Do you REALLY have a year's supply?

I think that I over estimate the amount of food storage that I have. After reading an article in the LDS Preparedness Manual, I realized that I have a lot more to store to have enough food to sustain my family for a year. Click HERE if you would like to read this manual. (It is not endorsed by the church)

To make 2 loaves a bread every other day for one year, using 6 cups of wheat flour, requires 275lbs of wheat. That is 5 1/2 buckets of wheat just for bread. You would also need 4 gallons of oil, 46lbs of honey, 8lb yeast. 61 cups of gluten, 3 2/3 quarts of lemon juice and 7.3lbs of salt. When it is laid out for you like that it really makes me think of how much I REALLY need of each ingredient.

When planning your 3-month menu you multiply ingredients to make sure you have enough for the whole 3 months. The same applies to a year's supply. The yearly amounts of food that the Church recommends for our food storage are the bare minimum that you should store, so your family doesn't starve. You will be fed, but still hungry! We're talking about a small loaf of bread and a handful of beans everyday.  That doesn't sound too appetizing, but it would be life sustaining. 

The numbers below are calculated for one adult and that equals 400lbs of grains. (Children under 6 only need 75lbs of wheat per each.)

So, just how much do you need?Two 5 gallon buckets will hold about 75lbs of wheat, rice or other grains. This means that you will need 11 buckets of grain for each person in your family.

If you store all your grains in #10 cans...

Wheat, Rice, Corn, etc..
You would need 64 cans or 10.5 cases per person.

 


Pasta
You would need 32 cans or 5.25 cases per person.

Rolled Oats
These are lighter but bulkier, so they require more storage containers and space. You would need 124 cans or 21 cases per person.

Beans
 
A 25lb bag of beans will about fit in a single 5 gallon bucket, with a little space over, so 2 buckets would hold a one person supply, or 12-13 #10 cans.

 


Reading this really made me think of how much I really had. I give you this information only to make you think of your storage, not to stress you out. Plan out your menus and add up the numbers so you know exactly what you will need.  It also puts into a visual perspective that living off a tiny loaf of bread, and a small amount of beans, everyday would lead to appetite fatigue rather quickly.  You need to store a variety of food beyond the basics in your storage. 


Try storing 100lbs of wheat at a time. On the right side of the blog there is a link for a food storage calculator so you can calculate how much food you will need for your storage. Try it to see, I was surprised by the numbers.



If you have wheat allergies there are many other options out there to store. Honeyville Grain has alternate flours, as well as Whole Foods and Winco, they have bulk areas that allow you to purchase any amount of flour that you need, such as spelt, rice, oat, barley, etc.


You may want to think about how you will grind your wheat. If you don't have a grinder you may want to do a google search for one that will work for you. I own a Nutrimill grinder and I love it.  A manual grinder will be a must without electricity.




Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the peace!