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Meal Prep from the Local Supermarket

ASHDUMP

ASHDUMP

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Short story even shorter..... About 6 years ago I purchased one of those year long meal prep bundles. They come in 5 gal buckets. I'm not ready to tap into those yet as I have 14 years left before experation. So my question is.....

What can be had at the local Shaw's/Market Basket for 1 to 2 year storage? I know canned items are good. Maybe rice? Anything else out of the ordinary I wouldn't know about?

Also, anyone have meal plans for a 7 day week? That would help my shopping at the market.

Thanks for your consideration.
 
Beans, rice, pasta. Those rarely go bad unless stored improperly. Most canned goods have a 1-2 yr date but are good past that. I'm using canned goods from 2015. all are fine. The exception is cream based soups. Have to go to work but can add more later if others don't fully answer the questions
 
Don't forget your morning fix and sweet tooth. Vacuum sealed coffee and Chocolate. Would be worth their weight in gold if the big one hit. Also a good supply of Salt, Pepper and spices. Some long store food can be bland so you'll want something to spice it up with.
 
Canned beans are good usually for 3-4 years (Goya seems to have the best expirations dates)
Almost anything canned
Tuna 2-3 years
Canned hams 2-3 years
MB has hug jars of coconut oil and jugs of olive oil that have long shelf lives
Corned beef in can - 3 years
etc, etc. just take a cart down the canned food items and stock what you like and can rotate through over time

Rice, Quinoa, oats are all easy to buy in bulk and store in containers to rotate through

MB also usually has a hard tack made out of cassava - found in the produce aisle usually - that is good for 5 years or similar if stored properly.
I like it and good overall (but dry)

I made a run last week and probably will do the same today or tomorrow to top off things (but I am in relatively good shape)
 
Adding to my post above

Just looked in my short term closet and have the following items

Honey - the real stuff - not the teddy bears at the supermarket. Go to a local farm, etc and get the 5 gallon jars. Lasts forever, adds calories and flavor to food and can even be used for basic wound care

Hot sauce - things like Tabasco - also last for just above forever and adds some taste to the food you are cooking

Salt - cheep and also last for ever
 
Here are a few that I typically store, aside from other things previously mentioned by others.
  • Rolled Oats (but even the instant oatmeal variety is long lasting)
  • Dried fruit
  • Tuna packets (Foil ones. Some are pre-seasoned for MRE. Can occasionally find them with 2 years left on them, but most will be at least 1 year)
  • Powdered milk
  • Ramen noodles
  • Home made hardtack (well, I actually need to make again, as the first attempt wasn't so great)
 
If theres any silver lining to all this for me personally it's that it gave me the kick in the ass to start doing all the things that I always knew I should be doing but never did. I've been doing the half assed extra cans of food for a while but never really did all that I could.
 
if you're only thinking 1... maybe 2 year shelf life, then basically anything in the middle of the supermarket. any canned or dried good would store just fine. hell even cookies can last like a year if you vaccuum seal them in a mason jar (did that with girl scout cookies to keep from eating a whole box at a time).
 
headednorth said:
If theres any silver lining to all this for me personally it's that it gave me the kick in the ass to start doing all the things that I always knew I should be doing but never did. I've been doing the half assed extra cans of food for a while but never really did all that I could.
Click to expand...
If you've waited until now, you're going to pay a premium for it. everyone is rushing to stock up now. prices will be higher and shipping will take longer for freeze dried stuff (think those buckets from wise or mypatriots). if you're concerned about Corona, just grab stuff from the market like mentioned in this thread. it would get you through any quarantine period. hit up an Asian grocer and get the big 25lb bags of rice (they usually are from Cali if you're afraid of food coming from China)
 
ASHDUMP said:
What can be had at the local Shaw's/Market Basket for 1 to 2 year storage? I know canned items are good. Maybe rice? Anything else out of the ordinary I wouldn't know about?

Also, anyone have meal plans for a 7 day week? That would help my shopping at the market.

Thanks for your consideration.
Click to expand...

Here are some meal ideas based on some basics and canned goods.
Breakfast, Oatmeal -add any of the following, peanut butter, jelly, raisins or any dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon vanilla canned milk or almond/nut milk.
Cooked rice with cinnamon raisins milk whatever you want. I prefer brown rice for this.
Make your own bagels, english muffins, bread etc. (flour and yeast) Keep yeast in the freezer for long term storage. recipes online.
Spam, canned ham, instant hash browns, canned hash.

