Long Term and Life Sustaining Food

There are so many great reasons to store plant based proteins and carbohydrates like beans and grains, but one of my favorite reasons is that THEY ARE CHEAP!  You can get 25 pounds of oatmeal, which is like 500 servings, for $9 at any LDS cannery.  (You do not have to be Mormon to use these,  we consider it a part of the mission of the Church to be prepared and self sufficient so that we can be able to help others.)  You can find the cannery closest to you by clicking here: Provident Living Home Storage Centers

What should I be storing?

If you store them and USE the basics staples as part of your daily diet, you will be healthier and your pocket book will be healthier too.

I have gone through and worked out my ideal pantry for my little family of 6, some of it I am still working on and some of it I have more than a year's supply.  I have included the current cost break down for things so you can see about how much it will cost.  The bare minimum is not meant to be everything you eat, it would keep you alive but that is about it.  It is meant to be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables that you can grow yourself.  (So you should be learning how to garden and saving seeds too--but I will save that for another post.)

Funny Story:  When I first started with food storage, I wanted to get a year supply of something.  I looked at the list and got overwhelmed at the sheer amount of wheat to store.  I started with a year's supply of salt!  Yes, that's right, you can obtain a whole 25 pound bag for only a couple bucks.  It was really silly, because really what would I do with a year's supply of salt?  The important part is that it was a start.  If you are just getting started, I would recommend to start with the 90 day supply of food you are already eating in meals.  Then I would work my way up to a month of the long term storage at a time.  You can also wait for your tax return and stock up, but please do not do nothing, start somewhere.

Watch for more posts on how to use your long term storage, including Fudgy Brownies made with black beans!

**Some people have issues with wheat or other grains, if you do, store what you can eat and get your body used to eating them now.**

Year Supply for a Family of 6

This list (not including fruits and vegetables and cooking essentials) is 2604.53 plus some more money for buckets. This is eating pretty well.

Grains 1800 lbs

Wheat

Wheat/Flour

Oats/Cereal/Pancake Mix

Rice/Corn/Pasta

450 lbs Wheat ($167 Costco) in buckets

225 lbs Flour 57.60 (Sams) 225 lbs Bread Flour 57.60 (Sams)

50 lbs cold cereal 200 lbs oats ($150 Costco) in buckets 100 lbs farina/germade ($102 Honeyville) 100 lbs pancake mix (64.80 Sams)

200 lbs Rice ($52 LDS) 50 lbs popcorn (23.98 Sams) 100 lbs Macaroni (33.75 LDS) 100 lbs Spaghetti (26 LDS)

About 734.73 Grains plus money for buckets

Beans & Legumes 360 lbs

Black Beans

White Beans

Pinto Beans

Refried Beans

Split Peas

100 lbs (57 LDS)

100 lbs (58 LDS)

75 lbs (33.75 LDS)

50 lbs (60 LDS)

50 lbs (33.26 Winco)

About 242.01 plus money for buckets

Dairy 96 lbs

Dry Milk

Morning Moo

Hot Chocolate

25 lbs (31.50 LDS)

(16) 4 lbs (14.98 WM) (x4 = 59.92)

50 lbs (69.50 LDS)

About 160.92 plus money for buckets

Fats/Oils 120 lbs

Oil 70 lbs

Shortening 14 lbs

Dressing 10 lbs

Mayo 13.5 lbs

Coconut oil

Cooking Spray 12 lbs

35 lb (18.99 sams) x2 = 37.98

7 lb (7.29 sams) x2 =14.58

5 lb HV Ranch Dressing (8.86 sams) x2 = 17.72

3- 2pk (4.5 lbs)(8.09) x3 =24.27

6 -2pk (2 lbs) (4.70) x6 = 28.20

About 122.75 plus money for buckets

Sugars 360 lbs

Sugar 200 lbs

Pancake Syrup 55 lbs

Honey 60 lbs

Molasses 12 lbs 192 fl oz

Jam 33 lbs

200 lbs (98 LDS)

11 lbs 2pk-half gallon (5.94 sams) x5=29.70

30lbs (90 Dutsons) 5 lbs (14.98 Sams) x6 =89.88

Slow as Blackstrap Molasses 6pk -32oz (29.50 WM)

about 337.08 plus money for buckets

Fruits/vegetables 300 -400 lbs (ALSO STORE SPROUTS AND SPROUTING TRAYS AND HEIRLOOM SEEDS)

Corn

Green Beans

Spaghetti Sauce

Canned Tomatoes

Applesauce

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Mandarin Oranges

Meat/Meat Substitute 365 lbs enough for 1 lb or 12 oz cooked a day

Canned Chicken 150 lbs ~3x week

Canned Beef 48lbs ~1x week

Canned Pulled Pork 48 lbs ~1x week

Canned Spam 36 Vienna Sausages 24 ~1x week

Canned Tuna 52 (x 3 cans) ~1x week

5pk- 13 oz can (10.98 sams) x30 = 329.40

24pk- 12oz Roast Beef (99.99 Costco) x2 = 199.98

24pk- 12oz Pulled Pork (59.99 Costco) x2=119.98

6lb (18ct) Vienna Sausage (8.48 sams) x6=50.88 6 pk-12oz SPAM (15.98 sams) x 4 =63.92

