What would you stock up on?

[Emma JC]

so...... hehehe .... just triggered someone's pet peeve...

so, I have been doing some thinking about whether we need to prepare for any kind of stocking up in case the COVID-19 gets worse or if any other event meant that we had to shelter in place for a couple of months (it has already been almost a month for many in Wuhan)

I always have a fair amount of food in my pantry and yet I thought it could be a fun and interesting exercise for each of us to say what we would stock and why and how much....

For this example's sake the scenario is:

1. you have to stay home for at least 2 months with no definite end in sight
2. there is no interruption of regular services like heat, electricity, water
3. there are no deliveries of any kind (no pizza!) (no amazon etc)
4. you may be allowed to go out for walks etc but there is no shopping / no public gatherings

As a vegan what foods would you stock up on and how would you determine which ones were most important. Would you order from one of the online "disaster" sites? or would you source locally? Besides food, what else would you want to have lots of?

I am not trying to cause a panic I just find this kind of thing very interesting and both our government and the US CDC are raising the alarm and literally telling people to prepare. Do we go to Costco and buy everything in sight?

I am still making my list so will add it later and hope there are lots of good ideas out there.

Emma JC

 

[Val]

so...... hehehe .... just triggered someone's pet peeve...

so, I have been doing some thinking about whether we need to prepare for any kind of stocking up in case the COVID-19 gets worse or if any other event meant that we had to shelter in place for a couple of months (it has already been almost a month for many in Wuhan)

I always have a fair amount of food in my pantry and yet I thought it could be a fun and interesting exercise for each of us to say what we would stock and why and how much....

For this example's sake the scenario is:

1. you have to stay home for at least 2 months with no definite end in sight
2. there is no interruption of regular services like heat, electricity, water
3. there are no deliveries of any kind (no pizza!) (no amazon etc)
4. you may be allowed to go out for walks etc but there is no shopping / no public gatherings

As a vegan what foods would you stock up on and how would you determine which ones were most important. Would you order from one of the online "disaster" sites? or would you source locally? Besides food, what else would you want to have lots of?

I am not trying to cause a panic I just find this kind of thing very interesting and both our government and the US CDC are raising the alarm and literally telling people to prepare. Do we go to Costco and buy everything in sight?

I am still making my list so will add it later and hope there are lots of good ideas out there.

Emma JC

Ugh... that's scary stuff... and i'm actually stocking up on everything i can (mostly food staples), but it's not that easy, considering that i'm very limited in money.

 

[Lou]

Dry Bulk foods, canned foods.

not frozen foods cause maybe its a hurricane, earthquake, or forest fire and you lose electricity.

Lots of water which would be hard. I understand that if you lose water you can always use the water in your water heater.

there are some "disaster foods" that are very shelf stable. I know a guy who has a box of Soylent in the trunk of his car. but last time I spoke to him he said he wasn't going to do it again. Right now he is trying to go thru the box at home before it expires.

 

[TofuRobot]

Well... I'd need 64 gallons of drinkable water (for food and for drinking for 1 + 1/2 people).
And probably lots of potatoes, canned beans, and various other canned & frozen veggies.

I honestly don't think I'd have a problem living on nothing but potatoes for 2 months. I mean, if a guy did it for a whole year, I could do it for a month. (But I'd need some canned goods to eat when they started growing roots, lol.)

 

[KLS52]

I’m going to bank on you saying I will still have electricity and running water but I’ll have a few gallons of spring water anyway.

Rice
Potatoes
Canned green beans
Canned lentils
Chickpeas
Cartons of cashew milk
Cliff nut butter protein bars
Soylent shakes
Chocolate
Coffee
Silk creamer
Sugar
Mixed nuts
Dried pasta
Miyoko’s butter
Vegetable broth

ETA: Definitely pet food/supplies!
Dry cereal
I wasn’t thinking outside of food supplies. So I guess flashlights, batteries just in case. And I want toilet paper lol. There’s too much to list here!

flour for making bread
Canned fruit
Peanut Butter!

