100 Budget-Friendly Non-Perishable Foods

Stock up on these budget-friendly non-perishable foods for emergency preparedness. Whether it’s a natural disaster like a hurricane or a pandemic, when disaster strikes, it’s always best to be prepared! This food supply list has shelf stable foods that you can store in your pantry for disaster preparedness. Here are the guidelines for shelf stable food safety from USDA.gov. Even if you are just looking to stockpile or to have a master pantry checklist, this list will come in handy.

In a hurricane situation, you potentially won’t have power so you should stick to the foods that don’t need to be cooked on a stove, microwave or refrigerated. I’ve put a star next to those items for your convenience.

Dry Goods Non-Perishable Foods

1. pasta
   1. spaghetti
   2. boxed macaroni and cheese
   3. ramen
2. jarred pasta sauce
3. jarred alfredo sauce
4. rice
   1. white
   2. brown
   3. jasmine
   4. yellow
5. quinoa
6. lentils
7. stuffing mix
8. oats
9. cream of wheat
10. dry beans
    1. black
    2. white (cannellini, navy)
    3. kidney
    4. garbanzo
11. flour
12. cornmeal
13. sugar
14. breadcrumbs
15. baking powder and soda
16. oil and vinegar
17. honey
18. instant potatoes
19. dehydrated hash browns
20. baking mixes
    1. pancake mix
    2. biscuit mix
    3. cornbread mix
    4. muffin mix
21. boxed au gratin
22. hamburger helper
23. pasta salad mix like Suddenly Salad
24. boxed ready meals  / precooked entrees
25. powdered eggs
26. powdered creamer for coffee
27. yeast
28. maple syrup
29. soy sauce
30. pickles
31. tabasco sauce
32. condiment to go packets (mayo/mustard/relish/ketchup)
33. salsa
34. olives
35. processed cheese product like Velveeta
36. commonly used herbs and spices
    1. salt
    2. pepper
    3. Italian seasoning
    4. cumin
    5. paprika
    6. curry powder
    7. chili powder
    8. garlic powder
    9. cocoa powder
    10. vanilla extract
    11. bouillon cubes
        

        Canned Non-Perishable Foods *

37. tuna
38. meat products (like ham or corned beef)
39. canned pre-made meals like beef ravioli, spaghetti-Os, chicken and dumplings, chili, etc.)
40. chicken
41. salmon
42. soups
43. stews
44. corn
45. green beans
46. mixed vegetables
47. beans
48. peas
49. carrots
50. potatoes
51. spinach
52. diced tomatoes
53. fruits (peaches, pears, pineapple, fruit cocktail, pumpkin)
54. beef, chicken and vegetable broth
55. gravy
56. nacho cheese
    

    Drink Non-Perishable Foods

    *

57. shelf-stable milk
58. evaporated milk
59. nondairy milk such as canned coconut milk
60. powdered milk
61. powdered hot chocolate
62. juice
    1. apple
    2. cranberry
    3. fruit punch
    4. grape
    5. vegetable juice
    6. lemonade
63. gatorade
64. water
65. tea bags
66. coffee
67. powdered drink mixes
68. flavorings for water
69. meal replacement drinks like Ensure
    

    Snack Non-Perishable Foods*

70. granola bars
71. applesauce
72. protein bars like Clif
73. peanut butter
74. trail mix
75. beef jerky (some beef jerky can be very expensive, but I’ve found that the Matador brand is reasonably priced ($3 a bag at Walmart)
76. peanuts
77. almonds
78. cashews
79. cookies
80. crackers
    1. saltines
    2. butter crackers
    3. sandwich crackers
    4. graham crackers
81. dry cereal
82. rice cakes
83. fruit snacks
84. chocolate
85. vanilla wafers
86. fruit leather
87. raisins
88. energy bar like LARABAR
89. dried fruits (ALDI has great prices on these compared to other places (at least in my area))
    1. dried cranberries
    2. dried bananas
    3. dried apples
    4. dried pineapple
    5. dried mango
    6. dried apricots
90. pretzels / chips
91. fruit bars
92. dried sausage
93. tuna pouches
94. popcorn

What Foods Can Be Frozen?

Keep in mind that if you have the freezer space, you can freeze many perishable items as well. It’s definitely worth getting a chest freezer, not just for emergency preparedness but for buying sale items and freezing them for future use. You can save hundreds of dollars just by doing that!

1. Butter
2. Bread
3. Cheese
4. Tortillas
5. Doughs and Batters
6. Broths, Pestos and Tomato Sauces
7. Herbs (freeze in little ice cube trays with olive oil)
8. Eggs (cracked into ice cube trays)
9. Meats (cooked and raw including bacon and lunch meat)
10. Fruits & Vegetables
    1. Here is a tutorial for how to freeze the fruits and vegetables

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