by Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper:

When you’re in for some turbulent weather, do you head to the store with a list entitled, “Food for Power Outage?” Or do you already have a supply of food for power outages that you keep carefully hidden from your family? Many folks these days don’t have a way to cook when the power goes out, so that should be considered when creating your supply of the best foods for a power outage. If you don’t already have a stockpile of non-perishable food, it’s time to build one.

In my family, a power outage means party time and some foods we that we do not usually indulge in. Of course, we do have backup cooking methods for heating food when the electricity goes out, but if the event is going to be short-term, we usually focus on food that doesn’t need to be cooked.

While you may have a fireplace or woodstove, in the summer you won’t want to heat the house up with it, and during a storm, you won’t want to stand outside in the rain cooking on the barbecue.  So, during a short-term power outage, it makes life easier in many cases to eat things that don’t require much in the way of preparation.

What non-perishable food should you buy when a storm is coming?

The radio and preparedness websites always tell you to stock up on non-perishable food, but what is it?

Non-perishable foods are items that are shelf-stable and will not spoil if left out at room temperature for a long period of time. Some examples of non-perishable foods are:

• Canned goods


• Packaged dry food (like potato flakes or pasta dishes)


• Cheese or peanut butter crackers


• Beef jerky


• Applesauce


• Pudding


• Fruit cups


• Granola bars

Dried goods like beans and grains are also non-perishable, but they aren’t very practical for a power outage.

The Best Food for Power Outages

Depending on your budget, on what is available, and your diet, here are some ideas for food to eat when the power goes out.

1. Graham crackers with peanut butter or almond butter


2. Protein shakes – my favorite is Reserveage Organics (in chocolate, of course!)


3. Saltines with peanut butter


4. Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas)


5. Canned juice


6. Trail mix (this is our favorite)


7. Dry cereal


8. Cereal with rehydrated dry milk


9. Canned baked beans with ham


10. Pretzels


11. Nuts


12.  Pudding cups


13. Canned fruit


14. Jerky (This one is organic)


15. Pouches of pre-cooked and seasoned rice or quinoa


16. Cookies


17. Granola bars – we like Kind bars (my favorites is Dark Chocolate, Nuts, & Sea Salt)


18. Crackers


19. Dried Fruits: apricot, mango, banana, raisins, cranberries, pineapple, figs


20. Sandwiches: Peanut butter and jelly, tuna, leftovers from the fridge before they spoil

No-Power “Recipes”

Following are some “recipes” for power outage food.  Okay, “recipe” is a stretch – perhaps just some “tasty combinations”.