I’m not advocating stockpiling nor hoarding. But sometimes it’s good to be stocked up with a few extra days’ worth of supplies.
Why it’s a good idea to have your pantry stocked
Imagine:
A novel virus breaks out. The source and transmission are not known yet. People are scared. You go grocery shopping, only to find that the food market is closed or shelves are bare.
The dictator in your country dies. The period of mourning starts just when you need to go grocery shopping. All the stores are closed for several days.
A terrorist attack happens in your city. Security is high, people are spooked, and you’ve been ordered to shelter in place.
Air pollution has become so dangerous that people are told to stay indoors. You have no idea when it will improve enough to go out.
A levee upstream breaks. Flooding has cut off your routes to town.
A blizzard hits, and you can’t get out of the house.
Yep, these are real situations that have happened to me or people I know. (Can you say “coronavirus”?)
Stockpiling, however, is a different beast
When I first moved abroad I noticed that some goods I considered essential weren’t available consistently, or at all. On top of everything else, I had to experiment with and find workarounds for a lot of recipes. This was a constant source of stress for me, managing a gluten and dairy free diet for my family.
Other families had the same struggle, even if their diet wasn’t the major pain point.
When I did find that special ingredient or item, I’d buy loads of it!
After all that
- inconvenience of going without,
- effort of driving on the wrong side of the road and narrowly missing scooters,
- traipsing around town going in and out of dozens of stores,
- sensory overload of searching unfamiliar shelves, and
- trying to communicate in a foreign language …
I sure wasn’t going to buy just one, and have to make that trek again next week!
Or, I’d see that special item stocked in my favorite store, and sing celebratory songs to myself. “Yahoo! Now I can get XX item!” After a couple months of buying one each week, stock was depleted and didn’t return for many weeks.
These situations encourage one to become a hoarder and stockpiler.
Can you relate?
It’s well known in expat circles, and even celebrated. People often talk about that special thing they’ve been missing and just found … and proceeded to buy a whole basket full. They’re quite proud of their now full pantry.
I’ve certainly been there.
Stockpiling comes from a mindset of Lack rather than a mindset of Plenty
But I’ve also decided this is not a healthy habit for me. It comes from a mentality of lack rather than of plenty.
I’ve worked for several years to break myself of stockpiling. When I see that special item, I force myself to buy ONE or only what I need this week. When it goes out of stock I return to the work-arounds or simply do without. After all, a whole nation of people lives quite well without that item!
I’ve also found that I spend a lot less money at the grocery store when I buy only one, or only what we need for the coming week.
We have an annual clearing of the pantry before going away. We’re away during the hottest month of the year, when the air conditioner can’t keep up. That means much of our supplies will spoil if left, so I try to clear out the freezer and cupboard before we go. When we return, I build up a reserve again.
But you can still be prepared for the unexpected
Sometimes it’s a good idea to have a few days worth of food and supplies on hand, to get through an unexpected event.
There are a variety of ways you could be affected.
- Severe weather: Blizzard. Ice storm. Sand storm. Hurricane. Earthquake. Flooding.
- Changes in Government, Unrest or Attack: Leader succession. Civil unrest. Coup. Terrorist attack.
- Health issues: Air pollution. High populations of disease carrying mosquitos. Contaminated water. Novel virus.
Whether you’ve been issued a “shelter in place” warning … there’s a curfew or quarantine being enforced … public gathering places are closed down … or you’ve simply decided to stay home, a little planning can make this time easier.
Always ready, without much extra work
Some things you simply cannot plan for.
But you can be reasonably prepared without making it a burden.
It can be as simple as keeping 2 packages of crackers instead of 1. Buy a new package of crackers when you get down to 2, instead of when you’re on the last one. (or whatever numbers make sense for your situation)
- Drinking water: Keep a few extra days of water supply on hand.
- Utilities: Have an extra can of gas in your rotation.
- Non-perishable foods: Have a few meals’ worth of ingredients in your pantry.
When you’ve got extra days worth of food in the cupboards, be sure to rotate! Add new purchases to the back, so nothing gets lost and goes past expiration.
In our house, we tend to use very little canned food, and fresh vegetables makes up the large majority of our diet. However, I can keep several recipes in stock, and sprinkle them into our lives so that nothing sits on the shelf too long. I don’t advise collecting a stock of ingredients “just in case” that you may never use.
