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Food Storage
How To Store What You Eat
 More of this Feature
• It's Like Laundry
• Assess your needs
• Why Rotate Storage?
• Storing What You Eat
• Acquiring a Year Supply
 
 Related Resources
• Why Store Food?
• Food Storage Resources
• 5 Food Storage Books
• Food Sotrage Calculator

By Melanie Cooper

Although maintaining a year supply takes a little planning and organization, it's definitely worth the effort. We began by making a list of all the meals we like to eat. Then we figured out which meals could be stored. For example, every Sunday our family makes taco salad. To store this meal we made a list of the ingredients it takes to make this meal:

  • pinto beans
  • rice
  • tomato sauce
  • cumin
  • salt
  • oil
  • olives
  • corn chips
  • salsa
  • We generally have other toppings such as tomatoes and lettuce but those don't store as well. The above ingredients still make a very tasty meal that will fill the belly. Next we figure out the quantities needed for each ingredient:

  • pinto beans = 1.5 cups
  • rice = 1.5 cups
  • tomato sauce = 1 8oz can
  • cumin = 1 Tbsp.
  • salt = 1 Tbsp.
  • oil = .25 cup
  • olives = 1 can
  • corn chips = .5 bag
  • Since Salsa is considered more of a luxury we just make a guess as to how much we want to store. Next we multiply these amounts by 52 since there are 52 weeks in a year:

  • pinto beans = 78 cups or 31 lbs.
  • rice = 78 cups or 31 lbs.
  • tomato sauce = 52 15oz cans
  • cumin = 52 Tbsp. or 3.25 cups
  • salt = 52 Tbsp. or 3.25 cups
  • oil = 13 cups or almost a gallon
  • olives = 52 6oz cans olives
  • corn chips = 26 bags of corn chips.
  • You now know how much to store for one meal a week for one year. If you follow these steps for six more meals you'll have all your dinners taken care of for one year. The more meals you come up with, the more variety you will have in your food storage and the more likely you are to use it throughout the year. Do the same thing for breakfasts and lunches and you have a year supply that you can really eat and use. I suggest comparing the amounts you come up with against the recommended amounts outlined in the Church's handbook.

    It's also important to mention that not all the foods you eat are easily storable. You may be accustomed to eating donuts for breakfast every morning, but it's not really feasible to store a year supply of them. You may need to experiment with some new recipes or eating habits if you truly want to rotate your storage.

    Next page > Acquiring a Year Supply >

    Don't miss the latest article, "Why and How to Store Food", by your new LDS Guide, Rachel Woods.

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