 

[Emma JC]

Well... I'd need 64 gallons of drinkable water (for food and for drinking for 1 + 1/2 people).
And probably lots of potatoes, canned beans, and various other canned & frozen veggies.

I honestly don't think I'd have a problem living on nothing but potatoes for 2 months. I mean, if a guy did it for a whole year, I could do it for a month. (But I'd need some canned goods to eat when they started growing roots, lol.)

I agree, I could do potatoes for a year if I had to too!!

Emma JC

 

[Emma JC]

this is a long list - basically my grocery list just all bunched together as I will try not to buy anything that I don't use regularly

toilet paper
paper towels
toothpaste
shampoo
soap
garbage bags

I only have a fridge w/freezer full size, no separate freezer.

fresh

onions - 10 lbs yellow 5x red onion
potatoes - 20 lbs
sweet potatoes - 10 lbs
carrots - 10 lbs
zucchini - 4
mushrooms - not sure of the weight but about 4 paper bags worth
garlic - loads and loads...
apples - dozen
celery - 3 bunches
green onions - 2 dozen
bell pepper - 4
jalapeno - one dozen
arugula - one small container
kale - 2 bunches
cabbage - 2
baby bok choy - 2 packages
parsnips - 5 pounds
turnip and/or rutabage - 2
bananas - 5 dozen (refrigerate most, freeze some)
pita whole grain - 5 packs of 5
whole grain tortilla - 5 packs of 6
sprouted bread - 3 loaves frozen
oranges - 6, zest then slice and freeze the zest and the slices
lemons - 3, zest then slice and freeze the zest and the slices
medjool dates - 4 pounds
raisins - 4 pounds
cranberries, dried - 2 pounds
tofu - one silken, 3 x firm
tempeh - 4 x facon, 4 x block
cheeze shreds - 2 packs each mozz and cheddar

frozen

cranberries - 2 packages
wild blueberries (Canadian) - 3 packages
sweet peas - 2 packages
brussel sprouts - 3 packages
kale - 2 packages
mixed berries - 2 x 4 pound packages
corn - 2 packages
pineapple - 1 package
mango - 1 package
Field Roast sausage - 2 each apple/sage, italian, chipotle (packs of 4)
perogies - 2 packages
Gardein hamburger - 2 packages

grocery

4 dozen canned soda water, some with lemon
Soy curls - 3 packages
dill pickles
lemon juice - 2 large bottles
lime juice - 2 small bottles
maple syrup - 3 x 500 ml bottles
extra 2 bottles each of tamari, mustard, rice vinegar, hot sauces etc
tahini - 2 jars
peanut butter - 2 extra jars
peanut butter powder - 2 jars
veggie stock powdered - 2 extra
jam - 2 jars
cans of beans (black, kidney), lentils, chick peas, breakfast beans refried beans - at least one dozen of each
spaghetti sauce - 6 cans/jar
olives - 12 jars
canned tomatoes - 6 cans each whole and diced
canned corn - 6 cans
apple cider vinegar - 1 extra large container
white vinegar - 1 extra large container
noodles - a dozen packages of a variety of types
pasta - LOTS
pasta sauce - 12 cans
tomato sauce - 6 cans
tomato paste - 6 small cans
pizza sauce - 12 small cans
cereal - extra 3 or 4 packages as we use them for snacks
flour - 10 pounds whole wheat, 10 pounds regular
rolled oats - 10 pounds
steel cut oats - 10 pounds
sugar - one extra package as rarely use
nutritional yeast - very very very large bag (hopefully make a deal with the bulk store)
spices - lots of extra of all we use regularly
nuts - walnuts, cashews (raw and roasted), peanuts, maybe a pound of each
rice - 3 x 10 pounds bags
olive oil - 2 litres
salsa - 4 jars
dry lentils, pinto beans, northern beans, navy beans - 5 pounds each
coffee - 3 large cans
chocolate - 2 large dark chocolate bars

dry fruits and vegetables
(I went today to my local bulk store and they have all of these so I will only consider buying a small amount of each as I don't use all of them regularly and so they would mostly be for if all the fresh and frozen run out)

