Beck TV Background Guide to Food Storage Preparation

"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

This proverb offers an important piece of advice, especially for today's uncertain times.  As Glenn explains on his Thursday Fox News 5 p.m. broadcast, it's important for you and your family to always have hope for the future, but to be prepared to face life's uncertainties.

Are you prepared?  Here's a useful guide from Glenn on what you can do:

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• No refrigeration, plan for emergency assuming no electricity.
• Be nutritious, there may be some more physical activity required (i.e. Blizzard requires more shoveling)
• Keep calorie count

FOOD

• Recommend you start with 2-week supply of food
• Good no-cook food items

Energy bars / breakfast bars

Almonds

Peanut butter

Tuna packages

Canned pasta

Dried fruit / canned fruit

Dry milk

Instant coffee

V-8 juice

• Plan around the way you already eat.
• Build around 3 categories of food

Grocery store goods: often inexpensive, and it's all familiar stuff. (i.e. mac & cheese)

Freeze dried foods: lightweight and don't take up much room; more expensive, but priced out per serving, it's budget-friendly.

Bulk dry food: rice, beans, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, cornmeal, wheat, dried milk, etc.; it will be the backbone of your food storage and last up to 20-30 years.

• Don't stock up on it unless you know you like it.
• Look at ingredients.  You don't want something high in sodium or preservatives.
• Pay attention to shelf life. Take a look at package, can.  Soup doesn't need water and store this for a few years.  Plastic bags and cardboard boxes - 1 year max.

WATER

• Easiest way to store is by using cleaned out 2-liter soda bottles.  You can easily clean out with hot water, drop of soap.  Rinse thoroughly.  That type of plastic is safe for storage.
• Recommend 2-liter soda bottle per person, per day.  For consumption and washing.
• If a situation where water is an issue, be sure to have stash of paper plates & freeze dried meals.
• If you can heat water, then at least you can enjoy a hot meal (i.e. mac & cheese, pasta, soup)

STORAGE

• 5 main enemies to storing food

Temperature: ideal is 40 degrees - 72 degrees.  For every 18 degrees above 72, food will lose it's nutritional value by half.

Humidity: Store food off the floor and away from outside walls.

Pests: Keep food in air-tight containers; clean up food particles on the shelves or floor.

Oxygen: Use oxygen absorbers, rotate food, vacuum packing food to reduce oxidation.

Light: Keep your pantry area dark.  if food is in clear containers, keep them in labeled boxes with lids.

• Look for places where you can de-clutter (I have water bottles stored under my kids' beds)
• You can store food in bin under a bed, clear out space in closet and designate a shelf.
• I recommend pieces of furniture that can double as storage (i.e. bench that opens up with a storage component - especially good for small homes).
• Store in a place that you won't be dipping into constantly.

NON-FOOD ITEMS

• Items like toilet paper can be bulky but can be stored in garage, attic, shed, etc.  Moisture will affect it but temperature won't.
• Non-food items, purposefully 1-2 weeks supply.
• Go through entire day and jot down every non-food item used -- soap, shampoo, contact solution, etc. -- and buy extras of those.
• Keep easily organized in buckets (i.e. dental, laundry, etc.)
• Give serious consideration to how your family will cope when power is down -- communication, entertainment, pet care, keeping things cool in the home, etc.

Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Storage information: https://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/store.html

Drying information: https://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/dry.html

Canning information: https://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html