Best Foods to Stockpile for Emergencies In 2024 [+Free Checklist!]

Which are the best foods to stockpile for emergencies in 2024? Well – we are never picky in a food emergency. We want it all! Because especially since 2019, the world has become a more dangerous place. Freak viruses, high crime, political unrest, and the possibility of WWIII weigh on our minds. 

And we need to get prepared for anything. And everything!

It’s your responsibility to keep your family safe and healthy. And your food is a foundational variable in that equation.

And that’s what’s on the menu today. Foods you can stock up on that have long shelf lives. And more importantly, provide actual health value that can sustain your family’s physical and mental processes.

So, let’s jump in and learn about dozens of ideal food choices you should keep in your basement, pantry, freezer, or anywhere else that is dark, cool, and dry.

But first, let’s quickly clarify what an emergency is so that we’re all on the same page.

Let’s Define What an Emergency Is

For our purposes here today, let’s define an emergency as any situation that demands that your family remains inside your home for an extended period.

What’s an extended period?

Imagine any period that you would not usually be staying inside. You’re not traveling anywhere. Not even back and forth to work. That’s an extended period.

An emergency can last three days, a week, or longer. And that’s why it’s intelligent to have as much emergency food stockpiled as possible.

It’s better to have a month’s supply and only need four days’ worth than to need a month’s supply and only have four days’ worth. At a minimum? I shoot for developing a two-week surplus of essential items.

At least!

When is the best time to stockpile food for an emergency? Right now! Most reliable survival experts advise having at least a three-day food and water supply for everyone on your homestead. We take things a step further – and have many months of stockpiled foods. We keep (and rotate) fresh water, canned meat, jarred grains, cereals, herbs, and spices. Also – contrary to popular belief, canned foods usually last indefinitely – as long as the can is in good condition. The date on the cans is usually for flavor and freshness only. Good to know!

Nutrition Matters Much More than Calories

Since we’re talking about emergencies, it’s vital to recognize that emergency foods aren’t those of the wide variety that you consume for pleasure in your everyday diet – like ice cream, truffles, potato chips, soda pop, Big Macs, and others that offer little to no nutrition, and can do you more harm than good.

We eat, especially during an emergency, to maintain our health and produce the energy we need. The backup supply of foods you eat during emergencies should not be the same as those you’re probably used to eating regularly.

Water

After the air we breathe, water keeps us alive more than any other substance. Most of us have excess adipose (fat) tissue that can be broken down and used for energy.

We store vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients inside our bones, organs, and fat. They release as we burn through our body stores when fasting.

So, your primary concern for stockpiling food shouldn’t be specific foods. But it should be for water. Without ample water, you can’t digest your food anyway.

I like to store water in tightly sealed glass containers – not plastic. I avoid most brands of bottled water. I don’t trust them. Even BPA-free plastic still contains loads of chemicals that are not good for the cells.

A water-purifying pitcher like the Brita I use works well to remove many impurities in unfiltered tap water today. I don’t recommend drinking tap water whatsoever. But if you have to, filter it first. My pitcher makes a gallon of water at a time.

And as a last resort, keep some water purification tablets on hand. They can make unpotable water at least potable enough to keep you hydrated, plus you can cook with it.

Spices and Herbs

If I had only one type of survival food besides water, it would be dehydrated herbs and spices. They’re excellent sources of beneficial phytonutrients (plant nutrients), vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Some are also good sources of protein, and long-term storage is easy.

Use warm distilled water to make teas with:

• Chamomile
• Dandelion
• Lavender
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Mint
• Elderberry (great for making elderberry syrup!)

And you can use dried herbs in any recipe to add nutrition and flavor. Consider garlic, basil, cayenne, black pepper, allspice, anise, bay leaf, lemon grass, oregano, mustard, cinnamon, clove, cilantro, nutmeg, parsley, sage, sesame, horseradish, and wasabi. They’re all so exciting and healthy!

Salt

Salt’s a staple in any kitchen. It’s indispensable for your emergency food supply.