a variety of dried onions, chives, garlic powder/chunks, sun dried tomatoes, carrots/bell peppers etc again bulk store
a variety of fruit, dates, prunes, apricots, strawberries, blueberries


wine - 4 x 4 litre boxes
scotch for my honey - amount to be determined

junk food

a few bags of chips and pre-popped popcorn just for fun and crunch

This is for two people and it seems like a lot, and I know that much of it will last longer than two months and that's okay as it is all part of our regular buying list. I wish I had the energy to add up all the calories and divide by 60 days.... to see how many calories per day per person this is. I will not buy from one of the 'emergency' websites as none of them are vegan and most are a much higher cost per pound.

If I was really doing this properly I would make a meal plan for two months and then truly know how much food we would need.

Our regular grocery bill (not including wine and scotch) per week averages $130 and he doesn't eat breakfast or lunch at home on weekdays, most of the time. So if I looked at cost alone the list above shouldn't come to more than 8.5 x 130 = $1,105 Canadian dollar if it only was to last for 2 months

- huh, interesting, I just did a quick addition and the above list adds up to almost that amount, maybe a few dollars over when I add in the junk food.

So my plan is to pick up a few of these things everytime I shop over the next few weeks and will also work out a deal with the bulk store too. My local grocery store also has a bulk section with lots of interesting dried options so will price compare too.

I always keep a fair amount of water on hand, some for toilet flushing etc and lots of drinking water and do also have an emergency kit that has small propane bottles and a small cooker for it and I can see one of the Great Lakes so hopefully I will have enough water. Our high rise holds the heat so well that I haven't even turned on the furnace once this year and it doesn't drop below 23 degrees C which is 73 degrees F.

Ah yes, some extra batteries are also a good idea.

Thanks for participating in this exercise - I have found it extremely helpful and look forward to seeing more items others will stock.

Emma JC

ps thank you @KLS52 I forgot Oat Milk - at least 6 cartons

 

[Emma JC]

oops forgot a few things

Tasty Bites Indian Food - 20 packages
kleenex
disposable gloves
dish soap
laundry soap
tooth paste

Emma JC

 

[Nekodaiden]

this is a long list - basically my grocery list just all bunched together as I will try not to buy anything that I don't use regularly

toilet paper

...

Tops your list! Ahahahaaha. I haven't used tp in years, and my *** is clean from sunup to sundown. Bidet user for life, baby!

 

[David3]

I am not trying to cause a panic I just find this kind of thing very interesting and both our government and the US CDC are raising the alarm and literally telling people to prepare. Do we go to Costco and buy everything in sight?

Emma JC

Hang on, there.

The U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has told the U.S. healthcare and first-responders systems to prepare, and it has made recommendations regarding personal vaccination and medical care. The CDC has not told the general public to "prepare" or stock up on supplies. Please see actual CDC information and links below.

As of yesterday, February 25th, 2020, here is the U.S. CDC statement regarding novel coronavirus in the United States:

"Situation in U.S.
Imported cases of COVID-19 in travelers have been detected in the U.S. Person-to-person spread of COVID-19 also has been seen among close contacts of returned travelers from Wuhan, but at this time, this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States."
Link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html


CDC Recommends

• While the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat:
  • It’s currently flu and respiratory disease season and CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine, taking everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs, and taking flu antivirals if prescribed.
  • If you are a healthcare provider, be on the look-out for people who recently traveled from China and have fever and respiratory symptoms.
  • If you are a healthcare provider caring for a COVID-19 patient or a public health responder, please take care of yourself and follow recommended infection control procedures.
  • If you have been in China or have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you will face some limitations on your movement and activity. Please follow instructions during this time. Your cooperation is integral to the ongoing public health response to try to slow spread of this virus. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, contact your healthcare provider, and tell them about your symptoms and your travel or exposure to a COVID-19 patient.
  • For people who are ill with COVID-19, please follow CDC guidance on how to reduce the risk of spreading your illness to others.

