 3 months of every item on your lists. Then use and replace. While you continue to add a variety of items as you can afford to.
Building long term storage is great , but for most people what they need right now is just basic everyday items and your top 10 should cover those needs.
Love ALL your recipes!
I would love to see your food storage spreadsheets!! Especially since most of the recipes I make and love are from you! Plus, you are a genius. Thanks for taking the time to post this today Mel, it was a little bright spot in my day. I’m about where you are, not freaked out about the virus, but getting really worried about the crazy panic it has brought on and what it’s going to do to the economy, I’m so worried about people not being able to work because of all the shut downs and cancellations and how much $ businesses are losing. Also worried about the sweet little old ladies who now can’t go to the store to get their normal 2 weeks of groceries because all the crazy people have cleared everything out of the stores! You’re the best and I’m definitely making some of those cookies in the next 2 weeks!
I love everything about this post! Thank you so much, Mel. I feel like if we lived closer, we’d be food storage pals 🙂 and ps – your recipes rock.