However, please don’t use the bleached white salt that’s so common, whether or not it has added iodine. Table salt is sodium chloride, meaning it contains just about 60% sodium and 40% chloride, with nothing else. You need more from your salt!

Load up on pink Himalayan sea salt or another unprocessed type of salt not chemically stripped of its organic nutrients. The pink salt I love contains dozens and dozens of natural minerals – including iodine, selenium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and more!

No bleached salt for me, thanks!

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Free Stockpile Checklist

To help you prepare your stockpile, we’ve compiled a free foods to stockpile checklist!

Print the image below, or enter your email to receive a PDF version via email.

General Tips for Stockpiling Food for Emergencies

The goal for an emergency variety of foods is to keep them as nutritious, lightweight, and small as possible. You’ll also want to stock the foods with the best shelf lives.

For making healthy meals during tough times, stick to fresh food stockpiling tips like:

1. Dehydrate fresh fruits and vegetables. You can reconstitute most dry foods when needed, eat them dry, or turn them into powder and put them in drinks, soups, and sauces.
2. Explore the art of canning foods. Almost all foods can be canned, including vegetables, fruits, sauces, homemade soups, and meats.
3. Almost all foods can also get frozen for preservation. Shrinkwrapping the food before freezing, and placing it in tight containers, prevents ice crystal formation and significantly increases safe storage time.
4. Plant an annual organic garden! You can then stockpile your favorite natural herbs and veggies for dehydrating, canning, or freezing.
5. Hunt, trap, fish, and raise animals to keep your stockpile filled with essential proteins. Of course, you may dehydrate, can, freeze-dry, or freeze these meats for storage.

Finally, it’s vital to keep your stockpiled foods labeled and dated! That way, you can ensure proper rotation and prompt usage. Of course, you want to front the oldest pantry items and consume them first.

Best Options for Your Emergency Food Stockpile

The average food pantry isn’t exactly huge. The best survival foods to stockpile are the ones that keep you alive, last a long time, and take up as little space as possible. For our purposes today, the three main categories of stockpile-able foods are:

• Dehydrated
• Powdered
• Prepared
• Canned

Let’s explore some of the best kinds of foods in each category:

Some of the Best Dehydrated Foods for Your Emergency Stockpile

Here are some high-energy, high-protein foods to stockpile for emergencies:

Dried Beans

All types of dried beans make excellent emergency foods. They last for years and years. They’re loaded with nutrients and dietary fiber and provide a lot of satiation. Consider stocking up on pinto beans, black beans, great northern beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and more!

Cereal

There are loads of semi-healthy breakfast cereals to stock up on for emergencies. You can extend the shelf life of breakfast cereals by keeping them in the original packaging. And then seal them again in a separate airtight container. And don’t forget about hot cereals like Cream of Wheat and oatmeal.

Dried Nuts

Nuts have a lot of fiber, carbs, and beneficial fats that everyone needs for healthy survival. They also contain many other species-dependent nutrients – including protein, magnesium, vitamin B, vitamin E, selenium, and iron. In an airtight container, they stay edible for many years. (I’m munching on unsalted, raw almonds while writing this!)

Dried Whole Grains

Wheat, rye, corn, buckwheat, millet, barley, quinoa, oatmeal, and other grains are good for emergencies. They’re good sources of fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, they can store safely for 5 – 10 years without worrying about spoilage.

Flour

Having flour on hand empowers you to create artisan loaves and other baked goods. They are perfect for satiation and creating a peaceful, homey feeling that can be important during a nerve-wracking emergency.

Just be sure to choose unbleached flour! Remember the same reasons you want to avoid bleached salt and sugar. Also, stock up on baking powder and baking soda for leavening!

Pasta

Who doesn’t like pasta? I sure do!

Consider stocking up on spaghetti, linguini, fettuccine, rigatoni, and egg noodles. Combine the pasta with some jarred sauce and homemade artisan bread, sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese, and you are ready for another day of emergency survival – in style!

Rice

Wild rice can store safely for a very long time. And, of course, rice is a global food staple. Just be sure to choose rice that hasn’t been bleached white and stripped of its beneficial nutrients like essential vitamins. Look for long-grain wild rice that’s red, brown, black, and other colors besides white!

