List of Survival Foods

In 1977, the U.S. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) published a pamphlet entitled “Family Food Stockpile for Survival.” The information contained therein is still applicable to a survival situation and used in conjunction with United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) dietary recommendations provides a useful list of survival foods.

Grains

The USDA recommends that a healthy diet contain three to four ounces of grains each day. Bread is perhaps the most common source of grain but it also has a very short shelf-life, an important factor in determining appropriate survival foods. The ARS suggests that you instead choose crackers, pastas and cereals to meet the grain requirements of your diet. Items stored in boxes have a shorter shelf life than those stored in jars or cans, so crackers in a box shouldn’t be stored for longer than six months whereas pre-made canned pasta can be stored up to a year. In order to avoid spoilage stock your pantry with foods you use on a regular basis and rotate the items.

Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits are our greatest sources of vitamins and nutrients. The USDA recommends that adults eat between 2 ½ to 3 cups of vegetables per day and approximately 2 cups of fruit per day. The ARS, on the other hand, factors survival needs in pounds. For two weeks of survival the ARS suggests you store 21 pounds of canned fruit and vegetables per person. Make sure that the larger portion of cans or jars contain a variety of green vegetables as these are higher in nutrients, and in order to guarantee that you’re meeting nutritional requirements consider adding multi-vitamins to your cache.

Dairy

The USDA recommends that adults consume approximately 3 cups of dairy per day. Milk and milk products generally have a very short shelf life, so the ARS suggests you overcome this difficulty by way of canned or dry milk.

Protein

Protein is essential for many of the metabolic processes of the body. Protein sources include beans, peas, meats, fishes and nuts. The USDA recommends that adults have between 5 and 6 ounces of protein per day. You can meet these protein needs by storing canned soups that contain meats, by storing canned chick peas or dry green peas, or by storing dehydrated meats and fishes.

References

• Agriculture Research Service: Family food stockpile for survival.
• My Pyramid: United States Department of Agriculture