As we’ve learned in the last few years, food storage is essential to daily life. When panic struck in early 2020, did you rush to the picked-over stores only to find bare shelves and all your favorite foods missing?
Food storage doesn’t need to be something you only use in times of crisis. When you already store and organize the foods you like to eat, you’re confident and empowered when a snowstorm hits, you don’t feel like going to the store, or you crave a bowl of soup.
So, how do you incorporate food storage into your lifestyle? There’s no need to spend your entire paycheck and buy food in bulk. A more focused method is to plan a week’s worth of meals that don’t require food to be refrigerated (for those times when your power goes out). Ideally, these meals are dishes everyone you feed enjoys eating, so you don’t hear any complaining. Then you stock up on those ingredients.
Initially, figuring out how you want to manage and use your food storage can take some time. Planning is the key to your success. Some people like to sit down and outline their meals and ingredients all at once, while others enjoy completing it as ideas come to them. Be sure to document your meals and ingredients and think about adding in snacks and drinks too. You could create a list on your phone or computer or use a meal-planning app. Find a method that works for you and stick with it.
Once you know what ingredients to stock up on, choose a budget you can afford to spend each time you go to the store. Food storage is a long-term solution and can take time to build up to where you feel confident you have everything you want and need.
Next time you go to the store, buy some ingredients from your food storage list. Stay within your budget and slowly build your supply.
Now for the best part, remember to eat your food storage! Be mindful of expiration dates, and make the meals you already planned from your food storage list. Replenish your inventory when it gets low.
To avoid throwing away expired food, always rotate your food so the oldest is in the front and the newest is in the back. This way, you keep your food organized and eat it during its peak freshness. Yum.
