Many civil authorities recommend storage of at least two weeks of food for emergencies. It is important to pack the food in advance so that you can grab it quickly in an emergency. If you wait until an emergency arises to choose food from your pantry, you are more likely to make foolish choices.
If you pack three days of survival food into seventy-two hour kits, you will only need to pack eleven days of convenient food into “two-week” boxes.
- Choose three containers—one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for dinner. Boxes work well, but plastic tubs are water resistant. Alternatively, you can put four days of meals into each tub.
- Choose foods that are convenient—easy to cook under difficult circumstances and safe for storage for several years.
- The level of effort in packing meals can range from simple to creative. You may choose to just gather together a variety of canned foods, or you may pre-measure ingredients to make more elaborate meal packages.
- To assemble meal packages, pack instructions and ingredients into bags to make self-contained meals. Label the bags with the date and how much water is needed.
- Be sure to include some foods that can be eaten cold without any preparation, such as Pop Tarts, crackers, or cans of soup.
Breakfast ideas
(Alternating hot cereal and “sticky breads”)
Miscellaneous: dried fruits, hot chocolate, spiced orange drink, oil, jam, syrup, honey
| Day 4 | Pop Tarts |
| Day 5 | Cream of Wheat |
| Day 6 | Biscuits and Hash |
| Day 7 | Oatmeal |
| Day 8 | Pancakes |
| Day 9 | Bean Porridge |
| Day 10 | Fry Bread and Hash Browns |
| Day 11 | Cream of Wheat |
| Day 12 | Biscuits and Hash |
| Day 13 | Bean Porridge |
| Day 14 | Pancakes |
Lunch ideas
(Alternating peanut butter and meat salads)
These suggestions are all sandwich spreads that need bread or crackers. If you have time when an emergency takes place, add some loaves of bread to your two-week convenience boxes. In case that isn’t possible, be sure to pack boxes of crackers in advance.
| Day 4 | Peanut Butter and Honey |
| Day 5 | Tuna Salad |
| Day 6 | Peanut Butter and Jam |
| Day 7 | Deviled Ham |
| Day 8 | Peanut Butter and Honey |
| Day 9 | Chicken Salad |
| Day 10 | Peanut Butter and Jam |
| Day 11 | Deviled Ham |
| Day 12 | Ham Salad |
| Day 13 | Peanut Butter and Honey |
| Day 14 | Turkey Salad |
Dinner ideas
Miscellaneous: oil, salt and pepper, drink mix
| Day 4 | Cans of soup, or MRE’s |
| Day 5 | Super Macaroni and Cheese |
| Day 6 | Dried Potato Soup |
| Day 7 | Chili Beans and Shells |
| Day 8 | Spanish Rice, Corn, & Refried Beans |
| Day 9 | Noodle Packages, Turkey, and Peas |
| Day 10 | Peaches and Hash |
| Day 11 | Chicken Noodle Soup |
| Day 12 | Orange Chicken |
| Day 13 | Tuna Casserole |
| Day 14 | Beef and Barley Stew |
Treat ideas
Jiffy Pop popcorn
S’mores: chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows (store the bag of marshmallows inside a sealable bag)
Squirt cheese
Two-week Recipes
Quantities are intended to feed a family of 6.
Breakfast Recipes
Spiced Orange Drink
Cream of Wheat
Biscuits and Hash
Pancakes
Bean Porridge
Fry Bread and Hash Browns
Lunch Recipes
Tuna Salad
Chicken Salad
Ham Salad
Turkey Salad
Dinner Recipes
Super Macaroni and Cheese
Spanish Rice, Chicken, and Corn with Refried Beans
Chili Beans and Shells
Noodle Packages, Turkey, and Peas
Peaches and Hash (Beef or Pork)
Chicken Noodle Soup
Orange Chicken
Tuna Casserole
Beef and Barley Stew