Whether there is a virus going around or not, it’s always a good idea to have an emergency store of food on hand. Here is how you can stock up your pantry in case of an emergency.
How to stock up your pantry in case of emergency
Be prepared but don’t panic.
Watch this video!
The CDC recommends that in the event you get sick, that you “have enough household items and groceries on hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home for a period of time.”
Here in the Midwest we are no strangers to weather elements that keep us home for a period of time so we’ve had plenty of practice stocking up.
For years, we have been grocery shopping once every two weeks and get enough food to last between trips. If we had to, we could go at least a month without shopping (minus a few items), just by using the food in our pantry.
Check out my menu plan post and video – to find out how we do it!
- Related: Easy Meal Planning on a Budget
What if you are sick?
The CDC says that if you are sick, STAY HOME, monitor your symptoms, and call your healthcare provider if they get worse.. That means do NOT go grocery shopping. They suggest having your food brought to you through “family, social, or commercial networks”. Have a family member or friend do your shopping for you and leave your groceries at the door. Utilize a grocery deliver app such as Instacart.
If you suspect you may have had contact with a contagious disease, the current recommendation is to self-quarantine for 14 days.
If you are healthy you can go to the grocery store and prepare just in case you do need to self-quarantine or stay home to prevent from getting sick. I will show you how to stock up your pantry responsibly* for at least 2 weeks.
We went grocery shopping during the pandemic. Here’s what we found:
*Stocking up responsibly is the equivalent to being prepared but not panicking. Ideally you stock up your pantry over time and before you need to. Once there is a need, everyone is running to the grocery stores. During times like these, you don’t want to run out and purchase excessive amounts of food because you could be taking it away from others who need it.
Why stock up?
Much like having an emergency fund, having an emergency store of food provides peace of mind.
- Related: A Beginner’s Guide: Emergency Fund
In the event that you get sick and can’t go to the store, you already have food. If food production slows down leading to shortages, you already have food. In the event you aren’t able to work and need to tighten your budget, you can cut back on grocery spending because you already have food on hand.
You also have the ability to go longer between grocery store visits and it gives you the flexibility to shop the sales. When something goes on sale, stock up and wait to purchase until it goes on sale again. This is a great way to save money.
- Related: 5 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
Stocking up your pantry isn’t as daunting is it might seem. I will show you how!
Where to Start
Get food that is healthy and has a long shelf life. If there is an increased risk of getting sick, it’s important to have healthy foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
The two most common things to stock up your pantry with are dried beans and rice. They are cheap, have a long shelf life, and provide nutrition. Other basics include canned tomato sauce, tuna, crackers, canned fruits and veggies, and pasta.
Look for items low in sugar and high in fiber.
How much you need of each item depends on your family size and budget. If you are looking for what quantities you need, check out this website.
Surviving on only beans and rice can get boring. Which is why over the past 5 years I’ve built up a recipe repertoire of tried and true favorites: including yummy beans and rice recipes and more!
Get access to OVER 200 of my favorite recipes for free! I only save recipes I’ve tried and want to make again. Have a look for some good ideas:
There you’ll find some of the recipes I mention below.
Along with beans and rice, here are more items that are worth adding to your store:
- grains
- canned goods
- beans
- fruits + vegetables
- protein
- dairy
- soups
- extras
Grains
Grains stretch far, are filling, and you get a big bang for your buck. Below is a list of things we like to stock up on because they have a good shelf life or can be frozen (bread).
Grab basic baking ingredients. If you are going to be at home for a few weeks, try baking/cooking some new foods!
- brown rice
- quinoa
- wheat bread
- pasta
- oatmeal
- tortillas
- crackers
- flour
- cereal
When beginning to stock up your pantry in case of an emergency, you want to consider items that have multiple uses. The key is not to waste. You can eat oatmeal for breakfast or use it to stretch out your ground beef. If bread goes stale, ground it into bread crumbs and make meatballs or meatloaf.
Head over to my Etsy shop and grab your checklist to print out and take with you to the grocery store! As a thank you to my readers, I’m offering a 10% discount when you use the code: READER or use this link!
Canned Goods
Canned items have an amazing shelf life, plus it’s a great way to get vegetables in. From beans to fruit to even meat, canned has it all.
- tomatoes – diced, sauce
- coconut milk
- beans: all varieties
- fruits: mandarins, pears, peaches, etc.
- veggies: corn, green beans, carrots, beets, etc.
- meat: fish, chicken, tuna
Coconut milk is essential for making curry. Add seasonings, diced tomatoes, chicken, and serve over rice. You can use canned tomatoes in a variety of pastas. Use vegetables as a side or on a stir fry.
Beans
You can buy beans canned or dried. They are very cheap and stretch pretty far. I used to avoid dried beans because the soaking process seemed to take forever but now they go so quickly in the Instant Pot! They are light weight which makes them easy to store.
- black
- kidney
- garbanzo
- white
- green
Black beans are great with rice and in a burrito bowl. Pad a quesadilla with refried beans for a quick protein punch. Make your own hummus with garbanzo beans. Arguably the best use of white beans is White Bean Turkey Chili from Skinnytaste – we make this at least 1-2 times a month. And of course, kidney beans are a staple in chili.
