OK I shopped and shopped but NOW WHAT?

Get to know your preps

And I don't mean inventory it.

I've been much more precise with my grains than with my other stuff.

I used the LDS food calculator to estimate the amount of grains, fats, etc. that we needed to store for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and have gradually built to the intermediate goals. I then figured out by using the supplies, for example, how many cups of flour I can get from one cup of wheat berries and then extrapolated from that how many loaves of bread I can get from 50 pounds of wheat berries.

With the exceptions of the canned vegetables and another couple of oddball items, our entire stockpile is food we normally eat.

Does that mean I've EVER paid attention to how many servings I can get from a can of peaches?

Nah. Not until about six to eight months ago.

Now I know, for example, that one 14 oz. can of peaches (regardless of what it says on the label) is two servings for our family, and that if I want each of us to have peaches with a meal, we will need to open two cans. Or we will need to pare the size of our servings (which is probably not a bad thing in all cases).

I am also paying attention to things like how much liquid is in that same can of peaches, because I can use it to cook or dilute it and serve it as juice.

When I find myself thinking, "I could make this during pandemic," of a meal I hadn't previously thought of, I figure out what I put into it and what I need to add to the stockpile to be able to make it X times.

The other thing I'm doing is canning some meals that we normally eat. On those, I can tell right off the bat that one quart of my spaghetti sauce will be more than enough for everyone for dinnner, whereas one quart of the turkey soup will only be enough for two of us because I know how much we normally would eat. I can eyeball what's on the shelves and say, "Ah. I have dinner for X nights."

My methods are not necessarily scientific, but I am comfortable with them.

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by: Edna Mode @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 03:09:56 AM UTC

LDS food calc?

Maybe I have seen that before and just don't remember it, but what is the LDS food calculator?  Got a link to it?

Natural selection is at work all the time.

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by: ChuckE @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 03:51:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Link to LDS Food Calculator

is here: http://www.provident...

LDS has been a great resource (even though I'm an atheist)!

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by: Edna Mode @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 04:52:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Here is a great start for calculating food stores!

http://www.newfluwik...

Thanks ColdClimatePrepper.

Natural selection is at work all the time.

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by: ChuckE @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 03:58:07 AM UTC

I take my normal grocery list and ...

I take my normal grocery buying practices and extrapolate from there. 

Because I have a large family those food calculators give me a headache when I key in our family size.  Two adults and five kids aged 16 and under.  They make it seem like the task is just too big.

So, what I do is take my normal shopping patterns.  Then I multiply that out.

Of course, my normal shopping behavior may seem a little anal to some.  Because we are on a tight budget I start by making a menu for the entire month ... 3 meals a day plus a couple of desserts per day and a few snacks and yummies that my family enjoys.  Then I make a grocery list from the menu. 

Before I started prepping that meant that by the end of the month our cupboards were usually quite bare.  No more.   

So, if I already shop for a month at a time ... to see how much food I would need for roughly 3 or 6 months should be easy.  I've had to do a little fiddling here and there ... we no longer really rely on the freezer and store-bought convenience items like we used to ... and I had a pretty good idea of how much I would need.  I also know how far what I now have should go.

Food preps have been fairly easy ... its coming up with how I'm going to continue cooking the meals that has caused me some indigestion.  I've practiced with alternative cooking methods and have had some good results so I'm not as nervous about it as I used to be, but I still have a ways to go.  I figure that as long as I have the food I'll figure something out even if I have to campfire cook for the duration once my alternatives have run out.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

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by: KathyinFL @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 04:45:26 AM UTC

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook

This book includes forms and simple calculations that you can use in much the same way Kathy describes.

It also includes lots of food prep advice. Well worth the money if you buy it.

It's by Peggy Layton.

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by: Edna Mode @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 04:55:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Food Inventory

ChuckE,

Shortly after I began prepping, I starting keeping a food inventory on an Excel spreadsheet, which now includes over 150 food items, from applesauce to ziti.  One essential component of my spreadsheet is a simple calculation to tell me how many total calories of food I have stored.  So far, I am up to roughly 3,300,000 calories.  If my family of four consumes 2,000 calories per person per day, this food supply will last us about 13 months.  If we only consume 1,500 calories per person per day, it will last us about 18 months.  Within this general plan, I have also allowed for minimum daily levels of fiber and protein, as well as daily multi-vitamins.

In summary, I recommend that you first be sure that you have enough calories to meet your needs.  Then concentrate on nutrition and variety. 
 

