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Emergencies happen. Pandemic, job loss, health issues, snow storms, hurricanes, natural disasters.
I want to be prepared for emergencies…for myself and for my family…I may have a little anxiety about it! I know we can’t be totally prepared for everything. But I prefer to think that by planning ahead a little bit I can make a difference in my family’s ability to weather the storms of life a little easier.
One way I can be prepared is by keeping a 2-4 weeks supply of food in my pantry.
How to Create an Emergency One Month Menu Plan
1. Create a menu. Write down meals that you know your family will eat. I would start with 2-3 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners, and 3-4 desserts. If you need to repeat meals…it’s ok. Remember this is for emergencies…not forever.
2. Create a 2 week plan…you can double it for a 4 week plan.
3. Make a list of all the ingredients you will need.
4. Are there any ingredients that you can adjust to make them shelf stable? I have purchased some vegetables in freeze dried cans because I don’t like most canned vegetables and I don’t want to have to rely on my freezer in the event of a power outage.
5. Now that you have a list of all the ingredients you need you can focus on gathering a few items each week during your normal grocery shopping trip. It doesn’t have to be a lot at once…even putting aside $5 each week for these ingredients will add up.
6. Find a place in your home to store these items. If you can rearrange your cupboards or pantry to designate a space. You can also keep supplies under a bed.
7. I like to rotate these meals so my ingredients never get too old. Picking a certain day of the week or month to fix these meals and then restock the ingredients helps to make sure ingredients are good.
Make it Happen!
- Here is a copy of my 4 week plan. Do not feel like you have to copy my plan…please make your plan according to your family’s likes and dislikes!
- Here is a blank copy to create your own plan. I would start with a 2 week plan and gather your ingredients. Then expand to a 4 week plan.
- Keep your meal plan and recipes in a separate folder so that you can easily access the information when you need it.
- Sign up for my “Use It” Letter. Get 4 great links every week to help you be the best version of you!
