Best Survival Food to be Prepared for Anything in 2023

Building up your prepper pantry with non-perishable food is one of the key elements to being prepared for an emergency situation. In times of trouble, food can be scarce, expensive, or not available at all at the grocery store. Buying the right food with good nutritional value, with ideal storage conditions will ensure you and your family are safe and well fed in survival situations.

What To Consider Before Shopping

Before you do your shopping, you should have a good understanding of important elements to consider when planning your emergency food supply list. Here are the general criteria to follow:

• Easy to store (will it fit in your available storage area and be easily accessed)
• Easy to prepare
• Long shelf life (shelf-stable foods)
• Nutritional Value, Essential Nutrients
• A lot of calories
• Meets special dietary restrictions
• Large family? Make sure you have enough servings for everyone

 

Related – The Ultimate Prepper and Emergency Survival Checklist

 

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.

Here are some of the best survival food kits:

Numanna 

Being one of the top survival 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 free of MSG, GMOs, and 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 true 25+ year shelf life.

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

 

ReadyWise

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 kits that you can rely on during any emergency events. ReadyWise provides a delicious variety of ready-to-eat entrees, breakfasts, desserts, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options that are individually wrapped for your convenience and freshness when you need them the most. These emergency foods are designed to withstand the test of time.

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

 

Nutrient Survival

Nutrient Survival is said to be unique in the survival and emergency food space as they produce the world's most nutrient-dense foods that ignite your body's natural power to defend, heal and perform. They taste great, provide a 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!

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

 

Harvest Right

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.

To check out the popular freeze dryers from Harvest RIght, please click here.

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.

 

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