Food shortages in the USA, one of the world’s richest countries? How is this even be possible?
At first, the pandemic caused lockdowns and many employees were out sick, causing disruptions in the food chain supplies. In early 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian war is now to blame.
If it’s not the empty store shelves, the hyperinflation causing basic food staples to be out of reach for many hard-working families. The end result is less food on the table. How can you cope? How can you prep for food shortages?
Baby Steps Prepping
Even if you live paycheck to paycheck, you can still set a tiny budget aside to purchase non-perishable foods. How?
Growing up in Puerto Rico, mother had six kids to feed on a tight budget. How did she manage? What’s a typical Puerto Rican dish? Rice and beans! With a piece of meat and a small side of vegetable and you’re all set!
Rice is rich in starch, and an excellent source of energy. Beans are rich in protein, and contain other minerals. Basic survival food!
Some food storage outlets will sell you rice and/or beans already packed and sealed for long term food storage in buckets. However, you can also do it yourself by purchasing in bulk. For long-term storage, use Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and your own 5 gallon buckets.
The Basics
If you can set aside $10-$20 per paycheck, what can you buy? What is the bare minimum emergency food pantry list? Here are some suggestions:
- Rice
- Dry and canned beans
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Dry beans
- Flour/bread mix
- Oatmeal
- Seasonings to keep your food from getting boring!
At the very least, if you have a bag of rice for every day use, can you set aside 1-2 cups for a “rainy day”? I had made this suggestion to a Venezuelan friend living in Colombia. She said this suggestion had helped her on more than one occasion.
Consider, too, if you have family members with special needs, diets or allergies. What additional foods will they need?
Let’s not forget our beloved pets! Do they have their own emergency kits with their leash, extra foods, bowls, water, treats?
If you have a little more to invest, consider adding freeze-dried foods for your long-term preps. These are especially packaged to last 25+ years. Amazon sometimes would have crazy discounted prices.
For example, I’ve seen the Augason Farms Dinner Pack as high as $144 and as low as $71 for six #10 cans. Sometimes I’ve seen #10 cans on sale for more than 50% off! This is when I snatch them up and add to my emergency food pantry.
When I see these great Amazon finds, I post an alert on social media.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook for the latest Amazon Price Alerts!
Have a Backup Plan – Survival Garden
Another way to plan for food shortages is by planting a survival garden. Even if you live in a small apartment, you can plant edible plants to help supplement your non-perishable foods and continue to feed your family even after your pantry goes empty.
My Venezuelan friend mentioned earlier, she recently had to go back to Venezuela to renew her passport. She took some seeds to give to her family to cope with their food crisis. I am eagerly waiting to hear if they are able to grow from the seeds.
Potatoes are an easy crop that can grow in bags. As a bonus, both the sweet potato tubers AND the leaves are edible. For me, it took a little trial an error to get the soil just right. My suggestion is not to wait for a need. Practice now when the times are good and peaceful.
For more information on growing a survival garden and what crops to grow, check out this post.
In Conclusion
Some degree of preparedness is better than none. By being prepared, this can buy you time until you can get more supplies or evacuate to a safer location. The fact that you are reading this post tells me that, if it’s important enough for you, you will make it happen.
Make a plan and make it happen.
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What would you consider a bare essential food item in your emergency food pantry? Please share your comments below.
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