What would you stock up on?

[David3]

For the record, I am not panicked and it is not my intention to cause any -

Emma, I hope you will forgive my tone here.

If it is not your intention to cause panic, then you should not have incorrectly stated that, "US CDC are raising the alarm and literally telling people to prepare." This is inaccurate and (unintentionally) misleading - the kind of words that do make people panic.

This is not an argument, or a source of bad feelings between us (I hope)! We just need to be careful about sticking to facts during these types of situations.

.

 

[Emma JC]

It doesn't say that a stark coronavirus emergency is taking place in Canada.

And neither did I say that and I hope it never does.

We have another ongoing situation in Canada that is affecting our supply chain and that may be why our media is more focused on "stocking up". The Natives are protesting a pipeline in our western provinces and our trains are not running on schedule and so our goods are not flowing properly in the country, so we have more than one reason to have extras on hand, extras, I repeat, that we would use on a daily basis for as long as it takes to use them up.

The CDC is telling people to prepare - just because they aren't saying "go to the store and buy extra groceries" doesn't mean that they don't wish you to "prepare".

COVID-19 is now a pandemic: What next?

As numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the WHO now use the term 'pandemic.' We look at what this means and what experts say about the situation.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

They have a webpage that tells you to "prepare" for winter storms and that includes stocking food and other supplies. This could be similar and I don't understand why you are having such a hard time with this. How is it a bad thing to discuss what you might buy extra of, just in case? Even you are just sick with the regular flu or cold you may not be able to go out for a bit....

Winter Weather

Stay safe and healthy by planning ahead for winter weather.

www.cdc.gov

Emma JC

 

[David3]

The CDC is telling people to prepare - just because they aren't saying "go to the store and buy extra groceries" doesn't mean that they don't wish you to "prepare".

Agreed 100%.

But, in your first post, you stated that the US CDC was "raising the alarm", as if there were an immediate, imminent threat to the U.S. public. That's not true. And, when you claim that an 'alarm' has been raised, that can cause panic.

Settle. Down.
.

 

[Emma JC]

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.

pickled beets good idea!! I love them

first aid supplies, also a great idea

baking soda and salt! now added to my list

Emma JC

I considered a dehydrator and then when I saw how inexpensive the bulk dried food items were and how that is not something I would regularly buy or have around I decided against it.

 

[Nekodaiden]

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

What foods would I stock up on?(per bold statement)

Sproutable seeds and beans
Whole wheat flour
Tomato sauce
Salt
Potatoes
Pasta
Various spices
Nutritional yeast
Nuts

Oh, and Emma, toilet paper isn't a food. Neither is a portable bidet, but I'd include that if we're to take into consideration bum cleaning options

 

[Emma JC]

Agreed 100%.

But, in your first post, you stated that the US CDC was "raising the alarm", as if there were an immediate, imminent threat to the U.S. public. That's not true. And, when you claim that an 'alarm' has been raised, that can cause panic.

Settle. Down. <<<Seriously?
.

Public health experts raise alarm as coronavirus spreads

A global pandemic outbreak of a new coronavirus will almost inevitably spread to the United States, public health experts are warning, putting new pressure on the Trump administration to act as cas…

thehill.com

Nancy Messonnier, who directs the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told reporters Tuesday that the virus’s spread inside the United States is now inevitable. She said she had spoken to her children about the virus Tuesday morning.

“It’s not a question of if this will happen but when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses,” Messonnier said. “Disruption to everyday life might be severe.”

----
C'mom join the fun tell us what you would buy extra of.

Emma JC

 

[Emma JC]

What foods would I stock up on?(per bold statement)

Sproutable seeds and beans
Whole wheat flour
Tomato sauce
Salt
Potatoes
Pasta
Various spices
Nutritional yeast
Nuts

Oh, and Emma, toilet paper isn't a food. Neither is a portable bidet, but I'd include that if we're to take into consideration bum cleaning options

hmmm I don't have a bidet or the option to get one, gonna hafta stick with the TP for now

sproutable seeds and beans, a great idea and seeds in general are also a good idea for anyone who has a place to grow things - we have northeast orientation and live in a colder climate so growing plants is also not an option but I do have some broccoli seeds for sprouts and all the jars so will dig them out if I need them - thanks for the reminder

Emma JC

 

[Nekodaiden]

sproutable seeds and beans, a great idea and seeds in general are also a good idea for anyone who has a place to grow things - we have northeast orientation and live in a colder climate so growing plants is also not an option but I do have some broccoli seeds for sprouts and all the jars so will dig them out if I need them - thanks for the reminder

Emma JC

Grow inside with LED plant spectrum lighting if needed!

hmmm I don't have a bidet or the option to get one, gonna hafta stick with the TP for now

Portable Bidet for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Portable Bidet at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

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For less than $5 you can save yourself a lifetime of tp.

