Basic Long-Term Food Storage Plan

Five Things You Can Do Now

1. Decide if storing basic long-term food is a goal for your family.
2. Choose how long you want food storage for. Three months? Six months? One year?
3. Determine the number of population equivalents for your family.
4. Decide on a food storage location and how much room you can dedicate to storing food.
5. Make a list of the equipment you will need to use the food storage.

This chapter will give you options for basic long-term food storage. In the next chapter, we will look at planning a customized long-term food storage. The goal is to give you the tools to create the best possible long-term food storage plan so you are confident and prepared in a time of crisis. Once you learn about the different methods of planning, you can decide which one or which combination of plans works best for you.

The information in this chapter will be useful if you are just beginning to prepare or if you want simplicity. If you already have a plan, this will help you identify possible shortcomings and those areas that might need some refining. You will also be able to evaluate commercial packages.

The emphasis will be on stockpiling food for one year, but you can adapt it for shorter or longer periods. By following a few simple steps, you can determine how much of the various foods groups you need to store.

The Basic Four Plan

Table 16.1 Basic Four Plan for One Year
Food Item	Quantity per Person*
Wheat	300 lb.
Powdered milk	100 lb.
Sugar or honey	100 lb.
Salt	5 lb.
*Based on 2600 calories per day.

The Basic Four Plan is the simplest, most trouble-free of all plans. In the past, it was often referred to as the Mormon Basic Four Plan, due to its origin, and consists of the four basic food items listed in table 16.1.

The plan supplies adequate protein (ninety-four grams per day) and is absolutely the cheapest and most compact way of storing a year’s supply of food. Except for the milk, it has a nearly unlimited shelf life. If stored in square containers, it takes up less than twelve cubic feet for one person.

Unfortunately, it also has some major drawbacks: Most importantly, it is lacking in fat. It is also low in vitamins A, C, and D. It offers an extremely limited variety of foods and requires considerable skill and effort to prepare appetizing meals. It provides a very austere, subsistence-level diet that is drastically different from what people in developed countries are accustomed to. And finally, it is somewhat low in calories, containing less than the American average of 2,600 per day.

The 7-Plus Basic Plan

Table 16.2 7-Plus Basic Plan for One Person for One Year
	Food	Quantity per Person*	Shelf Life
1	Grains (wheat, rice, corn)	375 lb.	30+ years
2	Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)	60 lb.	30+ years
3	Sugar	65 lb.	30+ years
4	Milk, nonfat dry	60 lb.	20 years
5	Oil (1 gallon of cooking oil = 7.5 lb. )	21 lb.	2—3 years
6	Salt (table, pickling & canning)	10 lb.	30+ years
7	Multi-vitamins with minerals	365	4—5 years
+	Leavening agents, yeast, spices and herbs, and flavorings	1 lb. baking powder 1 lb. baking soda	5+ years
		¾ lb. yeast	2—4 years
*Based on 2,600 calories per day.
©Patricia Spigarelli-Aston

The 7-Plus Basic Plan is a good place to begin if you want an uncomplicated food storage plan.

For those who want an improved but uncomplicated basic food storage plan, Jack and I developed the 7-Plus Basic Plan. It overcomes some of the problems with the Basic Four Plan by adding just a few items. It has similar advantages—low cost, minimal need for rotation, compactness, and low weight. It contains 20 percent more calories, provides better nutritional balance, includes fats, and offers a slightly improved variety of foods. Most items have a very long shelf life, but you’ll need to rotate the oil, vitamins, leavening agents, and yeast because their shelf life is more limited. See table 16.2 for quantities. You will also find worksheet 16.1, “Determining Your Population Equivalent, and worksheet 16.2, “Calculating Amounts for the 7-Plus Plan,” to help you calculate the amount of food you need for your family. The worksheets are also available as downloadable PDF files on our website, CrisisPreparedness.com.

The amounts given in table 16.2 provide about 2,600 calories, one hundred grams of protein, and thirty-five grams of fat per person per day for one year.

Specialized Cooking Equipment

You will need a grain mill and specialized recipes to prepare appetizing menus. You may also want to invest in a heavy-duty mixer for making bread and a pressure cooker for cooking beans and legumes. Refer to chapter 19 for information about grain mills and other specialized kitchen equipment.

