You’ve seen the lists of emergency foods from various “experts.” At first glance, the foods on these lists seem to make sense. But, when you think it over a bit more, a lot of the recommendations make no sense for the average prepper – including these foods that you probably shouldn’t stockpile.
Pasta
Experts will tell you to stockpile pasta or boxed pasta meals (think mac n cheese) because they last pretty much forever, even without any special storage.
But guess what? You need to cook pasta.
Don’t stockpile pasta unless you have a reliable way to cook during power outages. Instead, stockpile foods that don’t need to be cooked, like instant potato flakes, ramen, and couscous.
Dry Beans
Dry beans are even worse than pasta when it comes to cooking! Even if you do have an emergency stove, do you want to blow through your fuel to cook beans – especially since you won’t be able to refrigerate them for later when the power is out?
Oh, and beans are prone to getting weevils if not stored properly.
You are better off storing canned beans instead!
Freeze Dried Emergency Foods
The experts are correct in that freeze-dried foods can be great for prepping. Good emergency food brands package them so they last 25+ years and you don’t need to cook most freeze dried foods. Just add water.
So, why are these terrible choices for most people? Because freeze-dried foods are EXPENSIVE.
If you are just starting with prepping on a limited budget, you are better off getting canned soups and cheap staples.
Foods You Find On Sale
Common prepping advice is to “Buy items when they are on sale and add them to your stockpile.”
Sure, you will save some money now – but you will probably end up with a weird stockpile of random foods, some of which you don’t actually like to eat. Don’t be surprised if they go bad because you forget to rotate through them!
Instead, MAKE A LIST of items you want to stockpile for emergencies. Only buy sale items that are on the list!
Home Canned Vegetables
Learning to grow and preserve your own food with canning is a great way to be self-reliant. But don’t stockpile home-canned vegetables for emergencies.
The shelf life of home canned goods is only about 18 months. They are usually safe to eat long after that but turn to a disgusting mush.
And let’s not forget that home canned goods are in jars. Will glass jars survive an earthquake or tornado without shattering? I’d rather rely on foods in metal cans or sturdy buckets.
Popcorn Kernels
Popcorn kernels do NOT last “indefinitely.” After just ~6 months in storage, they lose their ability to pop. And these are a food that you definitely should not pack with oxygen absorbers unless you want to die of botulism. Think of a safer snack to stockpile for emergencies instead.
