The Best Survival Food Essentials

When building an emergency food supply, most will agree that having nutritious, long-lasting foods is crucial for survival preparedness.

By exploring the fundamentals of survival food essentials - like key nutrients, maximizing shelf life, and practical storage tips - you'll discover the best options for stockpiling an efficient emergency food supply.

In this post, you'll learn exactly what foods have the nutrients, resilience, and longevity needed to sustain yourself and your family through a crisis situation. You'll also get actionable advice on storage methods and maintenance routines to optimize your survival stockpile for emergency preparedness.

Introduction to Survival Food Essentials

When building an emergency food supply, focusing on essential nutrients, optimal shelf life, and practical storage considerations is key.

Survival foods should provide complete proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and a full amino acid profile to maintain health. Prioritizing non-perishable foods with a long shelf life, like canned goods, dehydrated meals, or MREs, ensures they'll be viable when you need them most. Storing foods properly in a cool, dark place protects against light, heat, and pests over time.

Consider an emergency food kit with items like canned vegetables and fruits, peanut butter, nuts and trail mixes, crackers, jerky, and powdered milk or eggs. Augment with ReadyWise emergency buckets or Mountain House meal pouches for easy, nutritious options. With some planning, you can build a well-rounded food supply to nourish and sustain your family, even in an emergency.

What is the very best survival food?

Canned foods are certainly a practical option for survival stockpiles given their long shelf life and ability to be eaten straight from the can. However, to build a well-rounded food supply, it's important to consider nutrients and variety as well.

When selecting the best survival foods, focus on items that provide essential vitamins, minerals, protein, and calories to support health during an emergency. Some top picks include:

Canned meats like tuna, salmon, chicken, and beef for protein. Choose options packed in water rather than oil.
Canned beans for fiber, plant-based protein, and nutrients like iron. Varieties like kidney, pinto, black, and garbanzo beans make good additions.
Canned vegetables and fruits for vitamins and antioxidants. Go for a mix like carrots, green beans, corn, peaches, pears, and applesauce.
Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats that have longer shelf lives when properly stored. These provide carbohydrates for energy.
Nuts and nut butters for healthy fats, plant-based protein and nutrients. Stash some peanut butter and almonds.
Dried fruits and vegetables like raisins, prunes, banana chips, and dehydrated veggie chips add micronutrients.
Powdered milk and eggs can be reconstituted with water for added protein.

When building your emergency food supply, be sure to calculate daily calorie needs and pack enough food and water for each person for at least 3 days, ideally 2 weeks or more. Storing a variety of survival foods helps prevent appetite fatigue. Prioritize shelf-stable items with longer expiration dates, and create an inventory list to track when items need rotation.

What is the best food to stockpile?

When building an emergency food supply, it's important to have nutrient-dense foods with a long shelf life. Some of the best survival foods to stockpile include:

Canned meats: Canned tuna, chicken, salmon etc. are packed with protein and easy to store. Aim for meats packed in water rather than oil.
Beans: Dried and canned beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Beans also provide fiber, iron, and magnesium.
Canned vegetables: Canned veggies like carrots, green beans, corn, and tomatoes last 2+ years unopened. Choose low-sodium options.
Fruit: Canned, jarred, and dried fruits offer essential vitamins and minerals. Prioritize versatile fruits like applesauce and pineapple.
Grains: Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats have longer shelf lives than white flour. Plus, they provide valuable B vitamins.
Nuts and seeds: High in healthy fats and protein, nuts and seeds can last up to a year when properly stored. Stick to raw nuts rather than heavily salted.
Water: Stockpile at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. Purchase commercially bottled water or use water storage containers. Replace every 6 months.

No matter what foods you choose, be sure to take storage conditions into account. Keep foods in a cool, dark place and check expiration dates regularly to ensure safety and nutritional quality. Integrating a variety of non-perishable foods into your stockpile helps ensure balanced nutrition in an emergency.

What foods last the longest for survival?

When preparing your emergency food supply, it's important to understand which foods have the longest shelf life. This allows you to stock up on nutritious items that will sustain you through a crisis scenario.

Some of the best survival foods that can last for years include:

Hard grains like wheat, corn, and buckwheat. Properly stored with oxygen absorbers, these grains can remain edible for 20-30 years. They provide essential carbs and nutrients.
Dried beans and legumes are packed with plant-based protein. Lentils, split peas, black beans and more will easily last 10+ years if kept cool and dry. Rehydrate before eating.
Honey is known for its indefinite shelf life. The natural sugars prevent microbial growth. Honey found in Egyptian tombs over 3000 years old was still edible!
Salt never spoils or expires. Table salt and sea salt will outlive us all as natural preservatives. Essential nutrients like iodine are often added to salt as well.
White rice, if stored properly in oxygen-free packaging, can remain unspoiled for 30 years. Brown rice has oils that shorten its shelf life to only 6 months.
Instant coffee can retain its fresh flavor for 20+ years if kept away from moisture, heat, and light. The same goes for tea leaves. Add hot water when needed.

Some other goods like vegetable oils, dried fruits, canned goods, baking soda, and powdered milk can also have shelf lives ranging from 2-20 years when properly packaged and stored.

The keys are keeping survival foods cool, dark, and dry in sealed containers. Check expiration or best-by dates, but many foods will outlive those if stored optimally. With the right emergency food supply, you can be prepared for any prolonged crisis.

What is the best homemade survival food?

Hardtack, pemmican, parched corn, and trench cake are some of the original staples for long-term survival. While MREs and emergency ration bars demonstrate the innovation of modern survival foods, these classic options have stood the test of time.

When choosing the best homemade survival food, focus on nutrients, shelf life, and practical storage. Hardtack, for example, lacks variety but contains whole grains and lasts indefinitely. Pemmican offers protein and fat for energy but requires refrigeration after opening. Parched corn stores well but doesn't offer complete nutrition.

The best homemade survival foods balance shelf stability, portability, and essential macros and micros. Augment classic staples like hardtack with vitamin-rich foods like rose hip powder or dried vegetables. Vacuum seal or store in mylar bags to extend shelf life. Split supplies into grab-and-go bags for evacuation readiness.

Homemade survival food takes time and planning for balanced nutrition. But the DIY approach pays dividends in self-reliance and control over ingredients. Hardtack and pemmican are time-tested, while innovations like trench cakes offer modern twists. Focus on essential nutrients, practical storage, and diverse ingredients to compile your best homemade survival food supply.

Essential Nutrients for Sustained Survival

Protein: The Building Blocks of Survival

Complete proteins that contain all 9 essential amino acids are critical for survival when food sources are limited. Good options include:

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs: Excellent sources of complete protein. Canned and pouched meats like chicken, salmon, tuna can provide 10-15g protein per serving.
Dairy products: Milk, cheese, yogurt contain high-quality complete proteins. Powdered milk and shelf-stable cheeses are convenient for stockpiling.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas and peanuts contain moderate amounts of plant-based protein (5-10g per serving). Combine with grains to make complete proteins.
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds provide essential amino acids. High in healthy fats too.

Complex Carbohydrates: Sustained Energy Sources

Complex carbs from whole grains, legumes and starchy vegetables provide steady energy release during survival:

Whole grains: Brown rice, oats, quinoa, amaranth contain fiber, vitamins. Opt for long shelf life options like wheat berries or rice mixes.
Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash supply carbs along with nutrients like Vitamin C. Great for stews.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas offer carbs along with plant-based protein. Dried or canned varieties work well.

Healthy Fats: Essential for Long-Term Health

Good fats support cell health, hormone regulation, brain function. Stock up on:

Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, almonds, chia and flaxseeds provide heart-healthy fats. Long shelf life.
Plant oils: Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil contain beneficial fatty acids. Opt for pouches over glass bottles.
Canned fish: Salmon, sardines packed in oil contribute omega-3 fats.

Vitamins and Minerals: Micronutrients in Crisis

Key micronutrients help maintain health when access to fresh produce is limited. Useful sources:

Multivitamins: Provide concentrated doses of vitamins A, C, D, E, B vitamins, iron, zinc. Extended shelf life formulas ideal.
Fortified foods: Powdered milk, cereal, bars contain added vitamins and minerals. Help cover nutritional gaps.
Canned produce: Fruits and veggies supply Vitamin C, potassium, folate. Choose low-sodium options.

Having a balanced stockpile of survival food containing complete proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats and key micronutrients can help maintain health in an emergency until access to normal food supply resumes.

Maximizing Shelf Life for Emergency Preparedness

When building an emergency food supply, maximizing shelf life is critical. Utilizing techniques like freeze drying, nitrogen flushing, moisture regulators, and vacuum sealing can extend shelf life for years or even decades. This ensures your food stash will be viable when you need it most.

