PREPARING FOR COMMUNITY
SHIELDING
“Stock food, water, medications and other supplies to last at least one month.”
Food
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made
recommendations for a year’s supply of food based on studies from the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory. One recommendation was made in 1978 and a second one in
2002. The second recommends more grains and less milk to help avoid costly waste
of powdered milk but is not recommended for children or nursing/pregnant women.
The recommendations are as follows and provide 2300 to 2400 calories per day:
|
300 pounds |
grains |
400 pounds |
|
60 pounds |
legumes |
60 pounds |
|
20 pounds |
fats and oils |
10 quarts |
|
60 pounds |
sugars |
60 pounds |
|
75 pounds |
powdered milk |
16 pounds |
|
5 pounds |
salt |
8 pounds |
| |
garden seeds and/or vitamins |
|
Using the 1978 recommendations, a month’s supply for one person could consist of
the following:
5 pounds
flour
5 pounds rice
2 42-ounce boxes oatmeal
5 pounds pasta
5 pounds dry beans
32 ounces vegetable oil
4 pounds sugar
6 pounds dry milk
2 4-ounce canisters salt |
Plus 5 pounds total of one or more of
the following:
Barley
Popcorn
Buckwheat (kasha)
Millet
Couscous
Bulgur
Cracked wheat
Grits |
If the 2002 recommendations are
followed, 1 more canister of salt would be needed as well as 8 more pounds of
grain or grain products. Milk could be reduced to an 8 quart box.
When these basic foods are in storage, fruits and vegetables
should be added to provide vitamins A and C which are lacking in the recommended
foods. Those foods higher in these vitamins include tomatoes and tomato
products, spinach and other greens, sweet potatoes, carrots (A), apricots (A),
pumpkin (A), peaches (A), orange juice (C), Mandarin oranges (C), corn (C), and
pineapple juice (C).
A few additional foods make
cooking and eating the basics easier and add variety. A few of these are:
Dry yeast
Baking powder
Baking soda
Spices
Herbs
Cocoa |
Cornstarch
Bouillon
Dried fruit
Peanut butter
Canned soups |
Because children are still
growing, they need more food in proportion to their size than do adults. When
calculating adequate food storage amounts for children according to the
following chart, add one year to the child’s current age. Infants who are
nursing share in their mother’s portion.
|
Age |
Percentage of
Adult
Portion |
3 and
under
4 to 6
7 to 10
11 and up |
50%
70%
90%
100% |
Basic Principles of Food Storage
Use these basic principles to guide you in selecting and
storing items for your family’s food storage:
1. Store what your family will eat and learn to eat what will
store well. Be sure to consider special diet needs.
2. Store foods from all six of the recommended food storage
groups to ensure a balanced diet.
3. Check for expiration dates to determine the freshness and
quality of the food items you purchase. Buy the freshest for the longest shelf
life.
4. Make adjustments for food quantities based on the age and
activity levels of individuals in your family.
5. Basic storage foods should be low in moisture (10 percent
or less). These foods will retain their quality and nutritional value longer and
will be more pest resistant when stored properly.
6. Incorporate stored food items into your regular meals to
avoid waste. Replace them as they are used to ensure a constant fresh supply of
food. Doing so will also help avoid the incorporation of costly or hard to find
food items in your stored food plan.
7. Label each food container with the date of purchase so
that the oldest items can be used first.
8. Food should be stored cool, dry, dark and airtight. Avoid
storing in hot attics and garages. Keep food above concrete floors and away from
heat and light sources. Containers should be as airtight as possible.
9. Inventory your food supply regularly. Check for items that
need to be used, replaced, or added to your supply. Check for insect and rodent
infestations and damaged containers.
Food Storage Containers
The best food storage containers are opaque, pest resistant,
airtight and can withstand the climate they are used in, although others can be
used under the right storage conditions. A variety of options are available.
Four and 5 gallon plastic buckets can be used if they are of food grade plastic
and have a rubber gasket in the lid. Metal cans with “paint lip” lids provide a
good airtight seal. Glass canning jars with rings and new lids can be used where
they can be stored away from light and where they won’t be broken easily.
Plastic PETE bottles (most juice and soda bottles) can be recycled and used for
food storage when washed thoroughly, dried, filled with dry food, and the lid
taped down. They should also be stored away from light. Commercially available
kitchen storage containers may also be used if they have good tight seals and
they are stored away from light.
Where to Store
Finding room to store extra food is not always easy. It means
thinking and being creative. If the kitchen is not large enough to accommodate
the increased amount of food then start looking in coat closets, bedrooms and
bedroom closets and even the living room or family room. Extra space underneath
hanging clothes, in the back of closets or above hanging clothes can be used.
Most beds sit high enough to slide containers of food underneath. Consider
adding shelves in a closet above the existing one or along one side. Store
between the couch and the wall, underneath cloth covered tables or in living
room cabinets. A free standing cabinet or armoire can also be purchased for
added storage space.
Water -Water
Storage
Medications -
Supplies and Medications for Isolation or Quarantine due to
Respiratory or Gastrointestinal Diseases
Alternate methods for cooking, heat, light
Fuel
Facts and Figures
Cooking
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for Emergencies
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