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html

.

 

[Sax]

I think it's just generally a good idea to have 1-2wks emergency food/water/pet supplies - stuff that will get you by even if power and running water aren't available. I've got about 10 days' worth of freeze dried meals.

As far as the current pandemic I'm not concerned about losing power and water, but it seems like a good idea to have extra supplies. I spent $50 last night for almost 50,000 calories worth of food...10lbs of rice, 6lbs dried beans a few large cans of beans, peanut butter and oats. It would make for a month of extremely bland eating but I don't think it'll come to that.

If the CDC did recommend people stock up on groceries I think it would lead to a run on food supplies and result in panic. I'm not conspiracy-minded but even if buying extra groceries was the smart thing to do on an individual level the CDC wouldn't say so because it's results would be bad on the national level.

 

[David3]

I think it's just generally a good idea to have 1-2wks emergency food/water/pet supplies - stuff that will get you by even if power and running water aren't available. I've got about 10 days' worth of freeze dried meals.

As far as the current pandemic I'm not concerned about losing power and water, but it seems like a good idea to have extra supplies. I spent $50 last night for almost 50,000 calories worth of food...10lbs of rice, 6lbs dried beans a few large cans of beans, peanut butter and oats. It would make for a month of extremely bland eating but I don't think it'll come to that.

If the CDC did recommend people stock up on groceries I think it would lead to a run on food supplies and result in panic. I'm not conspiracy-minded but even if buying extra groceries was the smart thing to do on an individual level the CDC wouldn't say so because it's results would be bad on the national level.

I agree that it's a good idea to stock up on groceries, but please show us where the CDC told people to stock up on groceries. Please provide a link. This kind of hearsay is what causes panic.
.

 

[Sax]

What's with the tone? Re-read my post if you think I'm putting words in the CDC's mouth.

 

[David3]

What's with the tone? Re-read my post if you think I'm putting words in the CDC's mouth.

Please do not take my tone personally! If I'm writing sternly, it's because unnecessary panic is a serious matter.

I really do apologize - I misread your post.
.

 

[Emma JC]

Here in Canada this was one of the top headlines on our national media...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/coronavirus-panic-canada-1.5473606

As stock markets fall, the time to stock up at the store is before COVID-19 comes to town


Emma JC

 

[PTree15]

I have at least six months of canned beans in my basement already, so that's a good start.

I also have two 10-gallon containers that supposedly keep water good for six months. I would probably boil it just to be safe. If no power, I have a single burner camp stove that runs on alcohol fuel (so I'd have to stock up on the fuel).

Cat food, cat litter
Rice
Pasta
Dried chickpeas
Lentils
Flour
Sugar
Peanut butter
Raisins
Dried cranberries
Dried apricots
Hot sauce
Salt
Potatoes
Veggie bouillon
Vegan butter
Nutritional yeast flakes
Vinegar
Oil
Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste
Dill pickles
Pickled beets
Olives
Tahini
Lemon juice
Lime Juice
Vital wheat gluten
Baking soda
Coffee
Tea

Fresh/frozen:
Onions
Broccoli
Peas
Carrots
Green beans
Corn
Blueberries
Raspberries
Apples


Household:
Soaps (body, laundry and dish)
Cleaning supplies
Toilet paper
Shampoo
Toothpaste
Trash bags
Cold medicines
Pain medication
Band-Aids
Gauze
Duct Tape
Rubbing alcohol


A friend just gave me her old dehydrator, so I would probably dry some potatoes and apples. Dried apples make a great snack.

 

[David3]

Here in Canada this was one of the top headlines on our national media...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/coronavirus-panic-canada-1.5473606

As stock markets fall, the time to stock up at the store is before COVID-19 comes to town


Emma JC

Yes, I read the article. It doesn't say anything about the U.S. Centers for Disease Control telling people to stock up on groceries. The CDC is currently telling the first responders (paramedics) and healthcare systems to prepare, and it is telling people to get their flu vaccines and take normal precautions against spreading disease (see my links above, from the CDC).