Canned and Jarred Goods: A Pantry Staple

Canned goods are a prepper's best friend when stocking up on meat, fruits, vegetables, and beans. When properly stored in a cool, dark place, canned goods can last 2-5 years beyond their printed expiration date before quality starts to decline. Opt for cans without dents or rust. Once opened, consume within several days and do not re-can.

Freeze-Dried Food: Longevity in Storage

Freeze drying removes 98% of a food's moisture content through sublimation. This radically extends shelf life - freeze dried produce or meat can last over 25 years when sealed in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. The process also locks in nutrients and allows food to be reconstituted later. Top brands like Mountain House and Augason Farms offer full entrees.

MREs: Military-Grade Resilience

Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) are designed for 3-5 years of shelf life thanks to low moisture content and preservatives. The military-grade solutions contain full meals with a heater to warm them up. Civilian MREs from brands like SOPAKCO are also available. Consume MREs within 12 hours after opening.

Grains and Legumes: Bulk Storage Solutions

Rice, oats, pasta, lentils, and other dried goods are ideal for bulk storage with a shelf life of up to 30 years when properly packaged and stored in a cool, dark place. Use oxygen absorbers in buckets for max freshness. Grains and legumes offer cost-effective calories and nutrients. Pair with freeze-dried or canned meat and produce for well-rounded meals.

Practical Food Storage Tips for Emergency Supply Kits

Properly storing emergency food is crucial to ensure it remains fresh and safe to eat when needed. Here are some key considerations for maximizing shelf life:

Optimal Location: Climate Control for Longevity

The ideal storage location for emergency food is a basement, cellar, or other climate-controlled area. Consistent cool temperatures between 50-70°F help prevent spoilage. Exposure to sunlight and heat can accelerate deterioration.

Airtight Containers: The Barrier Against Spoilage

Storing food in airtight containers creates a barrier against oxygen, moisture, insects, and rodents - all enemies of shelf life. Opaque plastic buckets with gasket seals or thick Mylar bags work well. Adding oxygen absorbers inside creates an even longer-lasting airless environment.

Organization Systems: Efficient Access and Rotation

A clear organization system makes taking inventory and rotating stock easier. Categorize foods by type and label containers with contents and expiration dates. Use oldest supplies first and replace them with fresher items.

Routine Maintenance: Ensuring Freshness and Safety

Periodically inspect storage areas and containers for pest infestation, leaks, tears, swelling, or other signs of spoilage. Replace oxygen absorbers and desiccants as needed per manufacturers instructions. Promptly repack or dispose of compromised items.

Proper storage conditions, air-tight containers, organization, and routine maintenance of an emergency food supply will help ensure it remains safe and nutritious when it is needed most.

Building Your Emergency Food Supply Kit

Assembling an emergency food supply kit with adequate nutrition, long shelf life, and portability is crucial for disaster preparedness. This guide reviews some top-rated survival food kits and key items to stockpile based on your dietary needs.

ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply: A Comprehensive Solution

The ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply offers 120 servings of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, meats, grains and milk with a 25 year shelf life. The buckets are easy to stack and store. With 20 amino acids and balanced macro nutrients, this kit covers essential nutritional needs in an emergency.

Augason Farms Emergency Supply Food Kit: Diverse Offerings

The Augason Farms kit provides canned meats, fruits, beans, baking ingredients and spices lasting 2-5 years. With gluten-free and vegetarian options, it accommodates various diets. The kit includes comfort foods like mac and cheese, allowing for meal variety to prevent appetite fatigue.

S.O.S. Rations Emergency Food Bars: Compact and Caloric

S.O.S. Rations bars offer 3600 calories in a compact, 5-year shelf life bar requiring no preparation. The bars take up little space and contain nutrients, making them an ideal grab-and-go option for bug out bags. However, some may find the taste lacking compared to prepared meals.

Mountain House Essential Bucket: Adventure-Ready Meals

The Mountain House Essential bucket provides pouch meals only requiring hot water, including pasta primavera, eggs with bacon and sweet and sour pork. The lightweight pouches are easy to pack for outdoor adventures. However, the lack of produce makes it less ideal for long-term storage.

