3-month supply: Grains

Let's talk more about our 3-month supply of GRAINS!!!

How much? 75 lbs per person

What? Wheat, flour, rice, oats, pasta, corn meal, and more!

Use this 3-month supply worksheet OR figure out what your family uses in ONE month and multiply it by 3. For some things, the latter is more realistic. For example, boxes of instant oatmeal and bisquick might be more realistic for you than regular oats or wheat. Either way, it is nice having a storage of food for you to "shop" with.

Here's the basics on some of the grains...

Many grains have LONG storage lives, but it depends on how they are stored.

WHEAT- Don't be scared. It's not that bad. First of all, wheat is relatively inexpensive. It also has a long shelf life. Wheat is very nutritious and some quality wheats can contain up to 18% protein.

There are two types of wheat: White and Red. White is lighter not only in color but also in texture. Red has a stronger color and flavor. That's about it.

To really be able to use wheat, you need a grinder. I got one a few years ago for my birthday and have loved having it. I don't use wheat a ton (I need to use it more) so I grind 5 or 6 cups at a time. I just add a cup or two to breads or goodies I'm making and there is not a significant taste difference.

FLOUR- Doesn't have a lot of nutritious value but is more for calories and bulk. One thing I have learned about flour (and it may be the same with wheat) is that it takes on the flavor of metal cans but if you dump it into a plastic container and leave it for a few days, the smell and metal flavor will be gone.

RICE- A great grain to store. It contains complex carbohydrates, fiber and more. Rice is a great thing to have when you have a young family because babies can digest rice before other grains.

OATS- Another nutritous grain which is usually well-liked by the whole family. Oats contain fiber, iron and many other vitamins.

There are two kinds of oats: Quick and Regular (also known as Rolled). Nutritionally, regular oats are less processed and thus contain more nutrients, but both are a good addition to your food storage and daily use.

PASTA- With this grain there are LOTS of choices and pasta can be stored for a long time. Pasta, like flour, is mostly for calories and carbohydrates. This might not sound the greatest, but we do need calories and carbs in times of emergency.

CORNMEAL...or popcorn. You can grind popcorn into cornmeal or just store popcorn for popcorn. Popcorn is a whole grain and contains fiber.


Remember, variety is the key to having a balanced, nutritious grain storage.


Here are some prices that might help as you start looking at grains. (Remember that it is cheaper per pound to buy the regular items in the store, like a bag of flour, than it is to buy flour that is canned. BUT if you want to build up your long-term supply, the canned stuff is a good investment.)

From lowest to highest:

Flour: $.23-.25/lb. is a great price. That's about $1.25 for a 5 lb. bag.
Canned flour is about $.71/lb.

Rice: Less than $.40/lb. is great. (Look at Costco or Sam's.) Canned= Abt. $.70/lb.

Wheat: $.46/lb. is a good price. That's $11.45 for 25 lbs. Canned wheat might be closer to $.60/lb.

Oats: Less than $.70/lb is great. Canned= Abt $.93/lb.

Pasta: Less than $.80/lb is good. Sometimes Smith's has pasta on sale for $.50 each package and they are usually abt a pound. Canned= Abt $1.15/lb.

Cornmeal: Around $1.16/lb. Less than $.74/lb for popcorn.

If you get around these prices, you could get your 75 lbs for less than $40. Keep a look out!