You are running out of time.


http://tinyurl.com/37bl45

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by: Dr Dave @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 07:57:02 AM UTC

Oh, Dr. Dave...

Care to share a blank version of your spreadsheet with a couple of sample items for placeholders and formulas in tact?

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by: Edna Mode @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 12:46:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A less scientific,

but still workable plan, is to guesstimate by dating the cans and boxes when they are purchased.  That way, if you eat what you bought, you know how long a case of peas is going to last you.  Some items pile up quickly while others seem to never stay in stock.  Because the canned veggies I am eating now were bought in July, and I have been doing this for a year, I know I have them covered for that amount of time.  I have rice to the end of the millenium, beans until next New Years, and vanilla wafers that will last maybe to the end of the week.

If I had done this on my own, I would have done most of it incorrectly.

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by: Hillbilly Bill @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 10:15:23 AM UTC

That's funny HB

I thought for sure that we had enough peanut butter to fill up even my PB loving family ... I go to inventory to see how many cans and think that I've moved them and forgotten.

Nope.

Seems son and husband ... both into jogging and doing the repair & maintenance at our rental properties ... have taken to making an extra PB&J sandwich every day for "energy."  And also fixing one for our now 3 year old who is a peanut butter addict. Like father, like sons.

Which means that I'm down to half of one commerical sized can of peanut butter ... after having had several of those suckers just a couple of months ago.  This will never do.  Hopefully later in the week I can take a run to the warehouse store and buy several more tubs. 

Now where am I going to hide a case of commerical sized peanut butter tubs so that a three year old can't sniff it out?

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

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by: KathyinFL @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 15:46:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

KathyinFL

That is so funny! Our family is the same way with peanut butter.  We go through the 6lb tubs of peanutbutter from Sam's in 3 weeks under normal conditions, that's 18 tubs I need for a year, or 108 lbs of peanut butter. JEEZZZ LOL

Our children change our lives, whether they live or not.
www.misschildren.org

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by: Carrey in VA @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 15:51:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Whatever you calculate your needs are...

add at least 1/3 more.  We were inundated with houseguests over the holidays (I might as well have had a B&B sign outside!).  We blew through so much food and other supplies it wasn't even funny.  Because there were lots of small children and lots of people it was easier to stay home than go out to eat (lucky me!).  Not only do I now want even more preps for my own family, the holiday experience brought home the ugly reality of possibly having "guests" during SIP.  I can't afford to have twenty people at my house, but I simply have to build more into my supplies.  I also have not gone through the exercise of adding up all that I have and seeing how many meals I can get from it, but that's next on the to do list.  I think it can be invaluable.  I was grossly underestimating our needs before.  Off to Costco again....

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by: LauraB @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 11:18:44 AM UTC

I feel your pain!

We blew through a lot of unexpected preps during the holidays as well ... not necessarily because of guests, but because of budget constraints.

But I mean ouch!  I've done my monthly shopping for January so I was able to restock some of the items, but I've noticed gaping holes where I didn't see them before.  But the exercise did help me clear some of the older preps to give my food rotation a bit of a needed nudge. 

I figure as long as I can find one good thing out of a tough situation, we are still doing OK.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

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by: KathyinFL @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 15:49:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

ChuckE

Personally, I don't mess with all the calorie counters, or the LDS calculators.  My family eats alot more calories than the counters allow for, and we don't eat nearly as much as the LDS calculators say.

This is what I did. 

Lets start with something easy like rice.  I know that, for my family, 2 and 2/3 cup of raw rice is a meal.  So I took this 2 and 2/3 cup of rice and weighed it.  Then took this weight and divided it into how many pounds I have stored.  That tells me how many "regular" meals worth of rice I have in storage. 

I then did the same with all the different kinds of pasta and instant potatoes.  Added all those meal sized servings together and I know I now have more than 365 meals worth of starches. 

Flour was the same way, I have guessed that I will bake bread every other day during SIP.  I took my favorite bread recipe and measured the flour that it calls for.  Now that I have the weight, I divide that into the pounds of flour that I've bought. Now I know I can make bread 170 times without running out of flour. 

Anyway didn't mean to get so long winded.  I was just so overwelmed by the LDS calculator when I first started that I didn't think there was anyway possible I could get the amount of grains they said I needed.  Now I know that I really don't need that much, and I really can do this. 

Our children change our lives, whether they live or not.
www.misschildren.org

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by: Carrey in VA @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 12:40:38 PM UTC

Let me throw a couple more suggestions into the hat...

