Emergency Food Supplies: What to Stock Up On and What to Avoid

Extreme weather and disruptions may require people to stock up on long-life food products at home. The UK government advised adding more such items to food baskets due to potential supply chain disruptions. Climate change, cyberattacks, disease outbreaks, and conflicts can pressure the systems that deliver food to supermarkets and homes.

Professor Richard Wilding, a supply chain strategy expert, advised consumers to be prepared to buy different products if supplies of certain foods become limited. What foods should be kept at home, and which should be avoided?

Nutrition scientist Dr. Sammie Gill from the British Nutrition Foundation recommends prioritizing complex carbohydrates, protein-rich foods, tinned fruits, pickled foods, and long-life milk in emergency food supplies. Avoid items tinned in brine or syrups, instant noodles, tinned soup, breakfast cereals with added sugars, and snack bars with limited nutrients. Opt for tinned fish instead of tinned meats and limit sweet treats due to their high sugar content.

To enhance the taste of emergency meals, McManamon suggests keeping nuts as a sweet alternative, dried herbs, spices, and salt. Staying hydrated is crucial; aim for 1,500 to 2,500 milliliters of fluid per day, which can come from bottled water or fluid-rich tinned foods.

Tinned food can be as nutritious as fresh food, with little difference in macronutrients and fat-soluble vitamins. However, it may contain lower levels of some B and C vitamins due to the canning process. Nonetheless, tinned food can still be a useful source of vitamins.