Survive2Thrive Vegetarian Preparedness Pail: Plant-Based Options

The Survive2Thrive pail contains 100 vegetarian, organic quinoa and lentil meals made for hiking that only need water. It offers high protein with a better vitamin and mineral profile from whole foods versus processed bars. The pouches take up substantial space, limiting portability.

Combatting Appetite Fatigue in Survival Situations

When relying on your emergency food supply during a crisis, it's important to add variety and prevent taste burnout, known as "appetite fatigue." Here are some suggestions:

Try Different Cooking Methods

If you have access to a heat source, experiment with different cooking methods for your survival foods. Boiling, frying, baking, and grilling can all yield vastly different flavors and textures. This keeps meals interesting. A camp stove is perfect for cooking survival foods.

Combine Ingredients

Get creative and combine ingredients to make tasty meals. For example, add ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply pouches to rice and beans. Mix Survive2Thrive Vegetarian Preparedness Pail ingredients into stews. Blend Mountain House Essential Bucket meals together. The possibilities are endless.

Preserve Fresh Foods

When possible during an emergency, preserve any fresh foods you have on hand to add nutrients and flavors. Techniques like drying, salting, sugaring, and pickling can extend shelf lives. Refer to survival guides for exact methods.

Portion Control

Practice portion control to make your food last longer in a survival situation. Cut back to smaller serving sizes so you don't quickly burn through supplies. It also prevents appetite fatigue from overeating the same foods.

By using these tips to add diversity to your diet, you can avoid taste burnout when relying on your emergency rations during a crisis.

Supplemental Survival Gear for Food Preparation

Additional equipment can greatly enhance your ability to prepare and consume food during an emergency situation. Portable stoves, water filters, and water purification methods allow you to cook hot meals and access safe drinking water when traditional resources are disrupted.

Camp Stove: Versatile Cooking in Any Environment

Camp stoves like the BioLite Wood Burning CampStove or Etekcity Ultralight Portable Outdoor Backpacking Camping Stoves provide a reliable heat source for cooking when electricity and gas utilities fail. These compact stoves can run on various fuels like wood, charcoal, or propane canisters, giving you versatile off-grid cooking capability. Key features to look for include adjustable flame control, auto-ignition, and lightweight, durable construction. A good camp stove allows you to boil water and prepare hot meals with your emergency food supply when you have no other means of cooking.

Water Filter: Ensuring Safe Hydration

In a disaster scenario, drinking water sources can become contaminated. Water filters like the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter and Sawyer MINI Water Filter remove bacteria, parasites, microplastics and other dangerous contaminants from natural water sources like lakes, rivers, and rainwater. This allows you to safely rehydrate with found water in the absence of clean tap water. Ideal features include a compact size for portability, the ability to filter a high volume of water before needing replacement, and effectiveness against a wide range of contaminants.

Emergency Drinking Water Packets: Hydration on the Go

Packets of emergency drinking water like Datrex water packets provide lightweight, portable hydration when you are on the move. These pouches of purified water have a 5+ year shelf life, requiring no refrigeration. Their compact size makes them easy to keep in your bug out bag, emergency kit, or stash around the house in case of a sudden disaster event. While not a long-term solution, they can be vital for short-term hydration needs in an evacuation scenario.

Having the right gear to prepare meals and ensure safe water access makes your food supply far more useful in an emergency situation where utilities are disrupted. Items like camp stoves, water filters, and emergency drinking water packets complement your stocked survival food, giving you the ability to fully utilize those rations.

Conclusion and Final Tips for Emergency Preparedness

When it comes to survival food, having the right essential nutrients and practical storage is key for emergency preparedness. Here are some final tips:

Take inventory of the survival food in your emergency supply kit every 6 months. Replace anything that is expired or close to expiration.
Consider investing in items like a camp stove, water filter, and water purification tablets. These will allow you to cook and access clean drinking water if utilities are disrupted.
Store your survival food supply in a cool, dark place to maximize shelf life. Consider using oxygen absorbers in your storage containers.
Opt for survival foods that are lightweight and space-efficient. Items like emergency food bars, drink mixes, and freeze-dried meals are great options.
Build variety into your food supply to prevent appetite fatigue. Include comfort foods along with more basic nourishment.
Don't forget utensils, mess kits, can openers, and other tools you'll need to prepare meals.

Staying informed and vigilant is key to emergency preparedness. Keep survival food basics in mind, and continue seeking knowledge on the latest preparedness best practices. With the right mindset and supplies, you'll be ready for whatever comes your way.