Food for Emergencies
Emergencies are unforeseen circumstances that happen. In other words, an emergency is an unexpected situation that poses a risk to health, environment, and life and requires urgent intervention.
If an emergency is not quickly attended to, it can lead to injury, loss of life, properties, and interference with daily activities. In most cases, emergencies are unplanned, but they happen anyway. Some emergencies like natural disasters cannot be stopped, but we can salvage the aftermath of such events.
A minor emergency can disrupt plan activity; however; it can be mitigated if one has the foresight to plan for such occasions.
We have all experienced an emergency at one point in time but was ill-equipped to deal with such situations. Nowadays, you can prep for a crisis even before they happen.
Equipping yourself can help to mitigate some damages if not all, and the key to achieving this is to weigh the possibility of an event happening and preparing for it.
some of these events might never happen while some only occur a few times, but you know what they say “better to be safe than being sorry.”
Emergency Levels
Before you can certify a situation as an emergency, you must define whether such a case meets your criteria for an emergency. There are three levels of emergency
- Level one emergency
- Level two emergency
- Level three emergency
Level One Emergency (minor)
An incident is termed a level one emergency when it occurs in a limited area and causes minimal impact or disruption of activities. This type of emergency requires a handful of personnel to put the situation under control. Examples of a level one emergency include fire within a specified room, chemical spills.
Level Two Emergency (Moderate)
A level two emergency is one that may require the assistance of external personnel as it can quickly escalate into a serious and dangerous situation. Examples of a level two emergency include a severe weather forecast.
Level Three Emergency (Major)
A level three emergency is a critical incidence that involves a large area or an entire town or city. It will require the assistance of many personnel, both internal and external. Most times, a level three emergency level cannot be mitigated but can offer palliative care after the aftermath of such an event. Examples of a level three emergency include earthquake, fire outbreak, terrorism, tsunami, and flooding.
How to Stock Food for Emergencies?
Are you well prepared in case of an emergency? If a natural disaster were to happen tomorrow, how sure are you that you will survive such an occurrence? These questions are essential when trying to prepare for things out of our control.
In case of any unforeseen situation, do you have a food supply kit that can cater for you and your family? A good example is the virus of this year which made us realized how unprepared we are for emergencies.
The experts recommend at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food for each person in a household when stocking up food for emergencies. The stocked food should be about 2000 calories a day per person and about 1 liter of water per each person.
The ideal food for an emergency should not require cooking but must be highly nutritious. In case you decide to add canned food to the list, ensure to keep a can opener available. But in case of a disease outbreak that won’t disrupt power or water, it increases the types and amount of food you will be able to stock.
Also, you can store and eat more fresh food, unlike when there is a flood or hurricanes that displace people from their homes.
Survival Food List for An Emergency
Having nutritious and non-perishable food will be of good advantage when stockpiling for an emergency. The reason is that, during an emergency, you think of meeting basic needs rather than satisfying your preference.
Cereal
Cereal is an excellent option to stock for emergency food, but the key to stocking them is to select individually package cereal. It reduces the chances of the cereal becoming stale.
Dried Fruits
Dried food such as raisins and apricot is an excellent source of dietary fiber which will keep you full for a long time. dried fruits contain a healthy amount of nutrient and calories
Canned Vegetables
Canned vegetables can be of help in the absence of the fresh one and supply you with essential nutrients. To maximize can vegetables, stock a fair amount of mixed vegetables.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is cheap and a good choice for emergency food; it does not require refrigeration and is a jar packed- full of nutrients.
Nut Mixes
Nuts are high energy food and a convenient snack, but they must be stored in an airtight jar to prevent it from losing its freshness.
Granola and Power Bars
The granola bars and power bars are healthy and filling, supplying you with the right amount of energy. They are cheap and can easily be stored as it can stay up to six months without losing it freshness.
Whole-Wheat Cracker
Crackers make an excellent substitute for bread although they have a shorter lifespan than plain wheat crackers. It is filling and can be used to create a nice sandwich. Vacuum-pack your cracker to prolong the shelf-life.
Canned Tuna and meats
Canned Tuna, chicken, and turkey is a good source of protein and has a prolonged shelf-life. They can last at least two-years.
Tips on How to Stock Food
- In case of a power outage, consume the refrigerated and frozen food before consuming your canned and dried food.
- Cook and eat raw food before hitting the canned ones
- In case of a power outage, store more non-perishable food as they have a longer shelf-life than raw food.
- If there is no way of cooking, limit the amount of raw food stored.
- Always keep a can opener at hand at all times.
- Open the fridge as infrequently as possible to keep the content cold.
List of Things to Have During an Emergency
- Food
- First Aid kit
- Flashlight
- Cash
- Fire extinguisher
- Medical alert bracelet
- Radio
- Rope
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