25 Survival Foods With Long Shelf Life

Building a survival food storage is something everyone should consider.

Regardless of the region you live in, you cannot predict what kind of disaster can befall you at any time.

Whether the disaster is natural or man-made, the one thing that no person can survive without is food. That is why people who live in disaster-prone regions have a survival food storage.

The only downside to having a survival food storage is that you never know when disaster is going to strike.

In many cases, the disaster that you prepared for may never come and the food storage may get spoiled.

When you’re preparing for something that’s uncertain, you need to make sure that the food items in the storage have a long shelf life. Cooked and raw food do not have a long shelf life and go bad in a few days if not refrigerated.

When packing food for a survival storage you should focus on food items that are dry dehydrated or frozen. In this post, we discuss 25 food items that are perfect for a survival storage because of their long shelf life.

1. Dried beans:

When we normally think of beans, we think of canned products, where the beans are stored in oil or tomato sauce.

But when adding beans to your survival food storage, you are better off picking the dried variety because not only do they last longer but also have a low sodium content compared to canned beans.

Dried beans are versatile enough to prepare a variety of dishes including soups, stews, sandwiches, and burgers.

2. Dried corn:

Another healthy and delicious food is corn, loved by both kids and adults. Corn is appetizing and filling, and a great source of fiber.

A survival food storage must include dried corn because it has a long shelf life and can also be used in different ways.

Dried corn is made by harvesting dried corn kernels at the peak of the season and then husking, blanching, and air drying them immediately to lock in flavor, color, and nutrition.

In manufacturing units, corn is also dried with a machine to make the process faster. A variety of quick and easy dishes can be made with dried corn.

3. White rice:

As we all know, rice has a long shelf life. You leave it in a dry place, and it will remain intact for months. That makes white rice a must-have in survival food storage. All you need to prepare rice is some hot water.

You may also include ready-to-eat rice to your food storage because it’s easier to cook and consume- simply add some warm water to the rice and it becomes ready to eat.

4. Quinoa:

Like rice, quinoa also has a long shelf life, and if unopened, can last for months. Besides, quinoa is considered a superfood, healthier than rice or pasta.

If you want to be attentive to the health of your family even when eating out of your survival storage, you must include quinoa.

From salads and soups and other hearty meals, quinoa has become a favorite around the world. It doesn’t need a long cooking time either. You can soak quinoa in warm water to soften it, and then make easy dishes with it.

5. Legumes:

Lentils and peas are quite like beans, packing energy and fiber. Legumes pack around 1200 calories per pound, so they keep you going. Most importantly, you can sprout legumes.

Bean sprouts are not only a superfood but are also packed with nutrients. In three or four days, you can sprout fresh and crunchy phytonutrients from peas and lentils. Legumes sometimes include peanuts because they aren’t nuts, they are beans.

If no one in your household is allergic to peanuts, you may stock up on those too because they are rich in protein.

6. Wheat berries:

Yes, this is another type of grain, but one that’s not so common. Wheat berries are also known as wheat kernels, which are dried and sold in supermarkets.

They can be used to make porridges, soups, and various other healthy and satiating dishes. Wheat berries have all the nutrients present in wheat or wheat flour but are tastier and also easier to store.

7. Rolled oats:

There can be a few dishes that are quick or healthy as a bowl of oatmeal. Oats have been a staple in prepper’s food, because it’s low in fat and high in fiber, and keeps you full for a long time. Besides, oats are dry and are easy to store.

As long as you store it in a cool dry place, oats will remain intact for months. You only need water or milk to make porridges with oats, and can also add dried fruits and berries to it.

8. Whole wheat grains:

Carbs are energy. In a survival situation, you need plenty of energy to keep going. That’s one good excuse to consume more carbs, but ones that are healthy.

Whole wheat grains – used to make whole wheat bread – is one such healthy carb that must find its place in your survival food storage because it’s high in fiber, and keep your digestive system in good shape. Plus, you can also prepare different meals with it.

9. Pasta:

The universally loved pasta is ideal to include in your survival kit because it has almost zero fat or moisture content, so it remains unspoiled for the longest time.

Since it’s filling and cheap, it’s easy to store a variety of pasta products, besides in spaghetti and macaroni.

Some pasta products include egg noodles, dried tortellini, couscous, lasagna, rotelle, linguine, rotini, rigatoni, penne, orecchiette, and mastoccilli.

There are Asian kinds of pasta as well, such as ramen noodles, soba, rice noodles, and chow mein noodles.

10. Dehydrated fruit:

Just because you are eating out of an emergency storage doesn’t mean you cannot eat the things you love. For example, fruit. You cannot store fresh fruit for months, but you can definitely do so with dehydrated fruit.

Not only is it easy to store and good to eat, but also make a healthy addition to cereals and porridges. Simply adding warmth to them makes them fit for consumption.

11. Dehydrated veggies:

Just like fruit, vegetables are also available dried and dehydrated. They go through a special process that kills the moisture content in them while keeping the nutrients intact.

Dehydrated veggies can be added to soups and pasta, and they taste just like fresh veggies once cooked. Besides, they also have a long shelf life so you can store them for the longest time.

12. Dried and freeze-dried meat:

What is the best and most popular prep food?

Meat! If there was only one item that you could stockpile, it should be meat. That’s because meat provides you with 90 percent of your sustenance, and unlike plants, it isn’t poisonous. Someone should tell AOC this!

