Fast Food for Emergency Meals?
By Janet M. Hackert, Regional Nutrition and
Health Education Specialist in Harrison County,
University of Missouri Extension
Many Americans have fast food on a regular basis, making a quick
stop at the drive-through. When emergencies strike, like the
recent flooding or the inevitable tornados in NW Missouri, an
emergency supply of food is needed – fast! When stuck in a
storm shelter for hours or days, the food stored there can make
all the difference. After the emergency, especially if the power
is out for a prolonged period, an appropriate emergency food
supply is essential.
Having food on hand that doesn’t require much preparation or
cooking is a good first step. In deciding what food to have on
hand, think about how that food will taste after 2 or 3 days or
even a week or more. Having a stockpile of cereal and crackers
might help a family survive, but for a prolonged emergency,
those foods will not supply nutritional needs and family members
will soon tire of these. Good nutrition can help relieve some of
the stress involved.
An emergency food supply, like a daily eating plan, should
have foods from all the food groups, but in a form that requires
no refrigeration or electricity to prepare. Some examples
include dry cereal, crackers, canned fruit juice or juice boxes,
applesauce cups, canned peaches/pears/pineapples, dried apple
rings or dried plums, raisins, peanut butter, canned tuna or
chicken, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, small boxes or jars of
processed cheese spread, nonfat dry milk, tea bags, cocoa
packets, and bottled water. If conditions are safe for using a
can of sterno or a small grill, other items that require heating
could be added to the list, such as cans of beef stew, chili,
pork and beans and a variety of canned vegetables or canned
soups. Be sure to add extra water to the emergency supply if
foods will need to be reconstituted.
Think ahead about how these foods will fit into a meal plan for 2-7 days. Choose foods that will provide some variety from meal to meal and from day to day. For safety and quality’s sake, rotate foods back into the regular food supply every six months or so and replenish the emergency pantry with fresher items. Hopefully the foods will never be needed in an emergency; but if they are, old, stale, out-of-date, and perhaps even unsafe foods won’t be worth much.
Purdue University’s Extension Service has put together two weeks’ of sample menus on their website: http://www.ces.purdue.edu/eden/pandemic/index.htm.
The Community Emergency Management Program of University of Missouri Extension has lots of useful information for getting prepared on their website at http://extension.missouri.edu/cemp.
Last update: Friday, August 29, 2008
 |
Site Administrator: |
|
|
|
