Supplement Your Emergency Food Supply With These Costco Items!
You know those nights when you get home after a long day only to realize you’ve got nothing in the cupboard or fridge to eat? It feels like the worst possible thing in those circumstances! Anyone who has experienced that end-of-the-day “hanger” knows what a relief it is to find that long-lost box of crackers in the back of the pantry. But imagine that the power goes out for an extended period of time, or you’re unable to rush out to the grocery store or fast-food restaurant because of a natural disaster, or there simply isn’t anything to be had because of food shortages, political upheaval, or supply chain breakdowns? Suddenly, you’ll realize just how important it is to have an entire emergency food supply at home in case of . . . well, just about anything. And you’ll definitely need more than a simple box of crackers to see your family through the worst.
One of our favorite ways to supplement long-term food storage is with emergency food from Costco. And while it may not be labeled as such, anything from bulk canned tuna to 25-pound bags of rice is always an excellent choice.
If You Haven’t Started Your Longterm Food Storage Yet . . .
First things first—you need to make sure you’ve got long-term emergency food in place that’ll stand the test of time. Food that is nutritious, delicious, and packaged properly so that you don’t have to worry if your disaster isn’t happening yet.
It’s a good idea to start with a 2-week supply of food for each member of your household, but make sure to get a little more specific based on exactly how much your family typically eats, what their taste preferences are, and whether or not they have any allergies. That said, many people like to start with something simple to make sure basic needs are met—like Hibernate food storage. It comes in a variety of “timelines” including a convenient two-week emergency food supply. These lightweight emergency food buckets are ideal because they’re easy to store and last up to last 25 years on your shelf, tasting just as good as the day they were created. They’re also full of energy-ready carbs, plenty of protein, and other vital nutrients for daily and emergency survival. Individual meals are essentially ready to eat, after simply adding hot water and stirring. The variety of foods will be sure to appeal to everyone in the family, emergency or not. Another key to the best emergency food storage is pricing, and with each meal coming in at just $.92 per serving in the two-week bucket, it’s a hard-to-beat emergency meal plan.
If you’re looking for a more substantial investment into your peace of mind and emergency preparedness (at an even lower price-per-serving cost, we might add), you might look into starting out with a full year of emergency food from Hibernate. That’s 3,648 servings, at 53 grams of protein per day, for just $.79 per serving—all perfectly packaged and ready to go, no matter what kind of emergency you might face over the next 25 years. That’s a whole lot of peace of mind packaged in one simple purchase.
Best Supplemental Food Storage From Costco
Now that we’ve covered the importance of long-term food storage, it’s imperative that you also look at growing your supplemental food storage. This is also referred to as short-term food storage, typically defined as foods that are going to be consumed within the next year to 18 months. They’re pantry-stable items that don’t require refrigeration or freezing. They’re also great for rotating into your regular daily meals as they near their expiration dates and you want to replace them with fresher items for short-term storage.
Short-term food storage, like food from Costco, is an added layer of emergency insurance that you know will get used, even if you haven’t encountered what feels like a true emergency yet. For instance, rising costs due to extreme inflation may not be considered a national disaster, but it definitely puts people on the verge of crisis knowing that they can’t continue to pay increasing costs for basic necessities indefinitely. But if they have the security of supplemental food storage in place, they’ll be more able to weather the impending emergency.
We love shopping at Costco for supplemental emergency food for a few reasons. First off, Costco offers a wide variety of food storage options, including both dried and canned goods. And because they’re sold in bulk, you can often be sure of getting a decent deal. Plus, with their return policy, you can usually return anything you don’t end up using which creates an even nicer buffer in terms of cost and security.
So what kinds of emergency food from Costco should you put into short-term storage? Here are some of the categories you should be hitting up for emergency food storage on your next Costco run.