From chicken to lamb to beef and pork, there is no end to the types of meat that you can add to your emergency food storage.

Meat is the highest source of protein and calories and can keep you strong even if you do not consume anything else.

Beans and veggies will provide you with only some of the nutrients and calories that you need but you must consume meat if you want to remain healthy. Find a great selection of freeze dried meat here!

13. Flour:

From wheat flour to corn flour to potato flour, there is an endless variety of flour that you can add to your emergency food storage.

As long as you store it in a cool and dry place, the flour will last for months without clumping or going bad. Besides you can make a white range of dishes with flour.

You can use it to make bread and pancakes, you can use it as a thickener and a dough conditioner, and for bread. Because there are so many different kinds of flour available, you can consider adding all of them to your emergency food storage.

14. Canned food:

Dried food is definitely easier to store than canned food, but as long as you store it in the right conditions, you can add any type of canned food to your emergency stockpile.

Canned beans are the most famous but you can also add canned fruits, soups, ready to eat foods like mashed potato and beef stew, mushrooms, fruits and veggies, and even meat. There is so much variety in canned foods that you can add as many as you like do your emergency food storage.

15. Pemmican:

A very popular food among preppers, pemmican is actually a combination of meat and fat and is full of protein and calories. It is usually available as a bar and can be eaten at any time to satiate hunger as well as get energy.

Pemmican is made in such a way that it lasts a long time without going bad. Because it comes in the form of a bar, it is easy to store as many as you like in your survival food storage.

16. Hardtack:

In the absence of perishable food, you need something that will keep your stomach happy and give you the energy to survive. One food item that has been very popular among preppers for ages is the hardtack.

It is also known as “the bread that lasts forever” because hardtack lasts for weeks and months under any condition without going bad. It is made of flour and water and is usually homemade.

It is like crackers but thicker and harder. Because it is easy and inexpensive to make, you can try making your own hardtack at home. Otherwise, you can also find them at stores that sell survival food.

17. MREs:

Meal ready to eat is used to refer to a box of meals that’s either frozen or dehydrated to last a long time. Usually available at stores that sell emergency or survival food, MREs include entrees, snacks, main course, drinks, and sometimes even desserts.

If you are trying to save money, buying a box of MREs can often be economical. Plus, they also have a very long shelf life.

18. Salt:

Have you ever noticed how almost every dish tastes bland without salt?

That’s exactly why you must include salt in your emergency food storage.

Whether you are preparing noodles or heating up canned beans, without salt none of the meals will be fit for consumption. Because salt is not food, it is easy to forget all about it. But in a real emergency, all of your meals will be inedible if salt is missing.

Therefore, make sure to include salt in your list.

19. Sugar:

Making cereal? Trying to warm up with a cup of tea?

Then the ingredient you need is sugar. That’s right, just as necessary as salt is sugar.

Whether you are trying to make a bowl of oatmeal or trying to make your cup of coffee less bitter, sugar is absolutely essential. Salt and sugar are two of those essential kitchen ingredients that even your emergency food storage cannot do without.

20. Honey:

Looking for something sweeter – and healthier – than sugar? Add honey to your stockpile.

Honey is not only a sweetener but also serves as a flavoring agent in many dishes.

There are so many different types of honey available today that you can easily add a few to your emergency stockpile of food.

Even when honey crystallizes you simply have to soak it in warm water to bring it back to its original form. You can leave honey for years and it will still remain fit for consumption.

21. Bouillon:

An instant way to add flavor to any dish is meat broth. Freshly made broth is perishable and cannot be stored.

But there are packaged bouillon products that have a long shelf life and can be easily added to water to make a broth.

Bouillon is dehydrated broth and adding warm water makes it liquid again. It remains good for months and can be added to a variety of dishes to enhance flavor and taste.

22. Cocoa powder, instant coffee, and tea:

In a survival situation, you get cold very easily. To warm up, you should have things like cocoa powder, instant coffee, and tea in your stockpile. These things can be added to warm water to make an energizing drink.

When you are making your stockpile, these little things can seem unnecessary but without them, you would realize how hard it is to survive.

23. Powdered milk:

Because milk is a perishable item, the next best alternative is powdered milk. It is actually dehydrated milk that has all the nutrients that’s found in liquid milk. Powdered milk can be used for everything that requires milk.

You can make porridges, oatmeal, eat Cheerios with it, add it to tea or coffee, or simply drink it all by itself.

Milk is a rich source of protein and calcium and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t include it in your stockpile.

24. Beef jerky:

Once the beef is turned into beef jerky, it becomes unperishable. You can either make your own beef jerky or buy readymade beef jerky.

It’s also easy to find beef jerky if you drop into any store that sells stuff for survivalists. It’s tasty, filling, and high in protein and calories.

25. SPAM:

Canned cooked pork shoulder and ham is popularly called SPAM as made famous by Hormel Foods Corporation.

It is a meat icon in the US, made by taking cooked ham and adding salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite to it to make it last a long time.

The nutritional value of SPAM is debatable but it’s a quick and long-lasting food for preppers and those building a survival storage.

With so many different food products with a long shelf life, building your own survival food storage just got easier. However, remember that even with the longest lasting food, it’s necessary to have the proper storage conditions.

Vital points

Make sure you build your food storage in a cool, dry, and dark place to prevent moisture, sunlight, or excessive heat from getting to the food and spoiling it.

Also, make sure to check the state of the food every few months to find out if it is still good.