Stock up on these affordable, non-perishable foods for emergency preparedness. Whether it is a natural disaster like a hurricane or a pandemic, when a disaster occurs, it is always best to prepare! This food list contains stable foods that you can store in your pantry for disaster preparedness. Here are the guidelines for stable food security on the shelves of USDA.gov. Even if you’re just looking to stock up or have a master pantry checklist, this list will come in handy.
In a hurricane situation, you will potentially have no power, so you must stick to foods that do not need to be cooked on a stove, microwave or refrigerated. I have placed a star next to these items for your convenience.
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Non-perishable food
- Pasta
- spaghetti
- canned macaroni and cheese
- ramen
- pot pasta sauce
- pot Alfredo sauce
- rice
- White
- Brown
- jasmine
- Yellow
- quinoa
- Lentils
- stuffing mix
- Oats
- Cream of wheat
- dried beans
- black
- white (cannellini, navy)
- kidney
- garbanzo
- flour
- corn flour
- sugar
- breadcrumbs
- baking powder and baking soda
- oil and vinegar
- honey
- instant potatoes
- dehydrated hash browns
- baking mixes
- stuffing mix
- baked in a tin
- hamburger helper
- pasta salad mix like Suddenly Salad
- canned meals / ready meals
- powdered eggs
- powdered creamer for coffee
- Yeast
- Maple syrup
- soya sauce
- pickles
- Tabasco sauce
- condiment to go packets (mayo / mustard / relish / ketchup)
- salsa
- Olives
- processed cheese product like Velveeta
- commonly used herbs and spices
- salt
- pepper
- italian seasoning
- cumin
- paprika
- curry powder
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- cocoa powder
- vanilla extract
- broth cubes
Canned non-perishable foods *
- tuna
- meat products (such as ham or salted beef)
- canned ready meals such as beef ravioli, spaghetti, chicken and meatballs, chili, etc.)
- chicken
- Salmon
- soups
- stews
- corn
- green beans
- mixed vegetables
- Beans
- peas
- carrots
- potatoes
- spinach
- diced tomatoes
- fruits (peaches, pears, pineapple, fruit cocktail, pumpkin)
- beef, chicken and vegetable broth
- sauce
- nacho cheese
Drink Non-perishable food
*
- self-stable milk
- evaporated milk
- non-dairy milk like canned coconut milk
- powdered milk
- hot chocolate powder
- juice
- Apple
- cranberry
- fruit punch
- grape seed
- vegetable juice
- lemon
- Gatorade
- the water
- tea bags
- coffee
- powdered drink mixes
- aromas for water
- meal replacement drinks like Ensure
Non-perishable snacks *
- granola bars
- Applesauce
- protein bars like Clif
- Peanut Butter
- mountain mix
- dried beef (some dried beef can be very expensive, but I found that the Matador brand is reasonably priced ($ 3 per bag at Walmart)
- peanuts
- almonds
- cashew nut
- cookies
- crackers
- saltines
- butter crackers
- sandwich crackers
- graham crackers
- dry cereals
- rice cakes
- fruit snacks
- Chocolate
- vanilla wafers
- fruit leather
- raisins
- energy bar like LARABAR
- dried fruit (ALDI has very attractive prices compared to other places (at least in my region))
- dried cranberries
- dried bananas
- dried apples
- dried pineapple
- dried mango
- Dried apricots
- pretzels / chips
- fruit bars
- dried sausage
- tuna sachets
- pop corn
What foods can be frozen?
Keep in mind that if you have freezer space, you can also freeze many perishable items. It is really worth getting a chest freezer, not only to prepare for emergencies, but to buy items for sale and freeze them for future use. You can save hundreds of dollars just by doing this!
- Butter
- Bread
- Cheese
- Tortillas
- Pasta and pasta
- Broths, pestos and tomato sauces
- Herbs (frozen in small ice cube trays with olive oil)
- Eggs (cracked in ice cube trays)
- Meats (cooked and raw, including bacon and lunch meat)
- Fruits and vegetables
- Here is a tutorial to know how to freeze fruits and vegetables