Just think...never again will you worry about having enough tp, no uncomfortable rushes to the store to obtain before you explode, no poo smears sticking to you all day until the next shower...can be used by the whole family with minimal/no cleaning and no waste. And no, I'm not selling them, lol.

 

[David3]

*Whew*

Esteemed colleague @Emma JC, what a topic this has been!

OK, I am finally ready to join the fun and talk about food preparedness.



My wife and I have perhaps 15 pounds of dry grains and beans, stored in sealed-lid jars. Dry beans and rice have about 1500 calories per pound (before cooking), so this is about 22,000 calories total. We also have about 5 lbs. of assorted nuts - this is also about 15,000 calories. 37,000 calories of food, for 2 people, is enough for about 9-10 days.

Funny story / advice about food storage. My wife's family used to have a 50-pound bag of rice stored in a clean, "sealed" plastic garbage can, in a storage shed. Well, during the course of a year or so, the local possums used their sharp little teeth to chew a hole in that plastic can. When my wife's family checked on the rice later on, it was all gone.
.

 

[silva]

hmmm I don't have a bidet or the option to get one, gonna hafta stick with the TP for now

sproutable seeds and beans, a great idea and seeds in general are also a good idea for anyone who has a place to grow things - we have northeast orientation and live in a colder climate so growing plants is also not an option but I do have some broccoli seeds for sprouts and all the jars so will dig them out if I need them - thanks for the reminder

Emma JC

I have a cheap bidet thats simply a adapter to the regular water supply that sits right under the toilet seat, with the control on the side. It's great! Cold in winter, but weirdly enough I don't mind. I have squares of cheap microfiber clothes I got free for some reason
It's like this one-

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

 

[Emma JC]

*Whew*

Esteemed colleague @Emma JC, what a topic this has been!

OK, I am finally ready to join the fun and talk about food preparedness.

View attachment 19888

My wife and I have perhaps 15 pounds of dry grains and beans, stored in sealed-lid jars. Dry beans and rice have about 1500 calories per pound (before cooking), so this is about 22,000 calories total. We also have about 5 lbs. of assorted nuts - this is also about 15,000 calories. 37,000 calories of food, for 2 people, is enough for about 9-10 days.

Funny story / advice about food storage. My wife's family used to have a 50-pound bag of rice stored in a clean, "sealed" plastic garbage can, in a storage shed. Well, during the course of a year or so, the local possums used their sharp little teeth to chew a hole in that plastic can. When my wife's family checked on the rice later on, it was all gone.
.

Thank you for the calories per pound info, that is very interesting. I would think that maybe that amount of calories would do two people for even a bit longer as if you weren't going out working, shopping etc., you may need a bit less? I would so love to know the amount of calories on my 'list' but just don't have the energy (after our long discourse haha) to figure it out.

Love the possum story! Good old John Candy... I do miss him.

Emma JC

 

[Val]

*Whew*

Esteemed colleague @Emma JC, what a topic this has been!

OK, I am finally ready to join the fun and talk about food preparedness.

View attachment 19888

My wife and I have perhaps 15 pounds of dry grains and beans, stored in sealed-lid jars. Dry beans and rice have about 1500 calories per pound (before cooking), so this is about 22,000 calories total. We also have about 5 lbs. of assorted nuts - this is also about 15,000 calories. 37,000 calories of food, for 2 people, is enough for about 9-10 days.

Funny story / advice about food storage. My wife's family used to have a 50-pound bag of rice stored in a clean, "sealed" plastic garbage can, in a storage shed. Well, during the course of a year or so, the local possums used their sharp little teeth to chew a hole in that plastic can. When my wife's family checked on the rice later on, it was all gone.
.

We have home bugs (not bed bugs, but more like tiny beetles), who are ubiquitous. They are pretty harmless, and we've had them as long as i remember (since we moved into this flat in 1987, when i was 4y.o.) They can fly a little (not very much). If they crawl upon your skin and they feel that you're about to squash them by accident,- they may bite you, but it's not painful (just a little irritating). They love grains (based on what i've seen,- grains are their main food). In Soviet times, it wasn't a problem for them to obtain grains: they simply were chewing their way through paper bags (yes, shops used to be more eco-friendly, because there was no plastic in the USSR then). But now the times are tough, and they have learnt to chew dense plastic to find food. Recently, they made multiple holes in my pack of white quinoa and devoured a lot of stuff, lol. Now i'm trying to keep my food staples in the closet (not the best decision, but it's working).