Your linked article says that experts are advising people "to get ready for an emergency is before it happens . . . even if it never happens." It doesn't say that a stark coronavirus emergency is taking place in Canada. Also, it doesn't mention who those "experts" are, even though general preparedness is always a good thing.

Emma, the article also incompletely quotes the World Health Organization, in a way that tends to cause panic. Your linked article says:

"outbreaks in Italy, South Korea and Iran are an early warning of what the World Health Organization director general recently referred to as "the spark that begins the bigger fire."

However, if you look at the article's linked webpage, and the actual quote from the World Health Organization, it says:

"Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, warned that cases in France and the United Kingdom with no known contact history with existing outbreaks may show our understanding of transmission is flawed. "The detection of this small number of cases may be the spark that begins a bigger fire,"


Emma, the media is speaking in a dramatic way that attracts viewership, just as it always does. If you want to see actual statements from the CDC or the WHO, you need to go directly to their websites.
.

 

[Emma JC]

For the record, I am not panicked and it is not my intention to cause any - it is my intention to alert people to the possibilites and having extra of what you normally eat and use regularly is not a bad thing. When I see things on sale I always buy extra and now I will just buy extra extras and if my neighbours don't think to do the same and need some help then I will be able to help them too. Canned beans were on sale today for .99 cents a can and so I bought 2 more of some I already have and canned tomatoes were the same price so I bought some of those and ramen noodles.

I agree with the statement in the article above that the 'prepper' culture can be very destructive and expensive. I met a guy back in 1999 in Montana that had a whole building full of dried foods and water and guns and bullets etc. He probably still has them all.

You know that the CDC is under enormous pressure from Trump to not tell the truth or to warn about this issue so just because the "government" is or isn't telling you to do something doesn't mean you should/shouldn't.

I have always been a "prepared for anything" type of person. If a major storm is predicted I put water in the bathtub and have candles etc ready and easily available. When I travel by car, I always have lots of water, food, shovel, winter clothing and boots, candles and emergency equipment on board. There is often a blanket or two as well and this has come in handy if I come across an accident.

We also always have cash in a safe, just in case, and even some small gold and silver coins. Personally I think cigarettes and booze are the best items to have if the economy crashed as people will trade you almost anything for those.

Emma JC

 

[David3]

You know that the CDC is under enormous pressure from Trump to not tell the truth or to warn about this issue so just because the "government" is or isn't telling you to do something doesn't mean you should/shouldn't.

Trump pressures a lot of agencies and individuals. That doesn't mean that the CDC is hiding the truth, at the expense of thousands of lives. This is part of a current atmosphere of paranoia.
.

 

[PTree15]

For the record, I am not panicked and it is not my intention to cause any - it is my intention to alert people to the possibilites and having extra of what you normally eat and use regularly is not a bad thing. When I see things on sale I always buy extra and now I will just buy extra extras and if my neighbours don't think to do the same and need some help then I will be able to help them too. Canned beans were on sale today for .99 cents a can and so I bought 2 more of some I already have and canned tomatoes were the same price so I bought some of those and ramen noodles.

I agree with the statement in the article above that the 'prepper' culture can be very destructive and expensive. I met a guy back in 1999 in Montana that had a whole building full of dried foods and water and guns and bullets etc. He probably still has them all.

You know that the CDC is under enormous pressure from Trump to not tell the truth or to warn about this issue so just because the "government" is or isn't telling you to do something doesn't mean you should/shouldn't.

I have always been a "prepared for anything" type of person. If a major storm is predicted I put water in the bathtub and have candles etc ready and easily available. When I travel by car, I always have lots of water, food, shovel, winter clothing and boots, candles and emergency equipment on board. There is often a blanket or two as well and this has come in handy if I come across an accident.

We also always have cash in a safe, just in case, and even some small gold and silver coins. Personally I think cigarettes and booze are the best items to have if the economy crashed as people will trade you almost anything for those.

Emma JC

Hah, I can't believe I didn't put booze on my list! That could be that I'm assuming I'd have enough to last me a few months.