Building a 90-Day Short-Term Food Storage

Building a 90-Day Short-Term Food Storage: Essential Tips for Beginners to Get Started Quickly

Food storage is a cornerstone of emergency preparedness, providing security and peace of mind for you and your family during uncertain times. While emergency food plans often include both short-term and long-term storage, each serves different purposes. Here, we’ll focus on short-term food storage—a practical first step in building a reliable food supply for emergencies. Whether you’re new to prepping or looking to start small, we’ll cover actionable tips and strategies to help you set up a 90-day short-term food storage plan that works for your family.

What is Short-Term Food Storage?

Short-term food storage is designed for temporary situations when fresh food access is limited, like during natural disasters, power outages, or short-term economic disruptions. A short-term food supply ensures that you have enough food to get you through a short-lived emergency. By focusing on foods your family regularly enjoys, short-term food storage helps maintain a sense of normalcy during difficult times.

The “Store What You Eat, Eat What You Store” Principle

With short-term food storage, the goal is to have more of what your family loves to eat on hand. This means having a 90-day supply of the foods your family already eats. You won’t be “storing” these foods in the traditional sense, but rather rotating through them and quickly replenishing them as items are consumed.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building a 3-Month Food Supply

Building a short-term food supply can be done gradually as finances allow. Start with a one-week supply, then expand to a month, and finally reach your 90-day goal. Setting weekly or monthly goals can assist you in realizing your goal and help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Step #1: Stock Up

Choose between two primary methods to build your inventory: meal planning and buying extra. Feel free to use a combination of both based on what fits your lifestyle best.

Meal Planning
This method is ideal for those who prefer structure and specific meal planning.

1. List your family’s favorite meals.
2. Plan 14 days’ worth of meals from this list.
3. Create specific recipes with detailed ingredient lists.
4. Multiply each recipe by 6 to reach a 3-month supply, gradually buying ingredients over time.

Buying Extra
This method is better for those who prefer to keep things flexible and are comfortable creating meals from pantry items.

1. Make a list of foods your family loves and consumes often.
2. Buy extra quantities of these foods each time you shop.
3. Focus on versatile ingredients like rice, pasta, canned beans, and soups that work in multiple recipes.
4. Your ultimate goal is a 90-day stock of items you regularly use.

Step #2: Maintain Your Food Supply

Once your storage is in place, maintain it by rotating and replacing items as they are used. Rotation is essential for keeping food fresh and usable.

Rotate & Replace

1. Optional: Keep an inventory sheet listing all items, quantities, purchase dates, and expiration dates. This helps with shopping and keeps you aware of what’s in stock.
2. Integrate items into your regular meals.
3. Keep a list of what you use and replace those items on your next shopping trip.
4. Place newly purchased items at the back of your storage, with older items at the front. This “first in, first out” (FIFO) method ensures you’re consuming older items before newer ones.

Paying special attention to rotation and replacement will help ensure you will always have a 90-day supply of fresh food on hand.

Best Storage Methods for Short-Term Food Supplies

Maximize the shelf life of your 3-month food supply by strategically using your pantry, refrigerator, and extra freezer.

Pantry

The pantry is where most of your 90-day food storage will be stored as shelf-stable items will make up much of your food inventory plan.  These include canned, jarred, boxed, and other shelf-stable foods. Look for items that can last 1-2 years or longer.

Suggestions

• Include instant or ready-to-eat options that don’t require much cooking, like canned chili, pasta meals, or shelf-stable soups.
• Include foods that provide balanced nutrition:
  • protein sources like canned meats, beans, nuts, and jerky
  • carbohydrates like rice, pasta, oats, and grains
  • fats like cooking oil and peanut butter
  • healthy foods like canned fruits and vegetables
• Certain items like rice, beans, and pasta are often cheaper in bulk. Check out warehouse stores or bulk food sections at grocery stores.

Storage Conditions

• Store items in a cool, dark, and dry place. Avoid areas prone to temperature fluctuations, such as garages or attics.
• Use airtight containers for items like flour, rice, and pasta to prevent pests and preserve freshness.

Refrigerator

These include perishable foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, and fish that typically last only a few weeks. While these foods cannot make up the bulk of your short-term food storage, they can supplement it.

Extra Freezer

Freezable foods include dairy, meats, seafood, pre-cooked meals, bread, desserts, and nuts. Freezer food only stays good for so long, varying from a few months to a couple of years. Freezing pre-cooked meals can be incorporated nicely into your short-term food storage plan.

Conclusion

Building a 3-month short-term food supply is a powerful first step in emergency preparedness. By stocking up on foods your family already enjoys and actively rotating your inventory, you’ll have a reliable, sustainable source of food security. Start small, add to your supply over time, and soon, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re prepared for unexpected events.