Spices
Don’t make the mistake of thinking spices are an “extra” when it comes to food storage. They have such incredible importance (and are often so underrated) that we’re putting them first on the list. Basics like salt, pepper, and sugar should certainly have their place in your supplemental food storage (even if it means you’re only needing to tap into them when you feel like baking at midnight—hey, it’s an emergency too many of us have run into!). But you’ll also want to think beyond the basics when shopping for emergency food at Costco. Consider what spices are required for your family’s favorite dishes. Think of ways to add spices to jazz up something in your long-term food storage that maybe isn’t a family favorite. Spices also add depth of flavor to soups, casseroles, and desserts. Think in terms of VARIETY. And, as with everything prep-related: keep it personal. Don’t rule out the nutritional benefits of a flavorful shaker of herbs and spices here and there—salt can help keep you hydrated, turmeric is great for reducing inflammation, and cinnamon is the world’s number one spice for seemingly innumerable reasons!
Fats
Fats also play a key role in health and digestion. They’re critical for helping your body absorb vitamins and minerals from other more nutrient-dense foods. Fats are also an important ingredient for many dishes, including baked goods. Plus, no one can deny that fat adds flavor and richness to pretty much anything it’s added to. When shopping at Costco for emergency food fats, think of olive oil and vegetable oil—both versatile and easy to use. You can also add shortening to add variety to your supply of fats. And, like anything else in your food supply, you’ll want to keep an eye on expiration dates to make sure you’re rotating things into your regular meals before they go bad.
Beans
Beans are another awesome bulk emergency food that can be purchased at Costco that will serve your short-term food storage well. Beans are fibrous, meaning they take longer to digest and help keep you full longer, which is perfect in cases of emergency—particularly if you don’t know when you’ll be able to eat next. They also combine perfectly with rice to create a complete protein for extra nutrition. We love beans in food storage (dry and canned!) for creating or adding to soups, mashing onto toast, blending into hummus, mixing with veggies and spices for dip, and even baking into brownies—yep, you heard us right (hello there, black beans!). Make sure to add a variety of beans and legumes to your short-term emergency food supply shopping list. We’re big fans of black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, and lentils!
Grains
You can’t forget to add grains to your supplemental food storage from Costco list. A variety of whole grains has a wide range of health benefits on top of offering plenty of nutrients and trace minerals. Many experts say that a diet rich in whole grains can reduce the risk of several common diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers. And hey, an emergency is no time to ignore long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Remember, your food storage isn’t just about surviving—it should be one of the reasons you’re able to thrive in the face of adversity. When browsing at Costco for supplemental food supply items, check out bulk rice, oats, barley, quinoa, and even flour and pasta. All of these will rotate nicely into your typical menus, even if you don’t absolutely need them before they expire. Plus, they can provide good practice for new meals before an emergency strikes. Experimenting with new ingredients is always a good idea!
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous items you can get at Costco for your short-term food storage? The list is long, but here are a few of our favorites that everyone should be keeping in the pantry in case of any type of emergency.
- Canned chicken
- Canned tuna
- Spam
- Ramen noodles
- Canned fruit
- Canned vegetables
- Peanut butter
- Canned soups
- Dried fruits
- Nuts
- Protein powder
- Powdered sports drinks
- Coffee and tea
Remember as you browse the aisles to think about what your family eats on a regular basis, and don’t leave things out because they feel like unnecessary splurges. Always keep the Hibernate mantra in mind: EMERGENCIES SUCK, BUT YOUR FOOD SHOULDN’T! You deserve to prepare with nutritious and delicious food your family will love, even while circumstances are far from ideal. So don’t believe any crazy food storage myths—preparing with food you love is not high maintenance, and it’s not crazy. It’s smart, and you won’t regret it.
Let Hibernate Help With Your Food Storage Needs
Loving your food storage meals isn’t just about flavor (although we’re the first to admit that we’ve put a crazy amount of effort into making sure anyone will love what we create at Hibernate). It’s also about ease of use, ease of storage, nutritional value, and cost. And we’re more than happy to report that we can check all those boxes for you. Whether you’re just covering the basics with a two-week food storage supply, or you’re ready to dive into a year’s worth of the best emergency food, Hibernate has something for every household. Shop now to start preparing and enjoy that empowering peace of mind that comes from doing what it takes to make sure your family is ready for anything. And once you’ve done that, make sure to supplement with all the extras you know your family will use and enjoy in the short term, too.
Ready to shop for more food storage goodness? (We’re talking everything from chocolate pudding to freeze-dried beef!) Click here to shop Hibernate food storage now!