Survival Food List
Survival foods are not just supposed to be eaten while camping out. Take recent events into account; you could be stuck at home, doing your bit to flatten the curve, and in need of survival foods at home. Since the lockdown has somewhat disrupted the regular supply chain for food, stashing large supplies seems logical.
Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here, we are going to help you in making your survival grocery list that you can order online. We have listed 43 foods that will make it easy for you to prepare your meals at a stroke and without needing a quick visit to the nearby grocery store.
The provisions we have put down in this article have long shelf lives as well as meaningful nutritional value. Also, we have assorted them into different categories to make it easy for you to pick a selection of items instead of going with all 43 products.
Staples:
You may not get fresh supplies of eggs in any emergency/survival situation. So, powdered/dehydrated egg packs are an alternative to take care of your protein and vitamin A and D supply in the breakfast.
From preparing homemade bread loaves to donut bases and pizza crust, you can’t even think about any sort of baking without flour.
Dried white rice, if stored in a dry and airtight space, can last for decades. Rice is a staple food with good satiation value and can be used to make a lot of easy-to-make recipes.
There are very few foods that offer the convenience and variety of pasta. From breakfast to lunch and dinner, you can consume pasta any time of the day.
You can cut and refrigerate a list of vegetables for later use. You can also find some vegetables in canned packaging. For instance, freshly sourced green beans will be a great addition to your survival food shopping cart.
Quinoa is a healthy substitute for white rice in many dishes for its gluten-free nature. It is also rich in proteins, fibers, and essential micronutrients.
This is another healthy option for breakfast. These days you can find packaged barley that offers nutrition and satiation value but without having its typical coarse and extra grainy flavor.
You can add portions of garnished mashed potatoes to any meal of the day. The mashed potato packs also come with different added ingredients (cheese, roasted garlic, etc.), making them a ready-to-serve item.
Avid carnivorous must bring enough meat options for their survival/lockdown consumption. The survival meat shopping list should have leaner cuts of dried meat (jerky, etc.) that don’t spoil for up to four years.
You get a lot of variety when it comes to canned meat. From tuna to turkey and ham to roasted beef, you can easily buy the preserved meat options that you and your family love.
Sausages are a good source of protein. They also satisfy your meat cravings and can be added to a list of different recipes. Also, you can get them in chicken, pork, and beef variants. Try to pick packs with several small cans instead of one large bucket.
When you don’t have time or fresh ingredients to make dishes from scratch, canned soups and stews become lifesavers. Get them in airtight packets and cans that you can open and consume in one meal.
With a shelf life of up to two years, canned beans make a great option to stock as survival food. From garbanzo to Lima and peas to kidney, you can get these ample sources of protein in spicy, sweet, and vegetarian recipes.
Children may not like the taste of pure barley and quinoa for breakfast. For them, you have to get flavored cereal packets.
Sweet corn makes wholesome meals that you can eat at any time of the day.
Ingredients:
From seasoning to frying and simmering, oil is more or less used in every food preparation. So, a survival food list can’t be completed without it. Coconut and olive oils are good options for both their shelf lives and taste. You can also go for hydrogenation-free clarified butter (ghee) options. It would be better if you pick all these different fat variants for different preparations and recipes.
Sometimes people forget to purchase the most basic supplies during panic buying. Salt alone is not a survival food, but it will be an indispensable ingredient in nearly all the recipes you are going to make in that phase.
Apple cedar, white or balsamic vinegar should also be part of your pantry for making flavorful and nutritious salad dressings.
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Herbs and Spices (Dried)
Sometimes a tinge of thyme or basil is what makes a dish all more savory. So, make sure your cabinet is also stuffed with all the daily-use herbs and spices.
If you are short of real meat and still want to make soups, sauces, and gravies with a meaty flavor, a jar of the bouillon will be your friend.
The absence of baking soda in the pantry will stop you from making many oven-based recipes. So, get a large bag of baking soda. It will remain good to use even after the survival phase ends.
Sugar is a sweet staple and a must-have for any survival food list. Brown, white, cane, crystal, or powdered— pick any variants that match up with your taste, health preference, and cooking style.
Add-ons:
Maple syrup is the king among sweet condiments. Having a lot of it in the pantry will make your life easy when markets will be closed.
