To build up your food storage quickly, opt for dehydrated items. Although basic items, such as grains and beans, need to be added, dehydrated foods give your emergency supply some variety and allow you to subsist on 1,000 to 2,000 calories per day.

Food storage is an essential part of disaster preparedness. The average individual has less than a week's worth of food in his or her home – not enough to last through an emergency. Although having two weeks' worth of supplies is recommended for all areas of disaster preparedness, food storage, ideally, should contain enough items to last a year. Although the basic grains and beans provide a solid nutritional foundation, dehydrated food kits can provide you with a year's worth of meals.

Mountain House and Wide Foods both carry dehydrated items, kept in cans and pouches respectively. No matter the container used, the food is kept in an airtight environment and is easy to prepare with limited resources. To prepare a dehydrated item, heat the amount of water as directed from the package and add it to the food. Within minutes, the food is rehydrated and ready to eat. Although kits of dehydrated food have prepare entrees, cans of vegetables, fruits, dairy, carbohydrates, and protein are included. For taking a traditional approach to cooking during times of disaster, you can rehydrate multiple servings of dehydrated foods and then combine them in a pan.

Cans and pouches have their own advantages. Wise Foods, for instance, packages its dehydrated foods in pouches, which contain two servings. No storage is needed. All pouches are kept inside a bucket, which is easy to grab during an evacuation. #10 cans, on the other hand, can last 25 or more years.

If you pick a dehydrated food kit with cans, such as one by Mountain House, be prepared to reseal the leftovers in an airtight container. Purchasing a commercial re-sealer to fully close a can is one option. Leftovers can also be frozen. The dehydrated food, as well, can be kept in a bag inside an airtight container. No matter the storage method used, however, the remaining dehydrated food has a shelf life of one year.

Dehydrated foods are sensitive to light and moisture, and as a result, the storage place inside your home needs to be dark, cool, and dry. Crawlspaces, closets, and some basements have the right conditions. The space, on the other hand, must be free of chemicals, and the containers of food should not be kept inside a trash can or liner or buried in the ground.