Combining Plans

Use the 7-Plus Basic Plan to complement one of the short-term food storage plans described in chapter 15, or upgrade and personalize this basic plan by substituting any of the wide variety of foods discussed under the Custom Advanced Plan in chapter 17.

How Much Food Do You Need?

Using Averages to Determine How Much Food You Need

The easiest way to estimate how much you need of each item is to simply multiply the amount for one person by the number of people you are storing food for. For example, if you have four persons in your family, the amount of wheat you would store is 1,500 pounds (4 x 375). You can increase or decrease the amounts for your situation, adding 5 percent for waste and unforeseen needs.

Using Population Equivalents to Determine How Much Food You Need

Table 16.3 Population Equivalents
Category	Age of Person	Population Equivalent % of 2600 Calories
Infants	0-1	0.35
Children	1-3	0.52
	4-8	0.81
Males	9-13	1.04
	14-18	1.25
	19-30	1.33
	31-50	1.2
	51+	1.15
Females	9-13	0.98
	14-18	0.94
	19-30	0.88
	31-50	0.85
	51+	0.83

©Patricia Spigarelli-Aston

To be more exact in calculating your family’s needs, you’ll need to determine the population equivalents for your family.

What Is a Population Equivalent?

A population equivalent is the percentage of the average number of calories a specific population segment needs. The typical number of calories consumed by an average American is 2,600 per day, but different segments of the population require different amounts of calories, some more and some less than 2,600 calories. Table 16.3 shows you the population equivalents for different segments.

Personally Speaking

In the original Crisis Preparedness Handbook, we wanted to give you a way to be as accurate as possible in determining how much food you would need for long-term emergencies. We thought it was important to consider the unique nutritional needs of different age groups and genders, so Jack created the “population equivalent” factor. I knew this method could help you be more exact, but I wondered if it might be too complicated and if it would really be used.

So I talked it over with my daughter who has three little girls. She told me, “Mom, it was totally easy. I just followed the steps the way Dad explained it. For sure, include it.” So I was convinced that many of you’ll want to use population equivalents as you calculate food storage quantities. It was ideal for my daughter since her girls have tiny appetites—not anywhere near as much as a teenage boy or grown man.

I decided to provide both methods of calculating—using averages and population equivalents. That way you can choose which one works best for you.

The total quantities of food will still be an estimate but closer than just using averages. Remember to add 5 percent to your final quantities for waste or unforeseen needs.

Follow the Example Family

Example 16.1 Determining Population Equivalents for Your Family
Category	Age of Person	Number of Persons in the Category	Population Equivalent % of 2,600 Calories Required	Population Equivalent Totals
Infants	0—1	_________	x 0.35 =
Children	1—3	_________	x 0.52 =
	4—8	_________	x 0.81=
Males	9—13	_________	x 1.04 =
	14—18	_________	x 1.25 =
	19—30	____¬1____	x 1.33 =	1.33
	31—50	____1____	x 1.23 =	1.23
	51+	__________	x 1.15 =
Females	9—13	_________	x 0.98 =
	14—18	____1____	x 0.94 =	0.94
	19—30	_________	x 0.88 =
	31—50	____1____	x 0.85 =	0.85
	51+	_________	x 0.83 =
		Total Population Equivalent		4.35

To help you follow this and later calculations, I will illustrate by using an “example family.” You will see exactly what they would do at each step of designing their plan for two years out. The specific food selections for the example family are not recommendations but are representative of practical, economical choices. You should decide what selections are best for you.

The example family consists of two middle-aged adults, one male and one female, and two teenagers—a seventeen-year-old boy and a fourteen-year-old girl.

Population Equivalents for the Example Family

The example family begins by determining the population equivalent for each person in the family. Their calculation is based on two years. Next, they calculate the total. See example 16.1.

Calculating How Much Food the Example Family Needs

The example family determines their total population equivalent is 4.35. They multiply 4.35 times the quantities for one person to determine the quantities they will need of each food item. They also add 5 percent for potential waste and unforeseen needs. Next, based on their preferences, they allocate the total for each basic food among specific foods. Example 16.2 shows their choices. (The choices are representative and not recommendations.)

