Step 4 – Make a Food Plan
5 lessons I have learned the hard way:
Lesson 1: Freeze dried food lasts 30 years ...
I have modified my food plan a couple of times over the years. I started storing lots of tin cans of food from the grocery store (typical 14 oz cans), but they expired after 2 years. Since we don’t eat canned food, I couldn’t rotate them. I tried to donate them before they expired but always forgot (major hassle). I also realized that I won’t want to cook in an emergency. That’s when I discovered freeze dried meals in cans that last 30 YEARS! This makes them very economical. So now I keep some fruits and vegetables in cans, but I get freeze dried food for everything else.
Freeze dried meals are quite tasty. I was surprised! On nights that I don’t feel like cooking, I will sometimes pull from my storage. AND … they are great for traveling. I bring some meals for those nights in the hotel when we don’t feel like going out to eat. We boil the water in the hotel coffee machine and the meal is made in the bag!
NOTE: These are not the MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) meals that are used in the military. Those have a reputation for not being very tasty. I’m talking about freeze dried meals that come in a pouch or #10 can (more details below).
It is important to keep some items in cans, because freeze dried food requires a lot of water. The fruits and vegetables also come in liquids that can be used for cooking.
Lesson 2: Pouches vs #10 cans ...
You can buy freeze dried meals in 1 person pouches, 2 person pouches or #10 Cans (that contain about 10-1 cup servings). The Mountain House pouches and cans all have a 30 year life (when kept at house temperature). The Backpackers Pantry pouches only have a 7 year shelf life. The #10 cans are more economical and easier when preparing a meal for an entire family. However, once you open the #10 can, you must eat through the can within 7 days. So you’ll notice that my meal plans call for having 1/2 the can for dinner and then the other 1/2 for lunch the next day.
** REMEMBER: You need water to make the freeze dried meals. I have indicated the water needed for the meals at the end of each meal plan. Can’t say this enough … make sure you always have enough water! **
Lesson 3: Don't forget fruits and vegetables ...
Don’t forget to buy fruits and vegetables! The freeze dried meals are high in sodium, so I have a lot of vegetables to give us fiber. NO ONE wants to be constipated in an emergency — especially if you have to use an outdoor toilet. I buy a lot of broccoli in the #10 Cans.
I also buy fruit and vegetables in traditional 14 oz cans from the grocery store. It’s important to have some food on hand that does not require water. And the water in these cans can be used to prepare the freeze dried meals. But remember to watch the expiration dates on these cans.
Lesson 4: Other important staples ...
I keep staples (milk, flour, butter, carrots, corn, peas, onions, etc) in freeze dried form so that I could cook the basics (bread, sauces, soups, etc). Remember — these have a 30 year shelf life, so they are a long-term investment.
Important Reasons for a long term Food Plan
Disaster Recovery takes time
Most emergency websites will tell you to plan for 72 hours. That’s really the bare minimum. If you look at any of the recent earthquakes (especially the one in Japan) or hurricanes or floods, you will see that it took weeks for all of the areas to get full power back on.
The Red Cross recommends 3 days worth of food for evacuation situations and a 2 week supply for home. I personally think a 2 week supply should be the minimum.
I realize that it might be hard to initially purchase 2 weeks of food. Even if you initially only get 3 days worth of food, I encourage you to fill out the entire 1 week plan and slowly build up to a two week supply. You will be amazed at what you can collect over the months. And since the food cans last 30 years, they really are a long term investment.
So make sure you have 3 days of food on hand, but try to build up a longer stash of food.
Pandemics
Do you remember the 2009 Pandemic that started in a small village in Mexico and spread like wild fire? Our son went on a field trip and, of course, brought back with the flu (as did many of his classmates). The truth is that we were all very lucky that the 2009 flu wasn’t severe. There remains a good chance that we will see another pandemic again, and we may not be so lucky the next time.
Studies of the 1918 Pandemic have shown that cities that implemented quarantine measures that decreased human contact saw fewer deaths. People just stayed home. If you look at your local county or state pandemic plans, you’ll see that “quarantines” will be used to control the spread. It makes sense.
I keep adding to my food stock for this reason. I just add when there’s a sale. A little here and a little there. But the idea is that I’ll have a wee bit more if we get into another pandemic situation and it requires more intense measures (like shutting down all of the grocery stores).