 

[Emma JC]

We have home bugs (not bed bugs, but more like tiny beetles), who are ubiquitous. They are pretty harmless, and we've had them as long as i remember (since we moved into this flat in 1987, when i was 4y.o.) They can fly a little (not very much). If they crawl upon your skin and they feel that you're about to squash them by accident,- they may bite you, but it's not painful (just a little irritating). They love grains (based on what i've seen,- grains are their main food). In Soviet times, it wasn't a problem for them to obtain grains: they simply were chewing their way through paper bags (yes, shops used to be more eco-friendly, because there was no plastic in the USSR then). But now the times are tough, and they have learnt to chew dense plastic to find food. Recently, they made multiple holes in my pack of white quinoa and devoured a lot of stuff, lol. Now i'm trying to keep my food staples in the closet (not the best decision, but it's working).

ugh, that must be so irritating

Would glass jars help? I tend to save my jars from salsa and sauerkraut and foods like that so that I can store random dry goods. We also have access to Dollar Stores that you can pick up inexpensive glass containers for storing food stuffs. Also "Mason Jars" are fairly inexpensive and make great storage containers for dry goods. Do you have Mason Jars there?

Emma JC

 

[Val]

ugh, that must be so irritating

Would glass jars help? I tend to save my jars from salsa and sauerkraut and foods like that so that I can store random dry goods. We also have access to Dollar Stores that you can pick up inexpensive glass containers for storing food stuffs. Also "Mason Jars" are fairly inexpensive and make great storage containers for dry goods. Do you have Mason Jars there?

Emma JC

Thank you for your concern. We do have mason jars in grocery stores, but i don't buy them: we have plenty of 720-920ml glass jars from store-brand pickled stuff of all kinds. Right now 2 of these jars are standing on my night table: one is from pickled pattypan squash, and another - is from pickled cauliflower. I always pour pomegranate juice into them and add some water, so it wouldn't be so astringent (it's from Azerbaijan). When my granny Nina was alive, she used to make a lot of home-made pickled veggies, compote and chutney. She re-used big 3-liter glass jars (and smaller ones) many times, because they were in deficite. Like i said, there was no plastic in the USSR, and we kept grains in steel boxes (each box for each variety of grains). ...We also had a "khlebnitza" (a wooden box for keeping bread). ...And a wooden box for "stone" salt. ...And the only sunflower oil that we had, was unrefined opaque liquid with distinctive smell and taste,- it was provided in tall green glass bottles. I never saw anyone complain about any inconvenience of some sort... Those were the days...

 

[Emma JC]

hmmm just remembered hemp seeds and flax - I normally buy ground flax and store it in the fridge but I won't have enough room for that so am going to test my bullet to see if it will grind it sufficiently and if it will then I will buy the seeds and grind some for the week

Emma JC

 

[KLS52]

Medication!

 

[TofuRobot]

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

I want to move next to you, just in case....

 

[silva]

hmmm just remembered hemp seeds and flax - I normally buy ground flax and store it in the fridge but I won't have enough room for that so am going to test my bullet to see if it will grind it sufficiently and if it will then I will buy the seeds and grind some for the week

Emma JC

Does it have a flat blade? I have a flat blade with a cheap 'bullet' type blender. I buy whole seeds and grind enough for a week. Keep seeds in freezer

 

[silva]

Well, I have a lot of dried beans of all kinds, lentils, peanut butter and both crunchy & smooth raw almond butter
Oat groats, bulger, pastas,brown basmati and white jasmine rice, vital wheat gluten
Cartons of shelf stable soy beverage, tofu
Canned tomatoes, and some pretty old fruit
Frozen broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, cranberries, soy chorizo, tempeh, and some frozen things like Gardein - something. Quorn chik'n nuggets, and Aldi chik'n patties.
No fresh produce other than a bag of Trader Joes cruciferous crunch
Prunes, dried mango, brazil nuts and walnuts
Flour, sugars, stuff to bake with

 

[silva]

What's with the mason jar craze?
I have a box in the basement with all the good jars I've saved - from 16 oz jams, 8 oz Better than Boullion, vegan mayos.
Are mason jars any better if you're not going to can things?
I just think it's so odd that people are intrigued when I bring things in reused ziplock bags from dry stuff, or jars, or salad dressing in pill bottles