Meal planning from your pantry
Maybe you’re happy with boxed cereal, cake mix, and canned soup. Or maybe a frozen loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and jelly is all you need. If so, this will be an easy exercise for you!
Once in awhile I pull out a pack of frozen hotdogs, a can of baked beans and a can of corn. Heat them up, and the kids are thrilled.
If you need more variety, nutrition, or have picky eaters in the house (…ahem!…) here are some ideas to get you started. Obviously not everyone has the same taste, nor dietary requirements. These are based (primarily) on what I know my kids will eat and what we tend to keep around. But even if the ideas below don’t work for you, hopefully it’ll spark some inspiration and get your creativity flowing.
Note – These ideas assume you DO have electricity and can cook normally.
Don’t forget to keep your normal pantry basics stocked
- Oil & vinegar
- Salt, pepper, spices
- Flavorings (mustard, soy sauce, fish sauce)
- Flour and other baking supplies
Think about longer-lasting perishables like
- Onions, garlic, ginger
- Potatoes, other root vegetables
- Cabbage
- Apples, pears
- Limes, lemons
- Bananas (when they ripen too far, stash in freezer for smoothies or baking)
- Eggs (keep them fresh for awhile, then hard boil to extend their time)
- Cheese products, butter
- Tofu
If you have room in the freezer, an awful lot can be done with frozen staples or pre cooked meals.
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Meats
- Breads
- Milk, butter
- Soups
- Casseroles
- Crock pot meal preps (everything chopped / assembled but not cooked)
If you’re relying on shelf stable food, you can make a variety of dishes with staples like:
- Pasta
- Marinara sauce
- Grains (rice, quinoa, oats, millet, couscous)
- Beans (canned) – plain, prepared, refried
- Beans and pulses (dried)
- Canned vegetables and accents (corn, green beans, artichokes, mushrooms, diced tomato, artichokes, olives, capers, pickles, salsa, diced green chilies)
- Tuna, sardines
Fill it out for a few more options, with things like
- Dried fruits (raisins, dates, apricots, etc.)
- Nuts
- Nut butter
- Crackers
- Tortillas, tortilla chips, taco shells
- Desiccated coconut (for making milk)
- UHT milk
A few simple meal ideas
Breakfasts:
- Oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon
- Rice pudding with raisins [recipe that’s baked, with eggs and less sugar]
- Hard boiled eggs
- Smoothie – frozen bananas, coconut milk, cocoa powder or other fruit
- Muffins [flexible recipe]
- Pancakes or waffles
Snacks:
- Bread dipped in oil with garlic and rosemary
- Peanut butter crackers and apple
- Nuts and dried fruit
- Canned fruit
Lunches and Dinners:
- Salad with beans & artichoke … add hard boiled egg or tuna if desired [Option 1: two beans, green beans, artichoke, mustard vinaigrette] [Option 2: Mexican flavors – leave out peppers if you don’t have]
- Bean salad: 3-4 types of beans, onion, oil & vinegar
- Quinoa salad with beans, tomato [recipe]
- Black beans – red onion, lime and cumin (fresh coriander if you have it)
- Pasta with marinara sauce
- Pasta with cheese or white sauce
- Tuna salad on crackers – mayo, pickle and onion
- Carrot soup – carrots, potato, broth, ground coriander – blended
- Refried beans with salsa & taco shells
- Stir fry with frozen veg, tofu/egg/meat, and rice
- Egg salad sandwiches (or on crackers or rice cakes)
- Rice & beans – Sauté onion and bell pepper if you have it, season with salt, cumin and garlic
- Baked beans, corn, hotdogs
- Chili – Sauté onion; add 1 can each of kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes; season to taste with American style chili powder and cumin (or taco seasoning)
- Corn chowder [recipe]
Jack Monroe’s book, Tin Can Cook, looks like an amazing collection of tasty and interesting options when cooking out of the cupboard. [https://cookingonabootstrap.com]
Note – Cooking without power
A lot can be done over a backyard barbecue grill, camp stove or fire. This can add an element of fun or celebration if you’re feeling hemmed in. Be sure you’ve got fuel (gas, charcoal or wood).
If you have frozen food and expect power to be out for awhile, go ahead and cook the frozen food. It will last a little bit longer after it’s been cooked.
Your turn
What’s missing from this list? I want to hear your ideas! Shoot me an email (kim at resilientexpats .com) or come on over to our Facebook community and tell us your thoughts.
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