Finally, get yourself a food dehydrator and start buying good deals on organic fruits and vegetables when you see them at the grocery stores. They’re ideal foods for your emergency food supply list in challenging times.

A rudimentary dehydrator costs less than 50 bucks and will make A LOT of survival food.

Stock your emergency food storage with dried apples, blueberries, carrots, garlic, green beans, mushrooms, pears, tomatoes, and zucchini. You’ll love having these nutritious food reserves available for your family during an emergency.

Now, we should look at some of the best powdered food to keep in your reserve stores.

I’m getting hungry!

The Best Powdered Foods to Stockpile

Powdered foods have no water. And are therefore lightweight, easily storable, and extra long-lasting. Consider adding the following to your crisis supply of food stores.

• Powdered milk
• Evaporated eggs
• Powdered potatoes and other root vegetables
• Powdered butter
• Powdered honey

All of these evaporated foods will add excellent nutrition and satiation when you have to stay at home day after day. Properly store them in their original packaging, plus an extra airtight container. They will last for a decade.

When correctly dehydrated, these foods retain most of their nutritional value. And when reconstituted, it’s difficult to tell the difference from fresh, especially when you must lean during a disaster or other emergency.

Delightful!

The Best Canned Foods to Stockpile

Please note that when I mention canned foods, I’m referring to those you can in jars at home. Not those in metal cans that you buy from the grocery!

However, for an emergency, even metal-canned foods can serve you well. Once in a while, I’ll even enjoy some canned citrus fruits.

Although they get heated past the point that degrades nutrients, they retain some of their nutritional value, and they can last for many years, even past their expiration dates, when stored in a chilled, dry, dark location.

We also recommend the following food storage items – whether you buy them from a store or can them yourselves.

1. Canned soups
2. Canned pasta sauces
3. Canned fruit and vegetables
4. Canned meat like tuna, chicken, and potted beef

My Wife and I have been canning numerous perishable foods, including fresh meat, in Mason jars for the past two decades. And my Mom and Dad would can food at home too.

It’s an honest, good feeling when you’re canning the organic food you grow in a garden, preserving it for your family’s future sustenance. No doubt!

Some of the Best Packaged Foods to Stockpile

I generally don’t buy or eat packaged foods. I prefer the health and art of cooking my foods with ingredients I choose and control.

However, there are various foods, some of which are excellent natural medicines, that I recommend keeping in your emergency food storage, including:

• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) with Mother (Unfiltered)
• Organic, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil
• Organic peanut butter and other nut butter
• Organic honey
• Hot sauce

Some other versatile foods for emergencies include:

• Beef jerky
• Turkey jerky
• Chicken jerky
• Fish jerky

Also, consider stockpiling protein bars with various flavors and consistencies. (Try peanut butter, chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, pumpkin, and granola! That way, you have a variety.)

Stockpiling Booze for Survival

Let’s not kid ourselves. In an emergency, you might want a stiff drink. Or six. For medicinal purposes, of course. It’s a no-brainer!

Vodka, bourbon, gin, and other hard liquor never spoil or turn rancid. Meaning it’s perfect for an emergency food store. Plus, if stuff hits the fan, you can use it to barter.

Bottoms Up!

Top 60 Food Recommendations

Here’s a reference list of the foods mentioned in this article – emergency preparation has never been this easy!

Summary of the Best Foods to Stockpile for Emergencies

Survival foods aren’t necessarily tasty, delicious, or sweet. Their only purpose is to keep you alive another day so that you can make it through the emergency.

Once you’re out of danger, get a gut-busting steak and a 3,000-calorie dessert. But during an emergency, reach for light foods packed with nutrition to keep you healthy without too much internal processing.

Remember to stockpile as much food as you can! And always keep everything labeled. As your stockpile grows, you’ll be tremendously happy that you took the time to keep everything named and dated. It matters.

Oh, one more thing: don’t forget the coffee!

In the meantime, let us know if you have more questions or tips about the best food to stockpile.

We love hearing from you – and we thank you again for reading.

Have a great day!

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