An Easy 6 Step Approach to Food Storage + free printable!

If you are new to my Emergency Preparedness kits and printables... this is a GREAT place to start! In fact, it's my "Food Storage by Layers" Chart that started it all and I would love for you to have it! After a series of unfortunate events... and ultimately the food shortages that followed after Hurricane Sandy when we lived in New Jersey... this is the chart that was born as I tried to tackle my own family's preparedness and food storage. Since then, I've taught thousands of families how SIMPLE food storage can be - so you can tackle it, get it done and move on with the rest of your life!

A BRIEF SUMMARY TO GET YOU STARTED:

One of the reasons tackling food storage is overwhelming and expensive is because we try to base it on the way we eat TODAY. Food storage, however, is not for NORMAL times. It's to SUSTAIN your family in times of emergency like job loss, economic downturns, inflation, disasters, food shortages, supply chain delays, etc. During those times you don't need a huge entree with 2 side dishes and dessert every night. You need FAMILIAR food that is filling, satisfying and sustaining! And trust me... pre-packaged dehydraded (and even freeze dried) meals will leave you feeling bloated and your family will wonder what the heck you are feeding them! Not to mention - pre-packaged meals are the MOST expensive food storage you can buy. But don't worry... food storage (when you base it on the basics) DOES NOT have to be expensive, complicated and certainly doesn't need to be fancy...  it's MUCH SIMPLER than you think!

WHAT IS THE "LAYERING" METHOD?

When I was figuring out how to approach our food storage - I was overwhelmed with articles about wheat - AND was overwhelmed with the all the pre-packaged options (that by the way - WEREN'T what my family was used to eating). Niether made sense to me!! So I set out to create a SIMPLE food storage plan that had wheat - but wasn't BASED on it... and that's how my chart was born. 

Layer 1 starts with essential, ONE ingredient entrees that only need water and heat to be prepared. They are simple, filling and cheap entrees that require no extra ingredients. Oatmeal for breakfast, rice for lunch, potatoes for dinner! Then, as you add each layer, you will increase the variety of recipes you can make and increase the overall nutritional value and caloric value of your storage. As you can see on the bottom half of the chart - as you progress through each layer I've made note of the types of recipes you can build with what you now have stored. Simply substitute items as desired based on your family's palate and allergies. IMAGINE... How much better would you feel if your fridge, freezer and pantry were well stocked (which should be your first step) - but you ALSO had... say... 3 months worth of Layer 1 in your long term storage?! What a great way to get started and feel some immediate relief - with ONLY 3 foods! Then, work towards adding in more layers and increase the amount of time you want to be covered for. For some, 3 months might be their goal. For others - it's a year. Whatever you feel comfortable with - this chart is a pattern you can follow to meet your family's food storage goals! 

WHERE DO I DOWNLOAD THE FREE CHART?

PIN THIS POST FIRST... THEN DOWNLOAD HERE

ONCE YOU REVIEW THE CHART; HOW DO YOU GET STARTED? 

If you love the chart and want a QUICK and SIMPLE kick start into calculating how much you need of each food item, if you want to know the best places to buy bulk goods, if you want to learn how CHEAP and EASY it is to preserve it at home yourself, and how to convert your family recipes into food storage recipes, etc - I can help with all that too! I have two online classes that will CATAPULT you into getting this big chore done in the least expensive and most efficient ways! You can sign up for them HERE... but look closely at page 2 of your download, you MIGHT find a coupon {wink, wink}!

WHAT OTHER PREPAREDNESS THINGS HAVE YOU SIMPLIFIED?

Oh gosh - from 72 hour kits, to water storage, to preparing for a power outages - I've got an Emergency Preparedness Planner that you MUST SEE!! After facing hurricanes, cancer, job loss and more - my family has weathered many storms. My Emergency Planner is the culmination of what I learned over 10 years as I tackled preparedness to help my family become more resilient to unexpected events. In the planner, I guide you through 18 focus areas and give you simple, organized and actionable steps so you can fortify your family against unexpected events too! (SEE IT HERE)

✱ See my Emergency Preparedness Collection HERE

Happy Printing!

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