Nutrition Facts label

March is National Nutrition Month.

There are several things to think about when picking food to include in your emergency food supplies. They include:

Shelf life. Shop for nonperishable items
Foods that don’t require cooking, water, or special preparation are best.
Does your family have food allergies or other special dietary needs?
How much do you need to keep your family fed? Where will you store it?

Often less attention is paid to the nutritional facts of the foods in our emergency kits. But taking care of your body is an important part of self-care during an emergency. One way to do that is to try to eat healthier foods.

Here are a few tips to help you build a nutritious emergency food supply.

Improve Your Food Label Literacy

Knowing how to read food labels is a practical skill that you can use to make decisions about what goes in your emergency food supply. An annotated example of a Nutrition Facts label.

Nutrition Facts labels include information on serving size, calories, and nutrients that can help you make healthier food choices.(1)

Because you can’t know how an emergency will affect your every day, you may want to stock your food supply with more calories than you normally eat. A day spent cleaning up after a disaster expends more calories than one spent sheltering in place.

When using food labels to help make healthier choices consider the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. The number of servings you eat determines the number of calories you’re eating. Eating too many calories per day is linked to overweight and obesity.

Shop Smart

When shopping for food, imagine having to rely on your emergency food supply and emergency water supply. How will you meet your family’s nutritional needs on a limited supply of water and without access to grocery stores and restaurants? Here are some things to think about when buying for your emergency food supply.

Include Fruits and Vegetables

Canned and shelf-stable fruits and vegetables can be a nutritious addition to your emergency food supply. Look for low and no sodium and no-sugar-added options. Also, consider dried fruit and nuts.

Look for Lower Sodium Foods

Sodium (salt) helps to preserve some foods, especially shelf-stable canned items. Salty food can increase your thirst, which could cause you to drink more water than you planned when creating an emergency water supply.

You should store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days for drinking and sanitation. Try to store a 2-week supply of water, if possible.

Most of the sodium you eat is added to packaged foods before you purchase them. This makes reading food labels and choosing lower sodium foods even more important.(2)

Different brands of the same foods may have different sodium levels. For example, sodium in chicken noodle soup can vary by as much as 840 mg per serving for different brands. Look for brands that advertise low or reduced sodium. Compare the nutrition facts panels of different brands to choose the lowest sodium option.(2)

Include Protein

Protein is a critical part of our diet. Everyone needs a minimum amount of protein every day, even during an emergency.

Protein also gives you a feeling of fullness. Feeling full can help keep you from eating other foods in your emergency supply and make your emergency food supply last longer.(3)

Protein-rich foods include:

canned or pouched fish,
canned poultry,
beans and legumes,
nuts
low-fat or non-fat dairy products packaged in shelf-stable packaging. You can usually find these products in the cereal aisle at the grocery store.

Things like canned or packaged tuna, salmon, or chicken; protein bars, nut butters (presuming no one has an allergy), and some non-dairy milk alternatives are good choices for your emergency food supply.

If buying dairy or non-dairy beverages, look for products that are UHT, or Ultra High-Temperature Pasteurization (also referred to as Ultra Pasteurization or UP). These are shelf-stable and do not require refrigeration for safe storage.

If buying canned proteins, look for labels that say canned in water, low sodium, or no salt added.

Avoid Added Sugars

Added sugars include sucrose, dextrose, table sugar, syrups, honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.(4)

The leading sources of added sugars in the US diet are sugar-sweetened beverages, such as regular soda (not sugar-free), fruit drinks, and sports drinks, and foods like cookies and cakes.(4)

One way to avoid added sugars in your emergency food supply is to choose foods with little to no added sugar. Examples include fruit canned in its juice or water.

Help Others Create a More Nutritious Food Supply

People get most of their food for an emergency food supply from food retail venues, such as grocery and corner stores, and food pantries. Having healthier food available and making it affordable in places like these empowers people to make healthier food choices every day and when preparing for emergencies.(5)

When nutritious foods are not available, people may settle for foods that are higher in calories and lower in nutritional value.(5)

The whole community can work together to improve access to healthier food in several ways. They include:

connecting people to healthier foods by addressing transportation gaps in communities.
increasing nutritious food offerings in food service venues
bringing partners together to link local food hubs to organizations that sell or serve food in low-income communities.

Learn more ways government, communities, businesses, nonprofit groups, and others can work to improve access to healthier food.

