Emergency Essentials® 15 Tips For Food Storage Shopping
1. Learn What to Look For
Don't be intimidated. Ask questions. Don't buy until you get the answers you want.2. Think in terms of calories per person per day

3. Look for nutritious calories, not empty calories.
Try to get calories from as wide a variety of sources as possible. A lot of calories from sugar drinks or candy are far less healthy than from balanced meals.4. Become informed about nutritional values

5. Do not rely entirely on number of servings
Not all servings are created equal. Servings per person can be misleading if it's not clear what the serving size is or what is included. For example, a cup of orange drink, a cup of beef stroganoff, a tablespoon of butter, or a quarter teaspoon of salt all technically count as a "serving". Make sure you are comfortable with what your supplier means by "servings per person". Three servings per day could mean only 600 calories per day. Also, serving sizes for similar products are not necessarily consistent from one supplier to the next.6. Be concerned about menu fatigue

7. Be aware of weights and volumes.
Gross or shipping weight includes the weight of the packaging materials. "Net weight" is only the weight of the food and the best measure of how much food the package contains. Knowing the net weight or volume of what you are buying makes it easier to comparison shop. For example, focus on dollars per ounce (weight) or dollars per gallon of like items when comparison shopping, just as you do when shopping at the grocery store. Remember that the equivalent quantity of food occupies more space if it's freeze dried than if it were dehydrated.8. Know what kind of cook you are

9. Scrutinize shipping and handling charges
Food storage orders can be quite heavy and shipping can be a major cost if you're not careful. Some suppliers charge a flat fee, others charge according to the weight of the order. Take into account the entire cost, including shipping, when price comparing. A reasonable flat shipping charge presents an opportunity to add additional items to the order without incurring additional shipping costs.10. Don't just look at the price
Not all food storage companies are the same nor do they package and price their products the same. Products perpetually on sale may actually not be the best available price. Beware when you can't determine price per net weight, calories per day, cans per case, number of complete meals, etc. This might be a situation where you are not getting the best value for your dollar.11. Understand the pros and cons of the different kinds of packaging

12. Understand the differences between "freeze dried" and "dehydrated" food–and be sure you're not paying freeze dried prices for dehydrated products

13. Do not take promises of a 25-year shelf life at face value

14. Know the facts about "year supplies" and large food storage "combos"
These are usually described as providing all the food necessary for one or more persons or a family for a set amount of time, be it for a month, three months, six months, or a year. Such turn-key solutions can save you a lot of both time and money. If you are not careful, however, bundling food together can impede your ability to follow the other tips detailed above.Questions to answer before buying a pre-designed year supply:
- What are the total calories?
- What are the total calories per person per day? (Should be 1500-2800, depending on needs.)
- Do "empty" calories comprise a high percentage of total calories? (Empty calories are calories whose source has little or no nutritional value. For example, beware if crackers, sugar drinks, and desserts provide half the calories.)
- How much cooking from scratch will be involved?
- How much variety or flexibility in menu options is there?
- How much is freeze dried and how much is dehydrated? (Get more details if the answer is 100% freeze dried because that would be unlikely and impractical.)
- What is the daily average nutritional value? And if it's deficient, what other food items would I need to adequately supplement this year supply or combo?
- How is the food stored, or what containers does it come in?
- What are the shipping & handling charges?
15. Find a trusted supplier