Good for ANY “rainy day” situation …
One last thing to think about. This food lasts 30 years (if stored correctly). It can be used for any type of “rainy day” situation, such as periods of unemployment. It’s food that can be eaten at any time. Treat it like an insurance policy.
Meal Plan Options: Quick, Custom, Combination
1. QUICK Solution: Use Pre-Boxed Meal Kits
The easiest path to a stash of food is to purchase a combination of the pre-boxed, Mountain House Emergency Kits. They have 4 different kits that span 2-5 days. What is nice about these kits is that each one has a different combination of meals. That means you can mix and match the kits.
Mountain House Kits with details on their meals ...
Below is a list of the available kits and the meals provided. The number in the parens indicates the number of pouches provided for that meal. For example, “Breakfast Skillet (2)” indicates that there are TWO 2-person pouches of Breakfast Skillet. That will cover breakfast for 2 days.
A 2-person pouch contains 2 SERVINGS (or 2 cups) of the meal. Depending on how much your family eats, you may be able to spread 1 kit across 2 people. But keep in mind that these pouches are the ONLY thing in the kit.
| Mountain House Kit | Description | Meals Included |
|---|---|---|
| MH 2 Day Emergency Food Kit for 1 person | Breakfast Skillet (2), Rice & Chicken (2), Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (2) |
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| MH 3 Day Emergency Food Kit for 1 person | Biscuits & Gravy (1), Scrambled Eggs with Bacon (2), Beef Stroganoff (2), Chicken Terriyaki (1), Pasta Primavera (2), Rice & Chicken (1) |
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| MH 4 Day Emergency Food Kit for 1 person | Breakfast Skillet (2),Granola with Blueberries (2), Beef Stew (2), Italian Style Pepper Steak (2), Lasagna (2), Noodles & Chicken (2) |
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| MH 5 Day Emergency Food Kit for 1 person | Biscuits & Gravy (2), Breakfast Skillet (2), Scrambled Eggs w/ Ham (2), Chicken Fried Rice (2), Chili Mac (2), Mac & Cheese (2), Mexican Rice & Chicken (2), Pasta Primavera (2) |
Pros and Cons of Kits ...
PROS:
- very fast solution
- relatively inexpensive
- packed in a convenient box for easy storage
CONS:
- you have no choice in the meals (you get what’s in the box)
- there’s not much in the box (just one pouch of food for each meal). We’re not big eaters in our family but that would not cover us. We would need to supplement with some fruit, vegetables and snacks.
- not a good option for families with special diets. For example, only one pouch is vegetarian so that was an issue for my veggie husband.
To build a WEEK’s supply of food, you could combine the 2 Day and 5 Day Kits OR the 3 Day and 4 Day Kits.
Look at the 1 Week Meal Plan for 4 Using Mountain House Kits to see full meal plans using these kits. You will see on this meal plan that I’ve added fruits, vegetables and snacks to round out the meals.
2. CUSTOM Solution: Pick your own freeze dried meals
Before you decide to buy the kits, be sure to look at the WIDE VARIETY of freeze dried meals that are available. There are a LOT of flavors to choose from, including those that accommodate special diets! If the Kits don’t have the meals your family would enjoy, then build the meal plan yourself. It’s VERY EASY!
Look at the Sample 1 Week Custom Meal Plan to see a full meal plan using custom meals. You could easily modify this Meal Plan with the meals your family would prefer.
ACTION 1: Pick a Meal Plan
I have provided SAMPLE Meal Plans for most of the options:
- A Blank Meal Plan. You can then fill it in with the food that you would serve to your family for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. If you don’t want to use freeze dried meals then you can skip the rest of this section.
- A Sample 1 Week Custom Freeze Dried Meal Plan for a family of four.
- A Sample 1 Week Meal Plan using Mountain House Kits with Additions
It’s always easier to start with something and edit it. For this reason, I highly recommend using one of the Sample Meal Plans. Then just substitute out your preferred meals, fruits, vegetables or snacks.
ACTION 2: Modify the Serving Sizes
Modify the Serving Sizes to match your family’s needs. The number of servings (indicated by “s”) are based on the serving sizes specified on the container. For the most part, the serving size of the freeze dried meals is one cup. It generally reconstitutes to 1 cup after adding water.
Adjust the needed servings based on your family’s eating patterns. If you think they will each need 2 servings (or 2 cups of food at every meal), then add more to your shopping list.
- For example, the serving size for the #10 Can of Granola is only 1/2 cup. I know that each member of my family will eat about a cup of granola, so my Meal Plan shows that we would need 8 servings of Granola per breakfast (that’s 2 servings per person per meal, so 2 x 4 = 8 total servings for that meal).
- Knowing the number of serving sizes that you’ll eat will help you figure out how much to order … so don’t skip this step. It doesn’t have to be precise. Just guestimate.
ACTION 3: Check out all of the available meals!
There are a LOT of great freeze dried meals to choose from, including those that accommodate special diets.
Watch the Sodium ...
Watch the sodium! The freeze dried prepared meals tend to be high in sodium. Take this into consideration if you are on a low-sodium diet. Backpacker’s Pantry offers some meals that are low sodium. You may also need to purchase freeze dried ingredients (fruits, dairy items and vegetables) and make the meals yourself. If you find yourself in this situation, I recommend looking at Peggy Lawton’s Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook. That will give you a good starting point for creating meals with freeze dried supplies.
Special Diets ...
There are also meals for special diets like vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. My husband is a vegetarian, so I get a lot of Backpacker’s Pantry for him. Unfortunately, many of those don’t come in #10 cans. But he’s the only one eating them so 2 servings is enough. I just have to watch the expiration dates more closely.
Backpacker’s Pantry website is a great resource if you have food restrictions. They produce a wide variety of meals. I recommend that you look closely at the reviews. Some of the meals do not get good reviews. I highly recommend taste-testing the Backpacker Pantry meals before buying them in bulk.
Don't forget about snacks ...
Don’t forget about snacks! Three meals a day won’t hold most people, so plan in the snacks. One of the best things to include in your stash is Datrex 3600 Calorie Food Bars. They provide enough food to sustain an individual for THREE DAYS! They are not thirst-provoking and they have a 5 year shelf life. As you saw from my menus, I use them as snack food in addition to having them in my car. So they are a key part of our survival kit.
I also recommend the Pilot crackers with peanut butter as a snack. If someone in your family has nut allergies, then look at substitutes for this snack such as Mountain House Mac and Cheese.
ACTION 4: Throw A Tasting Party (optional)
This is optional but highly recommended … and very fun. I threw a party for 12 of my friends. I gave them an overview of how to prepare an emergency kit and then let them taste some of the freeze dried food. I bought a bunch of the 2 person pouches and lined them up on a counter. Each person spooned a little of the food on a plate and gave it a try. I gave them a sheet with all of the meals and a pen so that they could record which ones they liked best. We also enjoyed some wine with the freeze dried meals … which added to the fun.
You can also do this with your family (minus the wine). The 2 person pouches are not that expensive. Order a bunch and give them a try.
Aim for meals that the kids will enjoy. A disaster situation is stressful on everyone, especially kids. I try to get foods that will be comforting … so you will see a lot of pasta and stews served on my menus.
Don’t forget to also taste-test the high calorie food bars used for snacks. Our family taste tested Datrex, Mainstay and SOS and we all liked Datrex the best. They are not that expensive, so it’s good to do a taste run with your family before purchasing multiple sets for your disaster kit.
ACTION 5: Order the Meals
Use the Shopping List to help you organize what you need to order.
ACTION 6: Store the Food
You’ve made an investment in freeze dried meals that can last up to 30 years. You want to make sure that investment doesn’t go bad. Mountain House recommends storing the pouches in an area that doesn’t get hotter than 75 degrees. The #10 containers are more robust and meet U.S. Military specifications. That said, I still keep them in the house at the bottom of a closet.
Click here for more information on the shelf life of Mountain House containers and their “Best By” dates.
ACTION 7: Adding extras after you have your main stash
Over time, I added a #10 can of flour, eggs, potato buds, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, corn, peas and mozzarella cheese. And I always keep yeast on hand. This gives me some added freedom to make bread (see No Knead Bread recipe), soups, sauces and a variety of other meals.
