Thinking about doing a little prepping? There is a lot of information out there! Everyone seems to have an opinion on it. In one aspect, it's good to read these differing view points and then come to your own conclusion about what will be right for you. However, all of the varying thoughts can also make it extremely overwhelming to decide which direction to head.
Here, I will lay out the only five foods you need to get you started. No expensive generators, power banks, or solar ovens needed. Just some staple foods that will transform into so many versatile and varying meals.
The five staple foods I suggest you focus on:
1) Flour - all purpose flour and bread flour
2) Whole milk powder
3) White sugar
4) Potato flakes
5) Beans - black beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
With the above five items, you can make an astounding amount of diversified foods...
- All purpose flour and bread flour will provide fresh baked bread, sweet treats, pie crusts, pancakes, and thickeners for sauces.
- Yes, with whole milk powder you will of course always have milk on hand by mixing it with water. But, you can also easily make it into yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, ice cream, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese and so much more using just a small amount of a few other ingredients you'll most likely already have in your cupboard.
- When properly stored away from humidity, white sugar can last indefinitely. Naturally, it can be used in baked goods "as is," but if you add corn starch you now have powdered sugar and if you add molasses you now have brown sugar.
- Potato flakes provide a comforting food option that supplies high calories when food is scarce. And, just like the other items, not only can they be made into mashed potatoes, they contribute to an array of other foods, including being a substitute for bread crumbs in meatloaf, thickening soups, creating a crunchy coating for fish and chicken, and as an addition to rolls and tortillas.
- Black beans and garbanzo beans are the most widely used types of beans so that's why I chose them. You will have a protein in your diet just by cooking them up as a side. But, just like the other items, you can easily transform them into many things. Chickpeas can be turned into hummus or ground into flour, for example.
In a future post, I will include some specifics for storing items both short and long term. But, at a simplified level, the above items can be stored for one or two years (and, in the case of the sugar, indefinitely) without any expensive mylar bags or special buckets. So, not only are they extremely versatile, they also are easy to store without purchasing additional expensive items or creating a special setup.
How much of the above items you buy and store is up to you. One key factor to decide this would be how many people are in your household. And, the second key factor, which might take longer to ponder, is what type(s) of things are you prepping for. Do you just foresee minor disruptions such as a short-term natural disaster that would knock out power for a few days to a week, shelves are bare, and gas may be scarce? Do you foresee a few months where there is a shortage of water, disruptions in the food and product supply chain, and gas prices are double the normal price? Do you foresee a year where the power grid has gone down, affecting communication as well, a war may have landed on our soil, and/or there is so much unrest that it is not always safe to go out? These scenarios sound crazy, and why the "prepper" term has gotten such a negative connotation. However, we're already seeing record droughts in the Western states this year and by 2030 the drought will reach large metropolitan US cities and continue progressing through other areas of the world. We don't like to think about it, but sooner rather than later, we will be faced with water rationing. Only a month into the Iran war, gas prices have already risen to record levels and airlines and airports are cutting flights and rationing fuel. This isn't meant to scare anyone, or cause anyone to not live in the moment and lead a fulfilling life. But, staying aware of some of the impending challenges by reading articles and taking small actions to prepare can help us all lead a better life when (not if) things continue to get more tricky to navigate. Therefore, determine what you believe will transpire, how it will affect your daily life, and what is reasonable to enact in order to prepare.
As one person (and a dog), I have stored away a 5 gallon bucket of each of the five items I listed above as most essential. I use daily some of what is stored away. And, then I replenish as needed, so I always have 5 gallons in long term storage available. I have practiced my skills so I now, by memory, can turn these staple ingredients into so many other things such as yogurt, artisan bread, soups, hummus, etc., and if needed can do these things over an open fire.
I hope this gives you the confidence and nudge that with minimal effort and funds you can start feeling more empowered over your food security. And, that it won't be bland monotonous diet you'll have to be forced to rely on. Instead, just a few simple pantry items can be an inspiring jumping off point for nourishment.
Again, I'll be sharing in future posts additional details on storage, why I don't suggest purchasing some items that other preppers recommend, and some extra items you can layer on if you want to increase your self-sufficiency further. Look out for those shortly!
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