The digital era we live in enables us to scroll through a long list of available eateries to choose from and have our favourite items delivered straight to our door in less than half an hour.
However, food deliveries are not the cheapest services to maintain, would exhaust your financial resources rather quickly, and will not be as readily available during a food shortage.
In this scenario, you can consider some of the methods below to prepare yourself for a food shortage.
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Prioritize Water Storage
We need water more than food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends storing about 3L of water per person in your household for each day that passes.
Even if you are not expecting a water shortage anytime soon, having backup storage of about two weeks’ worth of water would be optimal.
You should store your water in a place where it will not be contaminated and replace the water you have stored every six months.
If you are storing bottled water, you may also want to check the expiration date and replace it as needed. Make sure you store some extra water for any pets you might have.
Grow Your Food
Those of you who live in a rural area and have a yard can grow your food. Many are starting to grow tomatoes, vegetables, and other easy-to-plant species to sustain themselves.
You can still build and maintain your garden indoors, even if you live in an apartment building with no yard to plant in – all without needing any soil at all.
Take some time to learn more about hydroponics, read “how-to’” guides available online, and then shop at online hydroponics sites to find the right system to suit your needs.
You will have your home-grown food before long.
Buy Emergency Food in Bulk
You will want to store nutritionally dense food, which requires no cooking to sustain yourself. Purchase canned meat and vegetables, individually packaged cereals, powdered milk, and low-sugar sports drinks in bulk for lower prices and sustainability.
There are websites dedicated to educating the public about the most sustainable foods that you can get online.
You can purchase large quantities and keep them air-tight to preserve them for the long term.
If you have vacuum packaging options available, utilize that to keep your crackers, cereals, and other similar types of food fresh.
Rotate Food Choices
Let us say you already have a range of canned foods and biscuits to choose from. You may have found a favourite food item or two, but it would be wiser to rotate between the food options you have.
Check the expiration date for the foods that you have stored and prioritize rotating between the foods that are nearer to their shelf life.
You can add fresh supplies to your food stockpile as you deplete your current resources. Rotating between several different choices will also ensure that you are taking in different nutrition or food types.
Do Not Forget Medications
Canned food and water aside, you will also want to refill your medications, vitamins, first aid supplies, and any other over-the-counter medications that you need.
If you have a little extra money in your budget, you can also get some medication for headaches, stomachaches, fever, and other generic symptoms.
Save Some Freezer Meat
If cooking simple dishes or keeping your freezer running is not an issue where you stay, you might also want to store some frozen meat.
Crackers and canned food last for a while but having some meat to fall back on occasionally would be good too.
Some frozen meat is pre-packed with seasoning, so you only must heat them on a frying pan or even in a microwave. Save these for days when you need a treat.
Save the Seeds
Some foods you are already eating, such as sweet potatoes, peppers, peas, or other vegetables, can be regrown with their seeds using simple techniques.
Research online about how you can dry out seeds from the fruits and vegetables you eat so that you can directly plant them in your indoor or outdoor garden.