We are currently experiencing a global food crisis. Climate change, war, increased gas prices and continued supply chain issues have wreaked havoc on day to day life. It’s time to start preparing for the future. To avoid shortages in the event of an emergency, here are a few items you should stock up on.
Flour
A large percentage of the world’s wheat supply comes from Russia and Ukraine. Now that these two countries are warring, much of that supply will be lost or seriously delayed. Unfortunately, that means that your favorite wheat products might be in short supply soon. For this reason, stock up on essentials like flour, corn and sunflower oil (if you use it frequently).
Rice
Rice is one of those foods that keeps for a long time and stores easily. It’s perfect for stockpiling and it’s also fairly inexpensive. Rice is also easy to cook and very versatile. These are all great reasons why rice should be a staple in your stockpile.
Canned Fruits/Vegetables
In the event of an emergency, you want to make sure you and your family is still getting as many vitamins and nutrients as possible. Canned fruits and vegetables are the perfect solution. They last a long time and they will offer you some variety and color in your diet should an emergency arise.
Sugar
If there are food shortages and you don’t have sugar stocked up, are you prepared to go without it? I’m not sure anyone is. For this reason, make sure to stock up on this essential. Sugar, like flour and rice, is easy to store. There are a variety of ways you can store it so that it will last years. Just remember, if you want to remain useable, don’t place oxygen packets in this particular product. This will ensure it doesn’t become a solid rock of sugar.
Baking Powder/Baking Soda
Both baking powder and baking soda are pretty essential to the baking process. If there comes a time where you need to make all of your baked goods from home, you’ll be glad you had these two items stockpiled.
Non- Grocery Items
Now that you’ve built a nice stockpile of essential foods, remember there are other things you’re going to want and need in case of an emergency. For example, batteries. You also need to stock up on things like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, soap, vitamins, medicine, and a first aid kit. You can’t go wrong with some extra hand sanitizer too.
It’s a good idea to build up a stockpile and pretend there is an emergency. Run through your food options and create a meal plan that coincides with what you have stocked. Pretend that stockpile supply is all you have and you’ll get a good idea of what you need to add to it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!