There is a "thing" (I'm not sure what to call it exactly-trend? idea?) called Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) you can google it-there's sites, cookbooks, a whole deal.  The idea is that you spend one day a month shopping/prepping and then one day cooking and you put the meals in a freezer and you have your cooking done for the month.  Whether you actually do this, you will find that the site give lots of great tips/ideas on how much food to buy for a month.  The drawback is that you freeze the stuff-which would not be so good for long term, but Ive converted some or the recipes to dry pantry goods.

When I first started prepping, I kept receipts for a few months to see how much food I was actually buying, (Minus the extra prep items) and used that to calculate how much I would need.  I also jotted things down as I was cooking-like Carrey in VA-  I know that a pound of pasta is a meal for us, and I need 2 and a half cups of rice-I may tweek it up that extra quarter cup!  Ive also found that we don't use the amount of grains the LDS recommend.

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by: Greenmom @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 13:12:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

LDS

I'm glad to hear from folks that you don't use as much as LDS recommends. I thought those amounts were awfully high myself. However, I figured, hey, they've been at this a lot longer than me.

Carrey in VA ad Greenmom, Do you two have any sense of how much of an overestimate the LDS calculator is vs. your family's actual consumption?

I sensed that the volumes were high, but I am sticking to them as I consider them to be a pad that will carry us through longer or feed more mouths should that become a necessity. Still, I'm curious what you've both found in your real-life trials.

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by: Edna Mode @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 13:19:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

how much too much?

We are a family of 6, hubby and I, DD 14, DD 9, DS 7, and DS 3.

I just did my calculations of grains, 1.5 lbs of oatmeal/rice/pasta/instant 'tater per meal. 2 meals a day is 1095 lbs, plus I'm storing 600 lbs of flour (we don't use wheat now, so I'm not storing any) and 100 lbs of popcorn, that accually puts me over the grains that this LDS site gives for my family.  http://lds.about.com...

But I don't store beans of any kind.  So that's 150 lbs of food they have there that I don't need.  I really thought I was further under the LDS recommendations than that, but then again, we are BIG eaters, so it would almost certainly be too much food for a family of normal eaters.

Guess I opened my big ol' mouth and stuck my big ol' foot in it. lol

Our children change our lives, whether they live or not.
www.misschildren.org

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by: Carrey in VA @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 15:40:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the reality check!

And you didn't put your foot in your mouth. It was educational for both of us!

What you just went through sounds similar to I went through when I did an actual inventory of what I had on the shelves way back last winter.

I had been working under the delusion that because I stock up during sales and buy in bulk that I had plenty of food to get us through at least a couple of months.

When I actually did the math, we had barely enough to eke through three weeks.

It is an eye opener.

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by: Edna Mode @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 15:46:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

no beans ?

What do you have to complete the protein provided by the rice/oats ?

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by: a'Akova @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 06:00:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

RE: no beans?

I've been home canning chicken, pork and beef cubes, and I also dehydrate all my ground beef.  So I don't need the beans to complete the proteins.  I have 150 meals worth of meat put up so far, and am always adding too it when the good sales come around. 

Our children change our lives, whether they live or not.
www.misschildren.org

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by: Carrey in VA @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 12:31:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

They are way over ... and under ... for our family

EdnaMode ... I've found the LDS calculator very difficult to use.  They call for massive amounts of grains that I don't use regularly.  I've tried to change their calculations for whole grains down to flours, but just got a headache.

We use a lot more beans and veggies than we do grains.  I also cook with more fruit than they seem to allow for.  And I don't use near the amount of fats and oils that they call for even cooking from scratch.

If I used all the oil that they called for storing I'd be saturating everything that I cook.  Or frying it at the very least ... and even when I fry things it is usually with just a smidge rather than deep frying stuff.  I don't use that much even when I use a Dutch oven. 

I think some of those LDS calculations are a little out of date and based on older methods of cooking.  They are certainly based on a different grain than my family eats.  We've always eaten more rice than wheat.

It may need some geographic adjustments.

If I had to guess, I would say that the calculations are off by at least 25 to 30 percent (too high) in most areas, and down by at least the same amount in others, depending on your family's personal tastes and needs.

I know they are way over if you base your needs by calories ... tried converting it once and the number is really high and obviously more than the standard 2000 to 2500 calories per day per adult.


Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

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by: KathyinFL @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 15:59:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

They may have added a buffer...

