Food Storage: Our Top 5 Picks for Long Term Food Storage

Tas Xou asked us what the top 5 basic foods are that could be stored to help us become more self-sufficient. That's a great question and the answer varies from person to person.

In this video, Jonathan, Kenni, Ben, and I all give our opinions because we all like a slightly different diet.

You might be interested in some of these posts about basic food storage.

Oats - A Must-Have Pantry Staple

Food Storage: How to Store Wheat So It Is Still Delicious 31 Years Later

Food Storage: The Actual Shelf-Life of White Flour

Selecting the Right Grain Mill for Emergencies and Everyday Use

Dry Bean Food Storage Myth - Actual Shelf-Life Revealed

The Difference Between Short-Term and Long-Term Food Storage

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[lauram]

I love to see the different perspectives in your household on this topic.
My top 5 are:
*Beans/legumes
*Canned or freeze-dried meat
*Quinoa (though admittedly not shelf-stable for as long as rice, we have rice-sensitive family members. It’s a good protein source and has good nutrition profile)
*Fruits/veg—dehydrated, freeze-dried or canned, depending on which preservation method best for each item
*Grains (I couldn’t narrow to one type. We store many types because—food sensitivities. Different sensitivities to different grains among all of us. Of course, we couldn’t all be sensitive to the same grains. That would be too easy 😜)
Just a word of advice from years of storing food. People’s tastes can change over time. Sensitivities and allergies can pop up. The more variety you store, the better.

[stevep]

All great choices.
Nice to see your kids involved and well informed on this important subject.
Nice work !!

[karensheart]

How precious these kids are! And how precious it is that you are training them up in all things that matter! Thank you for another wonderful video!! Xo

[kennethmoravec]

Kylene i think you will agree with me that chocolate is really the #1 item as a necessity.

[bearrivermama]

👍🏻 1. Beans. 2. Rice. 3. Wheat. 4. Oats. 5. Power milk. I chose things that are difficult or impossible for me to produce but versatile. Core/base ingredients that can be used in conjunction with things that can be natural sourced or cultivated in your area to create diversity yet stability in your food needs.👍🏻

[christiana_mandalynn]

I think my top 5 are
1. *Rolled Oats* - I love oats, I could eat them every day in oatmeal, overnight oats with yogurt and berries, protein ball bites, smoothies, muffins, and more. My picky sons actually eat a muffin recipe that uses a blender to grind the oats into oat flour, along with mashed bananas, honey, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt. It’s a powerhouse muffin mix! I know if I have rolled oats, we will eat them.

2. *Rice* - We are big rice eaters, and eat rice several times a week, so this is again something that would be eaten. My husband likes cooked rice in his scrambled eggs.

3. *Beans* - With Rice and Beans, that’s a full protein right there. You can make a lot of Mexican or Southwest meals with beans if you store seasonings.

4. *Shelf-stable Fruits* - My kids love bananas and strawberries. 🍌🍓 I made sure to get freeze-dried cans of these for our long-term food storage in case of emergency one day.

5. *Shelf-stable Greens* - You need phytonutrients in a diet of grains and canned foods in order to stay healthy and not get sick!

If I could add a 6th, it would be *Shelf-stable Butter* - a much-needed fat to cook with, bake with, and make your food taste good! Sugar and Salt would be another important long-term thing to store. Your body cannot survive without salt!

[bittehiereinfugen]

Okay, I agree with Ben's choices ☺️ these foods would also be the most important to me.
... by the way, your children are very cute together, they seem to get along really well 👍🏻 you must have done a lot right as parents, wonderful!

[jabolbot]

Really appreciate the kid's point of view!

[Caelariel]

my top 5 are:
1. canned meats (ground beef, spice rub pork sirloin chunks, ground italian sausage, breakfast sausage...so far)
2. Jasmin rice (in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers)
3. Steel cut oats (mylar bag with oxygen absorber
4. dried beans (black beans, lentils, pinto beans) in vaccuum seal bags for easy recognition)
5. canned fruits / canned fruit juices

I wish I could afford to get a dehydrator and a freeze dryer! but, going ahead with doing all I can until then.
Love all your videos!!!

[Jean]

1. Wheat/grains
2. Veggies
3. Rice
4. Beans
5. Dry milk
Bonus - spices

[anoniem]

Can you store "PARBOILED" rice as well for up to 25years?

[jopiaspieder]

My top 5 items to store are 1. Everything 2. Everything 3. Everything 4. Everything 5. Everything...

1. Meats (steak, chicken ect)
2. Corn meal
3. Mash potatoes
4. Freeze dried fruits
5. White rice

[cindydavis]

Beans, rice, oats, sweet potatoes and spices. I know sweet potatoes is most likely something you will need to grow, but they store so nicely, they are packed with nutrition and you have them for seeds the following year. Spices are great for food fatigue and they also provide various nutrition and health benefits. Beans you can also use for egg replacement for baking/cooking, by making aquafaba.

[victorialg]

1 dehydrated zucchini or cabbage
2 canned meats
3 canned fish
4 seeds for sprouting
5 feed for chickens, rabbits, and quail

[MJ-fvlh]

What an endearing an informative video! I think my storage is closest to your son’s list. I just ordered a freeze dryer and I’m really excited to start using it!

[debb]

rolled oats, freeze dried meats, rice, fd potatoes/veg, spices

[mandywillis]

Can u tell me how to store instant potatoes long term ?? How much oxygen absorber do I need ? And dry beans an rice ?

[angelarichmond]

hello hello 🌽 corn Mill love it you can make a lot out of it corn pudding It's like flour tortillas so good thank you 🎉🎉🎉 let's eat

[craftsbeautyandlife]

1. Potatoes 2. Oats 3. Beans 4. Eggs 5. Rice

[kmathis]

Bob’s red mill multigrain cereals are one of my favorites. Coconut cream is something I’ve stashed for long shelf life fat source. Canned tomatoes and lentils for soups.