Resources

Public Health Matters: Keeping your Emergency Kit Nutritious
Food and Food System Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic
What’s New with the Nutrition Facts Label (FDA)
National Hunger Hotline (USDA)
3 Day Emergency Diet Plan (Kidney Community Emergency Response)
American Heart Association Heart-Check Certified Product List

References

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Many people discovered new hobbies during the pandemic.

Some learned to bake bread. Others took up knitting and crocheting. Still others found self-care in gardening and preserving the literal fruits—and vegetables—of their labors.

Food preservation is an excellent way to extend the shelf life of produce, meats, and seafood, and add to your emergency food supply. But it can be risky—or even deadly—if not done safely.

Why preserve food?

A lot of the foods we eat go bad quickly if not eaten right away. We can make these foods last longer when we properly preserve them.

You can preserve food in different ways. They include drying, curing, smoking, freezing, fermenting, pickling, and canning.

Learning how to preserve different types of food is a practical skill you can use to supplement your emergency food supply. Families should stock up on enough food and water to last everyone at least 3 days.

Home canning

Proper canning removes oxygen, destroys enzymes, and prevents the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and molds.(1) If you can foods incorrectly, you could create the perfect environment for deadly bacteria to grow and cause botulism.

Botulism is a rare but potentially deadly illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum.(2)

Botulism is a medical emergency. If you or someone you know has symptoms of foodborne botulism, see your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately:(2)

Difficulty swallowing
Muscle weakness
Double vision
Drooping eyelids
Blurry vision
Slurred speech
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty moving the eyes

Many cases of foodborne botulism have happened after people ate home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods that were contaminated with the toxin. Foods can become contaminated if they were not canned using the correct techniques or tools.

USDA guidance suggests that beginners start with high-acid foods that can be safely canned in a boiling water bath, before trying pressure canning. Only use recipes from reputable sources. Contact your local cooperative extension service office with questions.

How to can safely

You can take steps to make sure your food is properly preserved. The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning has step-by-step directions to prevent botulism and includes specific guidance for different kinds of foods. Regardless of canning techniques and tools, always consider the acidity of the food you are trying to preserve.

Canning techniques

Low-acid foods—including most vegetables, some fruits, milk, and all meats, fish, and seafood—are the most common sources of botulism linked to home-canning.

Low-acid foods are foods that are not acidic enough to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. Pressure canning is the only recommended method for canning these foods.(2)

Pressure canning tools

Make sure to use the right equipment for the kind of foods you are canning, including the right-sized pressure canner.

The canner should be big enough to hold at least four one-quart jars sitting upright on the rack. It should also meet USDA recommendations for pressure canning when canning low-acid foods. Be sure the gauge of the pressure canner is accurate.

After using a pressure canner, check that your cans are properly sealed in one of these three ways:

Press the middle of the lid with your finger or thumb to see that the lid does not spring up.
Tap the lid with the bottom of a spoon to make sure it does not make a dull noise (it should make ringing sound).
Hold the jar at eye level to see that the lid is curved down slightly in the center.(1)

If you have any doubt whether safe canning guidelines were followed, do not eat the food. When in doubt, throw it out!

Storage & maintenance of canned goods

Store your home canned goods properly to maximize their shelf life.

Label and date your jars.
Keep jars with other emergency food in a clean, cool, dark, dry place between 50 and 70°F. (1) If you store jars at temperatures outside this range, the food inside can spoil.
- Stack jars no more than two high so you don’t damage the seals.
- If storing jars where they can freeze, wrap them in newspapers and blankets.(1)
Remove, throw away or use, and replace any canned food and stored water before it expires.
- Home-canned food usually needs to be thrown out after a year.
- Remember that once a can is opened, the contents cannot be saved until later without proper refrigeration.
- When storing safe water, it is best to use food-grade storage containers and to clean and sanitize the container before using it. Replace stored water every six months.

For more information on how to can safely, visit the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.

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Category Archives: emergency water supply

Creating a Nutritious Emergency Food Supply

Improve Your Food Label Literacy

Shop Smart

Include Fruits and Vegetables

Look for Lower Sodium Foods

Include Protein

Avoid Added Sugars

Help Others Create a More Nutritious Food Supply

Resources

References

Food Preservation: Home Canning Safety

Why preserve food?

Home canning

How to can safely

Canning techniques

Pressure canning tools

Storage & maintenance of canned goods

Resources

References

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