Food shortages can happen to anyone, even those with money. That’s why it’s always a good idea to be prepared, just in case. Then, if a food shortage does hit, you’re equipped to get through it. Follow these 17 essential survival techniques to sustain yourself through a sudden food shortage.
Choose Dry Foods
Dry foods have long lives, so they’re the perfect things to stockpile in case of a sudden food shortage. Oats, rice, lentils, pasta, corn, and beans are all great foods that fill you up and have long expiration dates. You can also make various meals with them in small amounts.
Freeze Meat And Bread
If you have fresh foods, like meat and bread, that are about to expire, freeze them. In a food shortage, you’ll absolutely need to eat them later. The Food Standards Agency recommends freezing foods before midnight on their use-by date and eating them within 24 hours of defrosting.
Stock Salt And Spices
A food shortage means a lack of options, so you can’t be fussy about eating plain foods. However, you can season things as basic as plain white rice or lentils to add flavor. Salt and other spices make plain meals much more enjoyable, and they take a long time to run out.
Don’t Panic Buy
We all saw the terrifying effects of panic buying during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Forbes, panic buying is very different from disaster preparation because the latter involves ensuring access to a broad amount of items, not erratically buying lots of one or two things. In a food shortage, panic quickly becomes hysteria.
Take Multivitamins
Food gives our bodies essential nutrition to stay healthy and energetic throughout the day. When food is scarce, getting those vitamins and nutrients is difficult. Luckily, multivitamins are a good solution. They should never replace a balanced diet, but they’re an excellent temporary option when eating a balanced diet is not possible.
Bulk-Buy Canned Goods
Canned goods are a godsend in a food shortage. It’s a good idea to have adequate storage space and stock up before people start panic-buying because canned goods typically last for years. You can replace foods you’d usually eat fresh, like fruits and vegetables, with canned alternatives, and also make many hot meals.
Choose High-Energy Foods
When you’re trying to survive a food shortage, you need to keep your energy levels up, especially if you’re forced to skip meals. According to Medical News Today, some of the best high-energy foods are bananas, apples, fatty fish, and oatmeal. The more of these types of foods you can get, the better you’ll fare.
Plan Meals
Meal planning sounds dull, but it’s one of the best survival techniques for getting through a food shortage. If you plan every meal you eat, you’ll know what foods you have in the house and can plan when to eat them. This prevents waste and also helps you use certain foods sparingly.
Don’t Buy Anything You Won’t Eat
It’s always a good rule of thumb not to buy anything you won’t eat, but it’s an essential survival tip in a food shortage. If you can’t buy much of anything, you must avoid wasting food. It’s best not to be picky, but avoiding things you know you’ll waste is a good idea.
Eat Certain Foods Past Their Expiry Dates
While you should never eat fresh foods like meat after expiration, certain foods are okay. The US Department of Agriculture reports that most shelf-stable and canned foods are fine to eat indefinitely, though some may lack flavor after their expiry dates. But during a sudden food shortage, you’ll eat anything.
Keep Plenty Of Water
Going without food is never good, but going without water is even worse. That’s why you shouldn’t forget to stock up on water during a food shortage in case a water shortage follows. Water also helps to suppress feelings of hunger, so if you are forced to miss meals, it will help slightly.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
Growing your own vegetables takes time, but it pays off if you ever find yourself in a sudden food shortage with no access to fresh produce. Homegrown vegetables are super healthy and allow you to maintain a healthy diet when options are limited. You’ll also save money to spend on other essentials.
Order Cheap Takeout
Buying takeout might sound like a crazy idea during a food shortage, but it can be a cheap way to get a hot meal when you’re unable to cook one yourself. Fast food meals usually contain lots of calories, too, so you’ll get your daily recommended calories even if it isn’t a healthy long-term option.
Learn To Cook Meals From Scratch
Cooking is a life skill, but you don’t realize it’s also an essential survival technique until you experience a food shortage. Being able to cook an entire meal with limited ingredients shows you how to make a lot from a little, especially if you cannot rely on pre-made or frozen foods due to shortage.
Don’t Snack
Snacking is a vice for many, but it’s something you should avoid during a food shortage. You need to preserve your food for full meals to make it last longer. Snacking will also disrupt your meal planning and encourage you to indulge rather than eat a nutritious, balanced diet.
Rotate The Foods You Have
If you’ve stockpiled certain foods, you’ll live off them during a food shortage, which will get boring. Rotating the foods you have will give you something new to eat each day and let you work through your supplies evenly. That way, you’ll know what you’ve got left and what’s running out.
Don’t Be Too Proud To Ask For Help
Finally, if you’re experiencing a sudden food shortage, you must be prepared to ask for help. You need to eat, so asking food banks, family members, or neighbors for spare food isn’t something to be ashamed of. The best survival technique is to avoid isolating yourself and rely on others when you need to.
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