The LDS calculator may include a buffer for any number of reasons...
...it may help people go past a year;
...it may help cope with an unexpected guest (or new family member);
...it may provide a little extra that could be shared with less well prepared in the community in time of need.

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by: a'Akova @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 05:59:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maybe they are allowing for more exercise

Than most of us usually do now, because if you are gardening or doing other types of heavy physical work all day long you really burn up the calories.

When I worked from dawn to dusk at a physical job, I almost couldn't eat enough to keep the weight on, especially since I couldn't eat much while working. I had to pig out in the evening and on our day off just to maintain my weight and strength. The first month I lost something like 20 lbs, and I'm only 5' 5" tall, until I started eating far more.

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by: mountainlady @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 08:41:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

There is a bit of a buffer ... but that doesn't account for everything

I know there is a buffer in the calculations but that doesn't account for everything in my opinion.

I think you can take their basic suggestions and extrapolate something that better suits your family's needs.  But, there are so many areas of differences in taste that I had a difficult time doing so.  I found a different calculator (that I posted the link for in another reply) that worked much better for my family becauce it was based on half staples and half canned goods rather than all staples as the LDS calculator is.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

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by: KathyinFL @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 14:39:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

LDS

One thing about the LDS calculations is that they don`t include any meat. Beans ,yes, but no meat.And, no veggies. So, it is very basic living. Doable, but not one that most of us have prepped for.
  That changes the amount of grains one would need.
  Whole wheat berries do store well, though. Many,many years ago my FIL got a bee in his bonnet that a famine was around the corner ( was a faithful reader of some EOTW magazine), and bought 1,000 lbs of wheat.10 years later was still eating it.
  I still love cracked wheat cooked as cereal, and can bake a decent loaf of bread with whole wheat.But, not my favorite.I do wish that I had his grinder,Have no idea where it went.

  I like ACMs idea of putting 2 weeks worth of food into one container. If I had the room, I would do that.

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." -Mary Wilson Little

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by: cactus @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 13:58:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Excel Spreadsheet for Food Storage Calculation - FREE

At http://standeyo.com/... you can download a very useful ... and FREE ... food storage spread sheet in Excel.

I don't necessarily subscribe to all of the political and religious views at the website, but the spreadsheet is "non-partisan."

It is easily adjustable to the amount of time you are trying to store for as well as the number of people (broken down by recommended servings per age group).  I like the color coding as it helped delineate different sections.

Also, with very little excel knowledge you can add and delete rows so that you can add and delete items from each category.  You'll need to cut and paste a few formulas when you do this, but again its just very basic excel stuff.

They even include a section on pets.  Did you know a large dog requires the same amount of drinking water per day as a human?  So if you are storing water for your pets, keep their size in consideration.  A pint for your average cat and small sedentary dog ... more as the "hyperness" and size of the animal increases.

I've found it a very useful inventory tool as the various columns allow you to see your recommended amount to store, what you have on hand, how much you have left to acquire.  And, there are also columns for expected shelf-life and a couple of other things to help you remember stuff.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

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by: KathyinFL @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 16:08:53 PM UTC

Excel work sheet

Good inventory sheet to use to set up and run a storage locker/room.

I modified by adding Container number, location, how much has been placed in each container. This one that is very easy to modify for any one's need.

Thank you KathyFl.

RICHARD-FL


  No warning - no way to fight - no way to win!  
We need help in our local communities to survive. Remember that quote:    "...No man is an island..."

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by: RICHARD-FL @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 00:29:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Food Inventory

ChuckE,

One more thing that you might consider is keeping a note pad near your supply storage area.  We regularly "shop" at our little store room, but we write down everything we take from the store room to the kitchen.  That way we can either adjust the item out of our pandemic storage inventory or we can replace it during our next shopping trip.  This sort of activity is essential for rotating your stock.

You are running out of time.


http://tinyurl.com/37bl45

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by: Dr Dave @ Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 22:01:56 PM UTC

Beans

We shied away from buying beans since about the only time we eat them is when I prepared instant refried black beans for Mexican dishes. Then I discovered Anasazi beans and we are now buying them like mad!

They do not require pre-soaking, cook very quickly in comparison to other dried beans, and do not trigger gas! That last was a huge surprise but the 4 or 5 times I've cooked them that has proven to be the case. So...just a suggestion for those who may have avoided beans as we did until now.

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by: MAinVA @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 02:33:04 AM UTC

I've shopped and shopped now what?

Keep shopping.

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by: Ruth @ Fri Jan 12, 2007 at 12:53:29 PM UTC