If not at the top of prepper lists, certainly food stocks are very close. Most preppers understand the basic necessity for water first, but in short order people are going to get hungry. This natural instinctive urge matters not the circumstances of either bugging in or out. Basic and consistent nutrition is critical to survival performance in the both the short haul and the long.
Food stocks do not have to be exotic or fancy. When building stocks for long term survivability, trim down the types of unnecessary food items or the most expensive types. Keep the base food stuffs basic, and supplement it with other tastes and seasonings or in the manner of preparations to add extra flavor or texture.
Base Fixings
A prepper contact of mine is married to a lady he met in the Navy while in Hawaii. She is from South Korea. Give this woman a bag of rice and she can dish out a series of menus just supplemented with vegetables and meats her husband contributes. He hunts, fishes, gardens, raises rabbits and chickens, mainly for eggs. Their bug in home makes for an ideal bug out. They have everything on site including a water well he drilled by himself.
These preppers never have less than several hundred pounds of rice on hand at all times. This their basic food besides a big variety of seasonally canned vegetables from the annual garden. This process works quite well for them. My friend has adapted well to eating South Korean cuisine.
Base foods like rice makes for a grand start. Other options include a host and variety of pastas of which there are many choices. Boxed or container potatoes can be formulated into many meals. Having plenty of these basic foundation foods is a good start to staving off starving. Always have on hand supplies of flour, sugar and other such cooking goods.
Supplemental Fixings
You may have planned for a garden at some point, but short of that consider all types of canned or packaged processed foods that can be added to the base layers. Begin with cans of vegetables all every type. Have canned tomatoes as an essential supplemental food to make all kinds of dishes. Bottled or canned cheese can be useful.
Supplemental food choices are almost endless. Add all kinds of beans and peas, even bags of dried beans should be stocked. Put plenty of canned meats on the shelf including tuna, chicken, salmon, and other open and eat selections. All canned goods should be easy peel open.
As to seasonings, have plenty of a wide selection. Packaged or bottled sauces, gravy mixes and such will add flavor, too. Chicken and beef bouillon in cubes or powder will help build many recipes. Powdered milk may be yucky tasting alone, but mixed in it can add to flavoring. With it you can add mixes for pancakes or waffles. Stock some syrups, too.
Canned or dried and bagged fruits also add beneficial vitamins and flavors to a survival diet. Dried fruits like raisins, peaches, apricots also make good snacks. Mentioning snacks, have containers of mixed nuts, fruit bars, granola mixes, and some candies that last a long time in less than ideal storage conditions.
Preppers realize that food stuffs are both critical and essential. For that simple reason, preppers need to stock up, rotate stocks as it is used, and continue to build reserves in the event a SHTF event develops.