Honey is a superfood and the best sweetening choice among all the available options. However, pick a 100% raw product if you want to make the most of honey’s healthy properties.
Ketchup is the king of condiments, and you certainly don’t want to crave tomato dips during lockdowns. Therefore, don’t forget to throw a couple of bottles of your favorite ketchup in the shopping cart.
Jams and fruit spreads can make your homemade loaves taste better. Even botched-up attempts at baking a bread recipe can become edible with a layer of jam on it.
Thanks to the food industry, now you can get a range of readymade vinaigrettes that you can use to spice up your salads and other foods, even if you don’t have fresh ingredients at your disposal.
From snacking to using them as a condiment, you can consume pickles in many ways. Their almost indefinite shelf life also makes them a good addition to the survival food list.
Cheddar and Romano cheese become tastier as they age. This is also the reason why they have an indefinite shelf life and hence also become a great pick for a survival food list. Try to get a cheese bar that has been at least aged for one year. Aging makes cheese’s texture smooth and firm and adds a granular feel to it that tastes great in casseroles and sandwiches.
Throw some 2-lb milk powder jars in your cart because they will come in handy in the long run when you may not be able to source fresh milk. From hot beverages to desserts, milk powder will eventually be consumed, no matter how much you have bought in bulk.
From spicing up your cup of joe to making cereals interesting, you can use cocoa powder in many ways to make your survival diet flavorful and less monotonous.
Vanilla extract is a flavor enhancer that you can use in a host of liquid and sold dietary options. Like the cocoa powder, it will make sure you don’t get bored from eating the same stuff.
For Sweet Tooth:
Pears, apricots, pineapple, or a mixed cocktail— fruits with added preservatives and juices remain good to use for 12 months and more. Their fiber content improves their satiation value, making them a good survival food choice. They can also be used as a survival snack.
If you are not a fan of sugary syrups and preservatives, go for dried fruit options. They are more nutritious and less sugary than regular canned fruits.
Hard candies are a great instant snack and sweet shot for both children and adults.
Gelatin or dry jelly mixes is another option to satisfy your sugar cravings during the survival/lockdown period. They are easy to make and can be prepared in all different flavors.
Hot Beverages:
Stockpile the coffee in large quantities because your consumption will increase when you are going to spend an entire day at the same place. An airtight coffee packing remains good to use for even a decade.
A fruity herbal tea that only takes a cup of hot water for preparation can prove to be a great survival staple. You can also go with black and green teas packs for their caffeine and antioxidant properties.
Snacks:
When you are stuck at home and have nothing much to do, untimely cravings become more frequent. To tackle those, add some multi-pack cookies and crackers boxes to your cart.
Popcorn is a simple-to-make convenient snack that comes in handy when survival mode is on. It is better if you buy a sack/bag instead of expensive branded packets. Don’t need to worry about them being unused for a long time because un-popped corns in an airtight jar remain fit for human consumption for years.
A meat bar as a snack and energy booster can be a good option as survival food. You can get this in the form of pemmican bars (an indigenous American recipe).
Hoard your favorite chocolate bars because there is no way to survive without chocolates. Even though everyone has their favorites sorted, it is better to pick the bars that are a combination of cocoa, milk, and nuts since they are more nutritious, among others.
If you are conscious of your caffeine and sugar consumption, protein bars should be your substitute for a chocolate bar as a survival snack. Top-of-the-shelf protein bars are low-sugar and packed with a good amount of calories.
Conclusion
With these 43 items in your pantry in a large amount, you don’t have to worry when you get the chance to go grocery shopping again. Also, the variety of tastes and food preparations they offer will make sure your survival dietary routine doesn’t get bland.
Before we wrap up this listicle, we would like to share two valuable suggestions with you.
- Don’t go overboard: Even though it is natural to get selfish while buying survival food, try to remember all those who may have to suffer due to food shortage just because you have bought way more than what you need.
- Practice patience: Right now, online grocery stores are overwhelmed by the workload. Every single seller is fulfilling hundreds and even thousands of orders every single day. So, you may have to wait to get a product in stock again and then shipped to your address. In some instances, it can take several weeks.
We really hope that this article helps you in buying all the important dietary items for any situation of emergency/survival/lockdown in one go.
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