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Food
Supplies
When Food Supplies Are Low
If activity is reduced, healthy people can survive on half their
usual food intake for an extended period and without any food for
many days. Food, unlike water, may be rationed safely, except for
children and pregnant women.
If
your water supply is limited, try to avoid foods that are high in
fat and protein, and don't stock salty foods, since they will make
you thirsty. Try to eat salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals
and canned foods with high liquid content.
You
don't need to go out and buy unfamiliar foods to prepare an emergency
food supply. You can use the canned foods, dry mixes and other staples
on your cupboard shelves. In fact, familiar foods are important.
They can lift morale and give a feeling of security in time of stress.
Also, canned foods won't require cooking, water or special preparation.
Following are recommended short-term food storage plans.
Special
Considerations
As you stock food, take into account your family's unique needs
and tastes. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are
also high in calories and nutrition. Foods that require no refrigeration,
preparation or cooking are best.
Individuals
with special diets and allergies will need particular attention,
as will babies, toddlers and elderly people. Nursing mothers may
need liquid formula, in case they are unable to nurse. Canned dietetic
foods, juices and soups may be helpful for ill or elderly people.
Make
sure you have a manual can opener and disposable utensils. And don't
forget nonperishable foods for your pets.
How
to Cook If the Power Goes Out
or emergency cooking you can use a fireplace, or a charcoal grill
or camp stove can be used outdoors. You can also heat food with
candle warmers, chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned food can
be eaten right out of the can. If you heat it in the can, be sure
to open the can and remove the label first.
Short-Term
Food Supplies
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your
food supply for two weeks, you should prepare a supply that will
last that long.
The
easiest way to develop a two-week stockpile is to increase the amount
of basic foods you normally keep on your shelves.
Storage
Tips
Keep
food in a dry, cool spot - a dark area if possible.
Keep food covered at all times.
Open food boxes or cans care-fully so that you can close them tightly
after each use.
Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight
containers.
Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits and nuts into screw-top
jars or air-tight cans to protect them from pests.
Inspect all food for signs of spoilage before use.
Use foods before they go bad, and replace them with fresh supplies,
dated with ink or marker. Place new items at the back of the storage
area and older ones in front.
Nutrition Tips
During and right after a disaster, it will be vital that you maintain
your strength. So remember:
Eat at least one well-balanced meal each day.
Drink enough liquid to enable your body to function properly (two
quarts a day).
Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work.
Include vitamin, mineral and protein supplements in your stockpile
to assure adequate nutrition.
Shelf-life of Foods for Storage
Here are some general guidelines for rotating common emergency foods.
Use
within six months:
Powdered
milk (boxed)
Dried fruit (in metal container)
Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
Potatoes
Use within one year:
Canned
condensed meat and vegetable soups
Canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables
Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Hard candy and canned nuts
Vitamin C
May be stored indefinitely (in proper containers and conditions):
Wheat
Vegetable oils
Dried corn
Baking powder
Soybeans
Instant coffee, tea and cocoa
Salt
Noncarbonated soft drinks
White rice
Bouillon products
Dry pasta
Powdered milk (in nitrogen-packed cans)
Disaster Supplies
It's 2:00 a.m. and a flash flood forces you to evacuate your home-fast.
There's no time to gather food from the kitchen, fill bottles with
water, grab a first-aid kit from the closet and snatch a flashlight
and a portable radio from the bedroom. You need to have these items
packed and ready in one place before disaster strikes.
Pack
at least a three-day supply of food and water, and store it in a
handy place. Choose foods that are easy to carry, nutritious and
ready-to-eat. In addition, pack these emergency items:
Medical
supplies and first aid manual
Hygiene supplies
Portable radio, flashlights and extra batteries
Shovel and other useful tools
Household liquid bleach to treat drinking water § Money and
matches in a waterproof container
Fire extinguisher
Blanket and extra clothing
Infant and small children's needs (if appropriate)
Manual can opener
If the Electricity Goes Off . . .
FIRST, use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator.
THEN,
use the foods from the freezer. To minimize the number of times
you open the freezer door, post a list of freezer contents on it.
In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods will usually still
have ice crystals in their centers (meaning foods are safe to eat)
for at least three days.
FINALLY,
begin to use non-perishable foods and staples.
Information
obtained from The
American Red Cross
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