12- 5oz chunk light (6 case lot) x 13=72

About 836.16 plus money for buckets or totes

Salt 8 lbs per person

2-25 lb bag table salt 4.98 x 2= 9.96 Sams

Cooking Essentials (Baking powder, Baking soda, Cocoa, Vanilla, Vinegar, Yeast) Shirley J’s and egg powder

 A bare minimum supply of “Survival” food based on the guidelines from LDS.org  Family of 6

Grains 1800 lbs
Wheat		Wheat/Flour			Oats/Cereal/Pancake Mix			Rice/Corn/Pasta
450 lbs Wheat ($167 Costco) in buckets ($141.75 LDS without buckets)		250 lbs Flour 57.60 (Sams) 250 lbs Bread Flour 57.60 (Sams)			460 lbs oats ($345 Costco) in buckets ($180 LDS without buckets)			450 lbs Rice/Spaghetti ($153 LDS) need to buy buckets
About 780.20 Grains plus money for buckets for flour & rice OR 589.95 with Cannery prices and buy buckets for everything
Beans & Legumes 360 lbs
Black Beans	White Beans			Pinto Beans
100 lbs (57 LDS)	100 lbs (58 LDS)			175 lbs (78.75 LDS)
About 193.75 plus money for buckets
Dairy 96 lbs  (Part of the old recommendations 16 lbs per person per year)
Dry Milk
100 lbs (126 LDS)
About 126 plus money for buckets

Cost for a 1 year supply Family of 6

Grains and Beans = 973.75(with some pre-bucketed items)

Grains and Beans = 783.70(with no bucketed items)

Grains, Beans, and Milk=1099.95 (with some pre-bucketed items)

Grains, Beans, and Milk=909.70 (with no bucketed items)

A bare minimum supply of “Survival” food based on the guidelines from LDS.org  Family of 4

Grains 1200 lbs
Wheat		Wheat/Flour			Oats/Cereal/Pancake Mix			Rice/Corn/Pasta
315 lbs Wheat ($116.90 Costco) in 7 buckets ($90 LDS without buckets) Need 12 buckets		150 lbs Flour 34.56 (Sams) 150 lbs Bread Flour 34.56 (Sams) need 12 buckets			300  lbs oats ($225 Costco) in buckets ($120 LDS without buckets) Need about 20-24 buckets			300 lbs Rice/Spaghetti ($102 LDS) need to buy buckets need about 8-12 buckets
About 513.20 Grains plus money for buckets for flour & rice OR 381.12 with Cannery prices and buy buckets for everything
Beans & Legumes 240 lbs about 10 buckets needed
Black Beans	White Beans			Pinto Beans
75 lbs (42.75LDS)	75 lbs (43.50 LDS)			100 lbs (45 LDS)
About 131.25 plus money for buckets
Dairy 64 lbs  (Part of the old recommendations 16 lbs per person per year)
Dry Milk about 3 buckets needed
75 lbs (94.50 LDS)
About 94.50 plus money for buckets

Cost for a 1 year supply Family of 4

Grains and Beans = 644.45(with some pre-bucketed items)

Grains and Beans = 512.37 (with no bucketed items)

Grains, Beans, and Milk=738.95 (with some pre-bucketed items)

Grains, Beans, and Milk=606.87 (with no bucketed items)

A bare minimum supply of “Survival” food based on the guidelines from LDS.org  Individual

Grains 300 lbs
Wheat		Wheat/Flour			Oats/Cereal/Pancake Mix			Rice/Corn/Pasta
90 lbs Wheat ($27.95 Costco) in 7 buckets ($30 for 100 lbs LDS without buckets) Need 2-3 buckets		25 lbs Flour (Sams) 25 lbs Bread Flour (Sams) 11.52 need 4-6 buckets			80  lbs oats ($60 Costco) in buckets ($30 LDS without buckets) Need about 6 buckets			100 lbs Rice/Spaghetti ($34 LDS) need to buy buckets need about 2-3 buckets
About 133.47 Grains plus money for buckets for flour & rice OR 105.52 with Cannery prices and buy buckets for everything
Beans & Legumes 60 lbs
Black Beans	White Beans			Pinto Beans
25 lbs (14.25 LDS)	25 lbs (14.50 LDS)			25 lbs (11.25 LDS)
About 40 plus money for buckets
Dairy 16 lbs  (Part of the old recommendations 16 lbs per person per year)
Dry Milk 16 lbs
25 lbs (31.50 LDS)
About 31.50 plus money for buckets

Cost for a 1 year supply individual

Grains and Beans = 173.47(with some pre-bucketed items)

Grains and Beans = 145.52 (with no bucketed items)

Grains, Beans, and Milk=205.24 (with some pre-bucketed items)

Grains, Beans, and Milk=177.02 (with no bucketed items)