Fruits + Vegetables
The next thing to consider as we stock up the pantry in case of an emergency is fruits + veggies. You can get lots of fruits and vegetables in the canned and frozen variety. If you are looking for fresh, apples, oranges, lemons, and carrots can last a while with proper refrigeration. If bananas start to become overripe, you can put them in the freezer until you want to make banana bread.
They say you can freeze avocados but I tried it and wouldn’t recommend it… Buy unripe (hard) avocados and store them in the fridge. Leave them on the counter a few days before using them.
- frozen, canned + dried fruit
- applesauce
- root vegetables
- frozen, canned vegetables
- onions
- sweet potatoes
- cabbage
My favorite way to prepare cabbage is: okonomiyaki. It’s a fried Japanese pancake. A simple way to make it is with shredded cabbage, flour, and eggs. Fry it and add a special okonomiyaki sauce you can find on Amazon. (You can even find the flour mixture there, too.)
Extra Protein
Without protein, you will feel weak and tired so make sure you are getting plenty of it! Eggs can last about 3 weeks in the fridge. Hard boiled eggs are good for a week when still in the shell. When scrambling eggs, add milk to the mixture to stretch it.
- meat: chicken, beef, pork, turkey
- beans
- eggs
- nuts
- peanut butter
To keep it low cost, you can stretch your ground beef by adding ground pork, ground turkey, or even oatmeal to it. Beef up your plate with other proteins like quinoa and beans so meat can be a side dish, rather than the main entree.
Dairy
When you think about how to stock up your pantry in case of emergency, milk probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. But, you can purchase powdered milk or self-stable (aseptic) milk that lasts on the shelf. I buy shredded cheese in bulk, portion it out and freeze it.
- milk
- cheese
Soups
Soups are especially yummy during the colder months where viruses tend to flourish. If you want to make your own broth, buy bone-in chicken, fill a pot with water, and let it simmer on the stove (or cook it in the instant pot) with seasonings. You’ll have cooked chicken you can shred and freeze, along with chicken broth you can use for soups.
- chicken/vegetable/beef broth
- seasonings
- bullion cubes
- canned soups
A really easy soup to make is egg drop soup: heat up chicken broth and crack an egg into it. Stir to get egg ribbons.
Extras/Misc
In the event you want to stock up your pantry in case of an emergency, it’s good to mention that it’s okay to have some freezer meals on hand. Even if you are stuck at home all day, you may find you’re too exhausted to make supper. Frozen pizza or burritos (my personal favorite: frozen hamburger patties) are good go-to’s.
Grab a multivitamin. It’s good to supplement your nutrition while you are in emergency mode (and when you’re not).
Apart from being one of the most delicious snacks on the planet, popcorn is full of fiber and antioxidants! Buy the kernels and pop it on the stove – you don’t need a special pan, just a deep one.
Seasoning blends (ready made or homemade) are a great way to spice up your meat. I like to use this homemade taco seasoning to make dirty rice: sausage and rice.
- seaweed – Aldi sells it in snack packs
- yeast/baking goods
- snacks: protein bars, raisins, etc.
- condiments
- alfredo, pesto sauce
- seasonings (current favorite: tajin chili lime seasoning from Aldi)
- ramen
- oil
- honey
- bottled water
- coffee, tea
Non Food
- diapers + wipes
- sanitizer
- toiletries
- candles
- flashlight + batteries
- first aid kit
- bleach – to sanitize water (follow CDC recommendations)
How to Store Efficiently
Store your food in a place free of moisture and light. A sealed container is ideal. More ways to store here.
But what about space?
We live in an apartment and don’t have a ton of space for stocking up on food – we don’t actually have a real pantry. So how can you stock up when you don’t have space?
Where there’s a will there’s a way.
We rearranged our laundry closet and put up shelves to hold our canned goods. We even put a deep freezer in the closet of my son’s bedroom. He’s little and his clothes are small so it worked out.
Since then we’ve really needed the closet space so we put the deep freezer in storage. We aren’t able to stock up on as much meat now but we still have about a months worth. Instead of sticking a whole package of meat in the freezer, divide it into meal sized portions. They are easier to freeze this way.
How to Maintain a Stocked Pantry
When stocking up the pantry in case of an emergency, you want to consider how you can maintain it. Check expiration dates regularly and cook from your pantry. Once you use an item, put it on the grocery list right away, don’t wait until you need it next.
Organize your goods by expiration date and put the new items in the back.
Over time, you can grow your store of food to extend the length of time you could stay home.
Lastly
Be on the lookout for my next post about ways to prepare these foods using the ingredients I’ve mentioned above – recipes included!
You can also check out my “Budget Meals” Instagram highlights to get more ideas of what to make.
Be prepared but don’t panic.
Check out my video where we went grocery shopping:
You want to stock up your pantry in case of an emergency but you don’t want to go overboard. As we are seeing around the world, even in areas that are “locked down”, grocery stores and pharmacies are still remaining open. There is no need to hoard food.
If you do find yourself sick, refer to the CDC for more information regarding what symptoms to watch for and when to call your doctor.
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Thank you so much for this information. Here in Malta it’s the same. Everyone is panic buying even though we’ve been told thereis no shortage.
Hopefully things have settled down by now!
It’s amazing how many mostly healthy food items you included! I always think of pantry items as less healthy alternatives to most fresh food, but you mentioned many pantry items that would provide all the essential nutritional benefits while stuck at home (:
In an emergency, sometimes pantry food is a-okay!
Great advice on how to do it correctly! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading!