There are five items I feel strongly that every family should store in their food storage. Storing items like fruits, vegetables, and chocolate chips are awesome to have in your storage (and personally I would be devastated to live without), but we could live without them if we had to. These five items would be very difficult to live without and would make living comfortably a little difficult. Nicely enough, 3 of the 5 are all on sale THIS week, so take advantage and stock up on items that could sustain life, and prepare your family for any economic or natural disaster
#1 WATER:


We can only live 3 days without water, so this is the ABSOLUTE, MOST IMPORTANT item you can store in your storage. You can’t have enough of it! Store it under beds, in emptied out jugs or juice containers, fill up 55 gallon drums, fill up used liquid detergent containers, etc. The sky is the limit! The more you store, the better off you will be in an emergency. If you choose to store water in water bottles (great for drinking, 72 hour kits and easy to grab & go), watch for a 24 pk. of water bottles for under $2.50.
You will need 3-4 (24pks.) per person for a 2 week supply of drinking water. If you choose to store water other ways, you can lower that amount. Water will ‘last’ 2-3 years, so don’t worry about buying too much. *TIP: Keep drink mixes like Kool Aid, Crystal Light, etc. so when you have to drink your stale water, it will actually taste good 😉
#2 WHEAT
Wheat is the second most important item to have in your storage. Wheat is nearly a complete protein which means your body can survive long term by eating only wheat (with water and a little oil). Wheat will last nearly forever, so you can store as much as you can afford..you won’t be sorry! Wheat is important to store even if you don’t know how to use it. All you would need to do is boil wheat in water, add a little milk (powdered milk) and honey/sugar and you have a meal that will fill you up and keep you full (one cup of wheat equals approx 620 calories).
For those of you who are wanting to learn to use the wheat you are storing, our blog is full of delicious recipes to use your wheat berries and/or flour: Wheat Blender Waffles, Wheat Berry Cereal, Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes, Orange Wheat Pancakes, and Cinnamon Wheat Waffles.
MACEYS HAS AUGASON FARMS 50 LB. BAG OF RED OR WHITE WHEAT $14.99
A year supply of wheat per person is 100 lbs., however, buy as much as you can afford (you may have to keep your neighbors alive too 😉 That’s only $30 for a YEAR supply of wheat..not too shabby!
#3 POWDERED MILK
Who doesn’t drink, or use milk in your cooking, on a daily basis? Not very many of us. Many people don’t store powdered milk because they don’t know what to use it in, and they are affraid it doesn’t taste good. They don’t realize if you had NO access to milk, you (and your children) would need the nutrients and vitamin D that come from milk. Not only would your cereal be extremely dry, but your children (especially babies) would suffer without the fat & vitamins they need from milk.
Powdered milk rarely goes on sale, so the best place to purchase this is at a LDS Dry Pack Cannery. You can can their milk in #10 cans, or buy it in bulk. If you can the milk in #10 cans it will last over 30 years. Can it, store it, and don’t worry about it for a long time. You will be glad you bought it if an emergency situation happened! Visit this post to find out the different types of milks you can store (milk alternates, nonfat, instant, etc.).
POWDERED MILK RECIPES
#4 OIL
Oil is an important item to have in your food storage for many reasons. Not only do our bodies need a small amount of oil every day for survival, but oil is what gives food flavor, keeps food moist, helps cooking & frying easier, and is needed in most bread or baked good recipes.. Oil can come in many forms: vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, butter, margarine, shortening, etc.
Costco is the least expensive place to purchase oil in bulk. Watch the sales throughout the year for all different types of oil to go on sale for red/great deals.
#5 POWDERED EGGS
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t go through more than a dozen eggs each week? Eggs are in nearly every baked good, many breads, a common breakfast food, and in many main dish recipes. Without eggs, we wouldn’t be able to make many of the foods we are used to eating. Powdered eggs work just like real eggs. All you need to do is mix 1 T. egg powdered with 2 T. water and you have the equivalence of one egg. This equation (1 T.+ 2 T.=1 egg) might be different than what is on your can. If your can says to add more egg powder, change the amount on your can! These amounts just went up in the last couple years, and it it bogus! The 1 T. egg powdered is still what you need, they just want you to buy more product. Use this equation and your powdered eggs will be LESS expensive than your store bought eggs which will save you money on your grocery bill!
Year supply: 1-2 cans per person
The last I've heard you aren't supposed to store water in detergent/cleaning supply containers. I'm assuming this water isn't for consuming, but for cleaning purposes?
This post was such a great reminder. I've already shared it with my sisters, mom, and sister-in-law. I loved your idea about storing water for cleaning in old laundry detergent bottles. I hadn't ever thought of doing that.
Yes, the water in the laundry detergent is just for washing and/or cleaning. 🙂
Shandra, I was so excited about your post last year regarding your square foot garden. I am just planning on mine right now and wondering where exactly you got the wood chips. Can you let me know?
I can get you a better price than that on egg powder!! I'm an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance. I'd love to help anyone I can get great prices on ALL food storage, including these items. Contact me by email at whitneyrobinson3@hotmail.com for more info!! Great article by the way, this is super helpful information!!!!!
What is your site for self reliance foods?
I lived in Africa for 3 years. I'm a milk drinker. No milk there. It was very easy to live without. I've dropped milk from my MUST have to live list. It's a luxury now and I know you can make do without it.
What an informative and interesting blog!!! I love the idea of storing "soapy" water!
I've read that, in addition to water of course, the four most essential items to store are milk and honey, wheat and salt. These four would provide the nutritional value you need, especially when you sprout the wheat to get your Vitamin C. What do you think?
I'm full of questions! At what price does using powdered eggs become cheaper than using fresh eggs? Also, I'd LOVE it if you would talk about non-foods sometime. I remember you saying that costco is not the cheapest for toilet paper, paper towels, etc. I've always bought mine there (sometimes with a coupon) and have thought that the price was great (especially on Toilet paper) for the quality. Also, what do you consider "great" prices at the LDS cannery? Thanks for your help!
The wood chips along the sides of our garden beds was from our local dump. The soil inside of our boxes was from IFA & Lowes 😉 Good luck! The garden boxes are awesome!
I think those four items are also great!! Your bread will taste much better with honey in it 😉 Salt too would be MUCH needed for flavor. I think we can say these are 9 of the most important 😉 Thanks for your comment.
Great questions!
Yes, tp and paper towels is not a good deal at Costco. If you watch our website for the red/great deals you will see toilet paper and other non-food items go on sale all of the time. Just be patient, they will come on sale quite often and then stock up.
Powdered eggs as long as they are less than $1.25 a dozen, would be a great deal. If you use the ration 1 T. powdered egg mixture + 2 T. water = 1 egg you should be able to make the powdered egg can to stretch to be less than real eggs.
The great deals at the cannery are oats, powdered milk, fruit drink mix, dry beans, refried beans, hot cocoa mix, dried carrots, and dried apples.
Hope that helps 😉
I think this idea, was great, however, I think rice should be included.. Me and my family do not consume milk, and rice can be eaten or easily turned into fresh rice milk. Also, I know many people do not have the space for chickens.. But many chickens forage for food and supply with fresh eggs daily.
– FragileAsARoseHealth.blogspot.com
Can't help thinking, one may wish the water wasn't soapy…if other runs low, and that's all that's left.
I've read you are supposed to purify water…1/4 teaspoon plain bleach, (no Fragrance or extras)…to a gallon of water. And you need a certain grade of plastic…some leach chemicals…anybody know of this?…or other ideas..
The soapy water will just be for washing or cleaning (unless you can purify the water and then drink it).
As far as purifying water you can use bleach. As far as the plastic grade you will want to keep drinking water in food grade plastic (you won't want to store the water in milk jugs or it will leak over time).
Just keep your water containers off of cement so the chemicals don't link into the water.
Good luck!
I have gluten-free and dairy-free kids so wheat and milk don't work for our family. Any ideas on how we can replace those nutrients in food storage?
Never thought of using detergent bottles for washing water! Genius. I also didn't know if bleach was necessary for drink water storage. Do you use it? Do you use your powdered eggs and milk to rotate it? I have used powdered milk in my baking, but never powdered eggs. Unfortunately we have moved from UT to PA, and I don't believe they believe in case lot sales out here. I haven't figured where to buy items like wheat yet either. Thanks for sharing your info!!!
As far as starches go in your food storage, start by focusing on those your family can eat…oats, brown rice (has nearly as many nutrients as wheat), white rice, instant potatoes, etc. You can also store soy or almond milk in your food storage (Costco sells a shelf stable version) that would be a good option instead of dairy. Good luck. Just remember, anything is better than having nothing during an emergency.
Nicole, you do not need to any longer put bleach in your water. Most city's water systems have enough chemicals to keep your water purified for 6 months or so.
As far as the best place to buy wheat is at an LDS dry pack cannery or honeyville grains online. Yes, I do use my powdered eggs and milk to rotate them. However, they do last sealed in a can for 10-15 years, so if you don't want to use them, just keep them for an emergency. I don't usually rotate my water, we just exchange the water ever 2-3 years and have a water purifier on hand so we can purify it as needed.
Hope that helps 😉 Good luck to you!
Great post. Something that has not been mentioned that I can see, is that before you store grains (rice, wheat, oats etc)you must freeze them. All grain contains lave (bug babies). If you do not freeze the grain before storage, by the time you need to eat them they will be full of grain moths. So freeze your grains before dry storing or you will regret it should a disaster happen.
Yes, that is a great tip if you have room in your freezer. Taking some time in the beginning will help save you the expense of throwing away bug-filled grains later 😉 Thanks for the tip. For those who have never done this, you just need to put your items in your freezer for 72 hours and then you can take it out.
This post is old, so commenting on it now is likely a bit late, but one word of caution on storing water in plastic, especially soft plastic. The chemicals will leach into the water, pretty significantly. Left to sit for a couple of years the water will be fairly toxic with those chemicals. So store in glass if you can, or throw out water every year and refill with new water. And keep that plastic out of the sun/heat. It will make it much worse.
Late to this also but just wanted to ask… Would using oxygen absorbers in your grains take the place of freezing? I would think freezing would add moisture which is not a good thing. Thoughts? Great site, btw. 😉
I don't know that the oxygen absorbers would take the place of freezing, it just might help it last a little longer if sealed in a can with your grains. Because I live in a dry climate here in Utah I don't use either one and it stores great. I have never frozen any of my grains but I know people have good success with that. If you keep the grains in a sealed plastic tote or container, away from moisture, in a dark/cool room you should be great 😉 Thanks for your comments everyone 😉
Specifically or in a roundabout way, water influences all features of life.Without it,there would be no vegetation ashore,no oxygen for animals to inhale and the planet would look altogether not the same as it does today.Water is essential keep individuals' bodies and the earth healthy and ought to be esteemed and ensured as the valuable asset it seems to be.~Veronica Hart.
it can't take out organic chemicals either, as well as a few bad gasses. The same criticism has come up for distillation, which, again, takes out most of the bad things in water but also removes most of the minerals and nutrients that are found in water either. This has shown to create a highly acidic level in the water, or low pH levels, and therefore can have a negative effect on health. Each of these processes has their proponents and critics in the health industry, and you really need to investigate for yourself and determine which method is best for you. find out more