As you begin your food storage the most asked question is how much is enough? Well the general consensus is that you need the following per one adult in the house.

Basic Food Storage-How much do I need?

Grains 400 pounds

I know that amount seems crazy to store but it is easier than you think. Storing grains can be done in a few different ways; such as the plastic buckets we told you about to #10 cans, to the 1 pound packages of spaghetti you can buy at the store.

Wheat, Barley, Millet, Oats, Rice, Cornmeal, Flour, Macaroni, Spaghetti, etc. The benefits of storing wheat are it is inexpensive, can be kept indefinitely if store properly. That is why wheat is the number one grain to store. It can be used in place of white flour for cooking, baking.

Beans/Legumes 40 pounds

Storing a variety of different types of beans is recommended to keep from burning out on one type of food.

Store dry beans of different types, peas, soybeans, dry soup mixes, sunflower seeds, and nuts are in this category.

Dairy Products 16 pounds

Make sure that you use and rotate your storage every two years or so depending on what you store as some dairy products do not have a long shelf life.Dairy products have come a long way in the past few years as you can now get items such as dehydrated sour cream and such. So it is easier to add variety to your food storage.

Powdered Milk, Evaporated Milk (6 cans = 1 pound), Powdered cheese, powdered eggs, dehydrated cheeses, etc.

Sweeteners 50 pounds

When we say sweeteners most people think of sugar. Well also in this category is honey which is the most versatile sweetener to store as it can be used in just about anything.

Honey, white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, jellies & jams, powder drink mixes, and gelatin are also in this category.

Salt 5 pounds

Iodized salt can be stored in their original containers if they are kept dry. you can also get salt in #10 cans now and is another way is to buy in bulk and can yourself.

Fats 4 gallons

24 pounds of oil = 4 gallons — 1 quart of Mayo = 1 1/2 lbs of oil — 1 quart salad dressings = 1 lb of oil — 1 lb of peanut butter = 1/2 lb of oil

Store cooking oils such as olive oil, canola, etc, shortening, butter, margarine, mayo, salad dressings, peanut butter or other nut butters.

Water 20 gallons

Why store so much you ask? Well if you plan on using water for cooking, bathing, and hydrating foods, let alone drinking you should store as much as you can. Water can be stored in 55 gallon drums or water bricks or even bottled water can be stored. If you don’t want to store that much you can invest in making a rain bucket collection system as that will help store and create water if you need more.

Vitamins & Minerals 365 tablets per person

Invest in a good once a day vitamin and mineral supplement. Don’t forget the kids they have once a day for them too.

Seeds for gardening and supplies

Growing fresh produce, veggies, when you have to survive for a year without the supermarkets being open it is best to grow your own garden. Growing fruits like raspberries, grapes, strawberries, and etc, can and fresh food into your food storage and all it takes is time and patience to learn to grow a garden in your area of the country. If you start small and try to grow a garden before TSHTF you will be better prepared to have fresh food to use with your freeze dried foods. When planning on keeping seeds and gardening, make sure you have the right tools, and make sure you have your soil prepared with the right minerals or all that planting and preparing will be for nothing as you watch your plants die and can’t get any garden supplies because the store are sold out.

So get out there and plant a garden while you have the time and resources you need. Don’t wait until TSHTF to try to plant your first garden.

This is by no means a complete list of items you should store. Notice that comfort foods were not on this list. Add what you think your family would like and how much you want to spend. Also Juice boxes are not on this list either so if you have little ones you might want to allow for it. Also baby food is not listed here. For small children and infants the amount of food and supplies is up to the parents. As the age of the child comes into play it is hard to say exactly how much you would need. Just remember to store baby formula, baby food in jars, and baby juice jars.