Best Survival Food to be Prepared for Anything in 2024

Preparing for emergencies involves stocking up on emergency food supplies, and ensuring you have a well-rounded emergency food strategy that can sustain everyone in the household through uncertain times. Whether facing natural disasters or unforeseen events, having a supply of emergency food kits, including freeze-dried meals and emergency meals, is essential for survival. These supplies should cater to various dietary needs, including gluten-free and soy-free options, and offer a variety of tastes from breakfast to lunch and dinner, ensuring meals are not only nutritious but also delicious. In this article, we are going to tackle tips, and basics in Emergency food supply prepping to make sure you are ready for any emergency.

What To Consider Before Shopping

When assembling your emergency food supply, focus on food that offers long-term food storage solutions, such as freeze-dried food, powdered milk, and essentials like rice and beans, which provide a stable foundation for your pantry. Make sure your emergency food supply kits include items with a long shelf life, are easy to prepare (often requiring just hot water or minimal preparation), and are packed with essential nutrients to meet dietary restrictions. Here are the general criteria to follow:

Long Shelf Life:

Opt for emergency food supply kits designed for long-term storage, such as freeze-dried meals and powdered milk, which can last for years under ideal storage conditions. Long-term food storage ensures your family is prepared for any emergency that comes your way.

Ease of Preparation:

Emergency meals that require minimal preparation, such as adding hot water or simple heating, can save valuable time and resources during emergencies.

Nutritional Value:

Ensure your emergency food supply includes a variety rich in essential nutrients to ensure everyone has access to nutrient-rich meals.

Variety:

A diverse emergency food supply, from breakfast items like oatmeal to dinner entrees such as tortilla soup and vegetarian options, keeps meals interesting and morale high.

Sufficient Quantity:

It's important to have enough food to sustain your family. Consider emergency food kits that offer a three-day supply at a minimum, ensuring you have individually wrapped snacks and meals ready to go.

Meets special dietary restrictions:

If a member has dietary restrictions (gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, vegetarian), ensure the food kit caters to these needs without compromising on nutritional value.

 

Related - The Ultimate Prepper and Emergency Survival Checklist

Strategies for Effective Food Storage

When assembling your emergency food supply, here are some tips and strategies for you to keep in mind:

Bulk Dry Foods

Dried foods are one of the best foods for long term food storage. Lightweight, lasts a long time, and nutritionally dense, dry foods are versatile and store well.

• Beans & Legumes (Pinto, Kidney, Black, Chickpea, Lima, Navy, Black-eyed)
• Rice
• Pasta
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Grits
• Wheat Berries (edible part of the wheat kernel)
• Cornmeal
• Flours (potato, corn, etc.)

For best results, keep dry goods stored in food-grade containers purged of oxygen with oxygen absorbers and Mylar liners. Keep in mind, some dry goods do require processing, so make sure you have the necessary equipment on hand to do the work.

Canned Foods

Canned foods are quick, convenient, and easy to prepare pantry staples. You can find almost anything in a can, but be careful of the expiration date, they have a shorter shelf life of typically 2-3 years. Here is a list of commonly stored survival food pantry canned items

• Canned Meat (Ham, Chicken, Sausages, Spam)
• Canned Fish (Tuna, Salmon, Sardines)
• Fruit
• Vegetables (go for higher calorie veggies like potato, yams, etc)
• Meals in a can (prepared chili, ravioli, stews, etc)
• Canned Soup

Cooking Oils

Fats and oils are essential for a healthy diet. Oils and fats are a nutritional powerhouse that satisfies hunger and keeps you going. Be aware though, most fats and oils have a shelf life of 1-3 years.

• Nut Butters (also good protein)
• Vegetable Oil
• Olive Oil
• Canola Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Animal Fats (Lard, Ghee, Tallow)

Staying Hydrated

Clean Water of course is your most important survival resource to have on hand for disaster preparedness. You can store plastic bottles of water, however it has a shelf life of 2 years due to plastic degradation, so we highly recommend using a high quality water filter like the Berkey. The Black Berkey® Purification Elements can be classified as water purifiers because they remove 99.9999% of pathogenic bacteria and 99.999% of viruses and harmful chemicals, greatly exceeding the standard market filter systems, so they are extremely useful to use on a regular basis as well as a key component of your emergency supplies. Other beverages aren't essential, but can certainly add enjoyment!

• Koolaid Powder
• Gatorade Powder
• Coffee Granules
• Tea
• Hot Cocoa
• Powdered Milk (Good for cooking & baking as well)

 Berkey Water Filters

 

Spices & Seasonings

Spices & herbs not only make your food taste better, but some of them can last forever if properly stored. Ground spices may lose potency over the years, but remain edible for many years.

• Salt
• Honey
• Vinegar
• Soy Sauce
• Black Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Curry
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Garlic Powder
• Chicken/Beer bullion cubes

Pro Tip – Buying whole spices is a great option! Grind them yourself and they will last years.

 

Freeze Dried & Dehydrated Food items

Dehydrated and freeze-dried food has become increasingly popular with more and more interest in emergency food supplies and a must have for prepper food. Freeze-dried and dehydrated full meals are a survival food prepper’s dream offering up lightweight, calorie-dense, ready to go meals all in one package. They are the easiest way to ensure you have enough food in your emergency kit. They can be costly compared to buying bulk & dried goods, but their ease, convenience, and 25-year shelf life make them a great addition to your emergency food storage kits. There are quite a few fantastic survival food companies to choose from, any of the following companies are an excellent choice to choose for your best prepper food.

Maintaining Your Emergency Food Pantry

In order to keep your Emergency Food Kits from going bad it is always good to have a plan in mind. Keep your emergency food in a cool, dry place to maximize shelf life. Use food-grade storage containers to protect bulk items from pests and moisture. Regularly check your supplies for any signs of spoilage or damage, and rotate stock to use items nearing their expiration dates, ensuring your supply remains fresh and viable.

What to consider when choosing the Best Emergency Food Supplies

Duration and Purpose: Determine whether the food kit is for short-term emergencies, such as power outages and natural disasters, or long-term preparedness. This will influence the quantity and type of food you'll need.

Number of People: Always consider the size of your group. When choosing the best food kit make sure that it can accommodate the number of people you need to feed and for how long. Emergency Food Supplies have the number of servings indicated on their labels and will help you determine the best Food Supply kit for you and your family or group.

Balanced Diet: Look for food kits that offer a variety of nutrients and calories to maintain energy levels and health. Kits should include a mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and essential vitamins and minerals.

Special Dietary Needs: If someone has dietary restrictions (gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, vegetarian), ensure the food kit caters to these needs without compromising on nutritional value.

Here are some of Our Top Rated Survival Food Kits:

Numanna Emergency Food Storage

Being one of the top survival emergency food storage options today, NuManna is a must for preppers. NuManna provides easy-to-fix meals that aren't full of chemicals and preservatives. Numanna has developed high-quality meals that are easy to prepare, MSG-free, non-GMO, and free of other undesirable additives. They also have the highest packaging standards in the industry. 5 mm over-engineered bags with resealable tops and oxygen absorbers help provide a true 25+ year shelf life. Numanna also offers a lot of other options that are not only delicious but will cater to your specific needs like Gluten-free foods, Organic options, and more.

To check out NuManna and all of their products, please click here.

 

Ready Wise Emergency Food Supply

ReadyWise takes an innovative approach in providing dependable, simple, and affordable ready-made freeze-dried meals and dehydrated food for emergency preparedness and outdoor use. These are the meals and Food kits that you can rely on during any emergency events. ReadyWise provides a delicious variety of ready-to-eat entrees, breakfasts, desserts, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and buckets with fruits that are individually wrapped for your convenience and freshness when you need them the most. Nutrient Survival is designed to withstand the test of time with a shelf life of up to 25 years.

To check out ReadyWise and all of their products, please click here.

 

Nutrient Survival - The World Most Nutrient Dense Survival Food

Nutrient Survival is said to be unique in the survival and emergency food space as they produce the world's most nutrient-dense food that ignites your body's natural power to defend, heal and perform. They offer a tasty, balanced diet, and have the versatility of being prepared with either hot water or cold water with no cooking required, simply add the water and let it sit for 5 minutes and you are ready to eat! Nutrient Survival Food also boasts a shelf life of up to 25 years.

To check out Nutrient Survival and all of their products, please click here.

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Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer

You can freeze-dry YOUR OWN FOOD too! Each and every product from Harvest Right has been designed, engineered, and hand-assembled with utmost care in their manufacturing facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Harvest Right's Freeze-Dryer lets you preserve your own food with the simple press of a button. With Harvest Right, you get to enjoy the best delicious freeze-dried foods for your choice.

To check out the popular freeze dryers from Harvest Right!

Foods To Avoid Or to be used For Short-Term Survival Use Only

If you’re looking at decent storage and long shelf life there are a few normal staples you might instinctively reach to put in your survival food kit but should be avoided.

• Seeds & Nuts – High-fat content means spoiling quickly
• Granola Bars – great for hikers, but won’t last long
• Brown Rice – (white rice has the longest shelf life)
• Whole Wheat Flour – much lower shelf life than bleached flour. If you want the nutritional benefits of whole wheat, you can buy whole-wheat berries which last much longer, and grind them yourself.

Creating a comprehensive emergency food supply involves careful planning and consideration of nutritional needs and preferences. By choosing a variety of tasty, nutritious, and minimal-preparation emergency food kits and meals, you can ensure you are well-equipped to handle emergencies. Remember, the goal is not just to have enough food but to have the right kind of supplies that will support and prepare your family for any disaster, offering security, comfort, and a sense of readiness. 

If you're looking to prep even further for natural disasters or outages, check out our solar generator options here.

At Wild Oak Trail, we are here to help and happy to answer any questions you have. Give us a call at 1-844-945-3625, chat in on our website or email info@wildoaktrail.com