It has been said by experts and other individuals that all homes should have at least a three month supply of food storage for you and your family. I would suggest that you start with a three month supply and slowly build up to a year supply. Doing this will give you and every member of your family a peace of mind.

"Demand for food that can be used on a regular basis, and be kept safely in long-term storage is in greater demand than ever before. We have more than tripled the size of our previous outlet store, and we have enlarged our stock to include products that have previously been hard to obtain,"explained Sergei Luzginov of Emergency Preparedness Supplies.

The company offers free information and tips about long term food storage on a web site along with a free newsletter. Orders can be placed online. Shipping is available for those who live outside the area.

According to Emergency Preparedness Supplies, you should make sure that you are planning your food storage supplies around items that can be combines to make meals. If you think about it, if all you have in your food storage is wheat, it will honestly do you no good unless you have other baking items to make editable food out of. This should be a starting point for anyone when determining which items to begin accumulating or to see what items you should add to really enhance your meal options.
If you store whole grain wheat, oats, beans, et cetera, and you have no idea how to use it, what good does it do. Some people do very well with food storage and are able to use it in rotation, that is, as they use it, they replace it so that the food storage remains fresh viable. Some people do very well at "pantry cooking" on making wonderful meals with their food storage. After all, you don't want to store food that you dislike. If you can't stand the taste of cooked cracked wheat cereal (even with honey on it), then maybe you should store food that you like and eat on a regular basis.

"We continue to encourage people to store sufficient food, clothing, and where possible fuel for at least one year. We have laid down an exact formula for what should be stored. We suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life, such as grains, legumes, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey, and water. Most families can achieve and maintain this basic level of preparedness. The decision to do more than this rests with the individual.
Long term food storage : Food and Water

(A three day supply of food and water, per person, when no refrigeration or cooking is available)

* Protein/Granola Bars
* Trail Mix/Dried Fruit
* Crackers/Cereals (for munching)
* Canned Tuna, Beans, Turkey, Beef, Vienna Sausages, etc ("pop-top" cans that open without a can-opener might not be a good idea, read this warning from one site visitor.)
* Canned Juice
* Candy/Gum (warning: Jolly Ranchers can melt and using mint gum might make everything taste like mint. See the comments from the blog post, 72 Hour Kit Warning, comment #11)
* Water (1 Gallon/4 Liters Per Person)

Bedding and Clothing

* Change of Clothing (short and long sleeved shirts, pants, jackets, socks, etc.)
* Undergarments
* Rain Coat/Poncho
* Blankets and Emergency Heat Blanks (that keep in warmth)
* Cloth Sheet
* Plastic Sheet
Visit our site for long term food storage list.