The following helpful information is from “How To Survive Off The Grid” by Tim MacWelch of Outdoor Life. With all the economic and societal chaos that is going on, and will inevitably get worse, it is important to be stocked up on some bulk ingredients in order to survive.
Stock Up On Staples
Flour. This ingredient can be put to a variety of uses, such as fresh bread – delicious and very sustaining. It can also be used to make gravy, cookies, dumplings, and plenty of other tasty items.
Oats. Most oats are rolled or milled in order to facilitate their transformation into oatmeal. This is a fine staple food as it is, but you can also use rolled oats for bread, oatmeal cookies, and granola.
Rice. A global staple, rice can be boiled in water using 2 cups (473 ml) of water for each cup (200 g) of dry rice. You could also break out your flour mill to grind up some rice flour. This can be used along with wheat flour, or can replace it entirely.
Sugar. Not the sugar is particularly nutritious, but it does make a great staple due to its calories and indefinite shelf life. You can add sugar to virtually anything for a flavor upgrade and calorie enhancement.
Beans. Protein-packed and long-lasting, beans and other legumes can give us plenty of energy and fill up our bellies. Sure, some gas is to be expected, but still, this is another boil-only food that’s just too good to miss out on. (Just be sure to soak and cook your beans thoroughly in order to avoid an upset stomach.)
Corn. Dried corn can be ground into cornmeal, or boiled to rehydrate it. Some varieties can be fried until they pop (just like popcorn) or ground into a porridge similar to grits. Cornmeal can also be baked and made into cornbread, muffins, and plenty of other foods.
Salt. You don’t need too much salt in your diet, but a little bit is necessary. Add salt to your dishes, both savory and sweet, to enhance their taste. It’s also quite handy for food preservation and many other tasks.
Powdered Milk. This chalky beverage choice doesn’t have to be used as a beverage. You can add the dry mix to virtually any food to increase the protein and calories.
Pasta. Your basic noodle is one of the most calorie packed dry foods out there. At roughly 1,600 calories per pound (450 g), it makes sense to stock up on this easy-to-cook staple. Just boil some in water, improvise a sauce to go with it (using canned goods or fresh produce), and you’ll be eating like a king in no time.
Potato Flakes. This versatile product can be prepared in a variety of ways as well – made into mashed potatoes, potato soap, potato bread, or little fried potato cakes like mom used to make. Although they can be a bit bulky (just like rolled oats), they’re still very nutritious and adaptable.
Additional Commentary
I would also include purchasing some superfood powders, and other powdered fruits, vegetables, herbs, barks, spices, etc. The prices are obviously going to vary depending on what the powder is, how much of it, where you bought it from, and the quality of it. It is very important to have a lot of those basic ingredients listed, but you also need to have a meal plan that is nutrient dense: plenty of vitamins, minerals, good fats, acids, etc. There are plenty of places to buy these powders online, but I will link a couple of the ones I am familiar with.
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