Stockpile Basics

• The ideal foods for a stockpile are nonperishable, nutritious and easy to prepare. Dry pasta, rice, dried fruit, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, crackers, powdered milk, and granola or energy bars are stockpile staples. Include canned foods, such as meat or seafood, beans, fruits, vegetables and ready-to-eat meals, in your stockpile, along with oil, sugar, salt, instant coffee or tea, vitamins and pet food, if necessary. Store 1 gallon of water per person or pet per day. Include a can opener, disposable dishes and utensils, and matches, along with chafing dishes or fondue pots and canned heat cooking fuel. You can safely heat food with these tools during a power outage.

Plan Carefully

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency advises maintaining a stockpile to last your family for at least two weeks. If you have the space and desire, keep a larger stockpile. Create a list of foods and quantities your family routinely uses. If you go through two jars of peanut butter and three boxes of cereal in two weeks, you'll know to buy those amounts for your stockpile. If you want a larger stockpile, slowly build it up by buying list items when they go on sale, or shop at a bulk club store.

Store Properly

• Avoid storing your stockpile with your pantry staples. You'll be too tempted to use these foods as an alternative to regular grocery shopping. The ideal storage location is dark, dry and cool, with a temperature between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Arrange the food by expiration date, so that the oldest items are in front and the newest items are in back. Label any packages that don't have expiration dates with the dates when they were purchased.

Monitor Your Supply

• Check your stockpile about once a month. Take note of any packages nearing their expiration date. Move these items to your normal pantry, and buy replacements on your next shopping trip. For items you've labeled yourself, consider FEMA's guidelines for food storage. Boxed powdered milk, crackers and dried fruit should be used within six months, while many canned foods, peanut butter, jelly and cereals should be used within one year. Remove any cans that are dented or corroding or any packages that are leaking, torn or have an unpleasant odor.