Example 16.2 Example Family Storage List
Basic Food	Calculation	Approximate Amount	Amounts to Store
Grains	4.35 x 375 = 1,632.5 0.05 x 1,630 ≈ 81 Total = 1,713.5 lb.	1,700 lb. grain	1,250 lb. wheat, 25 lb. barley, 200 lb. rice, 50 lb. corn, 100 lb. oats, 25 lb. rye, 50 lb.
Legumes	4.35 x 60 = 261 0.05 x 261 ≈ 13 Total = 274 lb.	275 lb. legumes	100 lb. pinto, 30 lb. black, 30 lb. red, 15 lb. lentils, 30 lb. navy, 15 lb. peas, 25 lb. soy, 30 lb. Great Northern
Sugar	4.35 x 65 = 282.75 0.05 x 283 ≈ 14 Total = 296.75 lb.	300 lb. sugar	250 lb. granulated sugar, 30 lb. brown sugar, 20 pounds powdered sugar
Milk, nonfat dry	4.35 x 60 = 261 0.05 x 261 ≈ 13 Total = 274 lb.	275 lb. milk, nonfat dry	275 lb. milk, nonfat dry
Oil	4.35 x 21 = 91.35 0.05 x 91 ≈ 4.5 Total = 95.85 lb.	100 lb. oil	8 gallons liquid oil (7.5 lb./gal) 40 lb. shortening)
Salt	4.35 x 10 = 43.5 0.05 x 44 = 2.2 Total 45.7 lb.	45 lb. salt	25 lb. table salt, iodized, 20 lb. pickling and canning
Multivitamins with minerals	4 x 365 = 1,460		1,460 multi-vitamins with minerals
Yeast	4.35 x .75 ≈ 3.25 lb.		3.25 lb. yeast
Baking soda	4.35 x 1 = 4.35 lb.		4.5 lb. baking soda
Baking powder	4.35 x 1 = 4.35 lb.		4.5 lb. baking powder

7-Plus Basic Plan Calculator

To make it even easier, we created a food storage calculator based on the 7-Plus Basic Plan that uses population equivalents to determine quantities. You can access it on our website at CrisisPreparedness.com.

Worksheets to Help You

Use worksheets 16.1 and 16.2 to help you determine the population equivalents for your family and to help you calculate how much food you need. For a downloadable PDF file, go to CrisisPreparedness.com.

Worksheet 16.1 Determining Your Family Population Equivalent
Category	Age of Person	Number of Persons in the Category	Population Equivalent % of 2,600 Calories Required	Population Equivalent Totals
Infants	0—1	________	x 0.35	=
Children	1—3	________	x 0.52	=
	4—8	________	x 0.81	=
Males	9—13	________	x 1.04	=
	14—18	________	x 1.25	=
	19—30	________	x 1.33	=
	31—50	________	x 1.23	=
	51+	________	x 1.15	=
Females	9—13	________	x 0.98	=
	14—18	________	x 0.94	=
	19—30	________	x 0.88	=
	31—50	________	x 0.85	=
	51+	________	x 0.83	=
		Total Population Equivalent		=
©Patricia Spigarelli-Aston. For a downloadable PDF file go to CrisisPreparedness.com

Worksheet 16.2 Calculating Amounts for the 7-Plus Basic Plan
Total population equivalent for your family: ________ (Use calculation from worksheet 16.1 ) Use your family-population-equivalent number in the calculations below.
Basic Food	Calculation	Amount	Amounts to Store
Grains	________ x 300 =	________ lb. grain	List selected grains and amounts to store.
Legumes	________ x 60 =	________ lb. legumes	List selected legumes and amounts to store.
Sugar	________ x 65 =	________lb. sugar	List selected sugars and amounts to store.
Milk, nonfat dry	________ x 60 =	________ lb. milk	List the total pounds of milk to store.
Oil	________ x 21 =	________ lb. oil	List selected oils and amounts to store.
Salt	________ x 10 =	________ lb. salt	List selected salts and amounts to store.
Multivitamins with minerals	Multiply number of people by 365. ________ x 365 = ________ vitamins
Yeast	Multiply number of people by 0.75 lb. ________ x 0.75 = ________ lb. of yeast
Baking soda and Baking powder	Multiply number of people by 1.0 lb. ________ x 0.75 = ________ lb. of baking soda and baking powder
©Patricia Spigarelli-Aston. For a downloadable PDF file go to CrisisPreparedness.com