In a previous post on disaster preparedness I suggested putting the issue of food storage aside until you’ve dealt with other priorities. But now that you have your radio, first aid kit, and water at hand, what’s the next step?
I’ve been working to shift more of my grocery shopping toward basic foods that are some degree of ‘shelf stable’. The goal is to make having more food on hand in case of unexpected situations a regular habit, and keep it aligned with what I want to eat on a regular basis. As I said in that earlier post, I think it’s more realistic to buy an extra jar of peanut butter than plan out an entire survivalist pantry. Shifting what you buy a little at a time will let you stay focused on eating what you have on hand. I’ve overdone this in the past, which is how I know that there’s a line between stocking up and hoarding.
In a way, this is going back to my roots. When I was in grade school, a weeknight dinner might have green beans (canned), rice (boil in bag), and lentil or tuna burgers.1 I never really liked meat so these sorts of budget meals were fine by me. We also ate a lot of soup.2
Your own food preferences might be quite different than mine, so I encourage you to look at your grocery list and think about 1) what you could buy a little extra of on your next trip and 2) comes in an option that doesn’t require refrigeration.3 This doesn’t mean you have to start cooking from scratch all the time — peanut butter and crackers with a cup of applesauce will fit the bill too.
We can also look to the past to help us plan for the future when it comes to food. It might even be the recent past, if the pandemic forced you to be creative about ingredients. Some other starting points: working mothers,4 wartime cooking,5 and the Great Depression.6
Resilience isn’t just about stocking your own pantry, it’s also built on how we connect with others. Go shopping with a friend and compare notes. Or take turns making a big batch of soup you can split up for the week. If you know someone who has a harder time cooking for themselves, offering to bring them extra of what you made could be a big help.7 For most of human history, food has been a communal activity.
Tips
If you need some ideas:
- Canned fruit can be added to your overnight oats, or used to make fruit desserts like pies and crumbles. Look for low-sugar options if that’s a concern — I usually get the kind canned in juice.
- Pickles are really good in soup.
- My favorite vegan creamer, Nut Pods, has a shelf-stable version that’s indistinguishable from the larger refrigerated cartons. In Portland, I can usually find it at Winco, but they also sell it on the website and at at the moment all the seasonal flavors seem to be in stock.
- If you can eat soy and haven’t tried soy curls, go get a package ASAP. They’re extremely versatile and fast to prepare.
- Those charity cookbooks that show up in thrift stores often have interesting ideas, if you really want to get creative with your canned goods. Look for anything pre-1990 or so.
Do you have any tips or sources of inspiration to share? Let me know and I’ll add them here.
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The basic formula is to mix your cooked lentils or can of tuna with some breadcrumbs and an egg to hold it together. These days I prefer chickpea cutlets. ↩
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I’m tempted to include a full digression on the soup to casserole continuum — once you have the basic formula, both are good ways to use up pantry ingredients and the main difference is really just whether you want the base to be broth or a sauce. Curries also fall into this spectrum. The difference between a casserole and a “bowl” is whether you mix everything together or layer the ingredients. Try the bowl option if food texture is often an issue for you. ↩
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Frozen ingredients are also a good choice. I eat a lot more frozen vegetables than fresh ones. Less prep work, and I’ve rarely had things become inedible even after ~2 years or so. In terms of disaster preparedness, this shouldn’t be your only option, but for the grinding catastrophe we’re currently experiencing it’s fine. ↩
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The I Hate to Cook Book is a delightful example. My mom’s version of this was a cookbook from the La Leche League. I think that might be where the lentil burgers came from. The book also had a recipe for quiche with a hash brown crust (look up how to make oven hash browns, it’s basically the same thing but in a pie pan). We ate that often enough that I was surprised to learn that quiche usually has pastry instead. ↩
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How to Cook a Wolf blew my mind when I first read it as a broke college student. ↩
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In the 1930s, the Federal Writers’ Project attempted to document American cuisine through a project called America Eats. It’s a mix of articles, recipes, and various commentary (including a lady from Portland who ranted about mashed potatoes 🤨). If you want to see for yourself, there are a few books on the topic — I found The Food of a Younger Land in Libby. There’s also a neat archive of photos from the project at the Library of Congress. ↩
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Please be kind if they turn out to have different needs than what you normally cook — food is a is complex and personal topic. ↩