Other meals: Any kind of casseroles and soups with canned meats and pasta and canned/dried beans or veggies.
Don't forget to store some kind of oil. Good olive oil will keep a long time in a cool place. You need to add some good fats in your diet. If you run out of butter a good olive oil with salt, garlic and seasonings can be spread on bread. Just like dipping oil at Italian restaurants.


Check out vegan baking recipes to learn options for baking with other ingredients. A lady I worked with made the best chocolate cake I ever had using applesauce as a binder.

That's all I've got right now but I'll probably think of other things later.
 
Cowgirlup said:
Here are some meal ideas based on some basics and canned goods.
Breakfast, Oatmeal -add any of the following, peanut butter, jelly, raisins or any dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon vanilla canned milk or almond/nut milk.
Cooked rice with cinnamon raisins milk whatever you want. I prefer brown rice for this.
Make your own bagels, english muffins, bread etc. (flour and yeast) Keep yeast in the freezer for long term storage. recipes online.
Spam, canned ham, instant hash browns, canned hash.

Other meals: Any kind of casseroles and soups with canned meats and pasta and canned/dried beans or veggies.
Don't forget to store some kind of oil. Good olive oil will keep a long time in a cool place. You need to add some good fats in your diet. If you run out of butter a good olive oil with salt, garlic and seasonings can be spread on bread. Just like dipping oil at Italian restaurants.


Check out vegan baking recipes to learn options for baking with other ingredients. A lady I worked with made the best chocolate cake I ever had using applesauce as a binder.

That's all I've got right now but I'll probably think of other things later.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for putting this information together. I will be printing out and hitting the market. I'm only looking for maybe 3 weeks of reserves. This is perfect.
 
ASHDUMP said:
Thank you so much for putting this information together. I will be printing out and hitting the market. I'm only looking for maybe 3 weeks of reserves. This is perfect.
Click to expand...
Then make sure you stock the freezer with meats and less snack foods. ;)

Also get some B&M canned bread. yummy toasted!
 
Last edited:
ASHDUMP said:
Short story even shorter..... About 6 years ago I purchased one of those year long meal prep bundles. They come in 5 gal buckets. I'm not ready to tap into those yet as I have 14 years left before experation. So my question is.....

What can be had at the local Shaw's/Market Basket for 1 to 2 year storage? I know canned items are good. Maybe rice? Anything else out of the ordinary I wouldn't know about?

Also, anyone have meal plans for a 7 day week? That would help my shopping at the market.

Thanks for your consideration.
Click to expand...
I usually grocery shop twice a week for fresh produce. It used to be once per week. But I always make a menu and create my grocery list from that. I also keep an inventory sheet on my freezer so I know what meats I have on hand and which I may need to stock up on when they go on sale. I do love pork chops and never seem to be able to keep enough of them to get to the next sale so if I haven't had any for a while and need no other meat I will usually buy enough for a couple meals anyway and freeze up the extras hoping for a sale before I run out.
 
FYI

I had no clue what was inside a Dollar General store so I went in. Walked out with all the canned goods, rice, childrens medicine and everything else none parishable I needed. I was 😲!

Experation dates were about 1.5 years..... Not bad.
 
Water, more water, a water filtration system, rain catchment system.

I bought a lot of powdered goods from Hoosier Hill Farms. I have several dried fruits and berries to add to the mix for nutrition and flavor variety. I also bought their powdered mac 'n cheese mix and a ton of elbow macaroni.

Perfect “Just Add Water” Home-Made Pancake Mix
Yield: Each 2 1/4 cup mix makes 9 pancakes
Recipe makes enough for 4 mixes

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
1 cup Hoosier Hill Farm Whole Powdered Milk or Instant Non-Fat Milk Powder
3/4 cup Hoosier Hill Farm Old-Fashioned Malted Milk Powder
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup Hoosier Hill Farm Real Butter Powder
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp Hoosier Hill Farm Whole Egg Powder
3/4 cup Hoosier Hill Farm Buttermilk Powder

Measure and sift the ingredients (as needed) and mix well. When ready to cook, whisk 2 1/4 cups mix with 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp water. Prepare your griddle (over medium low heat) by placing a good sized drop of water on it and heating. Once the water drop boils the griddle is hot enough to cook. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and wipe any excess oil from the pan. Cook by 1/4 cup portions about 2 minutes per side. Serve and enjoy!
 

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