Stocking the cupboards in the event of a pandemic in the USA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed a marked decrease in tap water pressure? We live in Vienna VA and at first I thought I was imagining it, but towards the end of the day even my kids and hubby mentioned it. Could it be because everyone is working from home? Please tell me we won't lose water altogether.

You might have a leak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

tons of long-lasting veggies: kale, cabbage, peppers, potatoes.

Apples and avocados would be good. Also frozen dinners, for variety. Smoked sausages and bacon. Frozen biscuits.

[Anonymous]

Note to self for the next pandemic: stock up on vegetable oil and Ghiradelli brownie mix and chocolate chips.

[Anonymous]

You jest, but working from home has turned me into Betty Crocker. Cakes and cookies and pies, oh my. It seems to make all this “family time” more palatable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Note to self for the next pandemic: stock up on vegetable oil and Ghiradelli brownie mix and chocolate chips.

+1

I had to settle for store brand brownie mix and used olive oil. Not quite the same...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

Try to buy food that will last you as long as possible between trips. So fresh fruits and veg, and frozen and canned and dried. Beans, rice, stuff that will last a while.
Think about meat etc options that you could store for 2+ weeks... eggs, cheese, beans, canned soups. It may not be gourmet.m but the fewer times you go to the store the better

We are trying to go to the store as little as possible - 10-14 days is our current target. Mostly to pick up meats & fresh foods. Also replenish any non-perishables you have eaten. We are eating less and wasting less and generally buying less than normal though for the same time period.

Is anyone thinking that the food supply issues could get worse in a month? I'm not sure if to use our frozen/dried stash now, or to keep buying fresh and maintain that store for a time when stores shut down due to worker illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

tons of long-lasting veggies: kale, cabbage, peppers, potatoes.

Apples and avocados would be good. Also frozen dinners, for variety. Smoked sausages and bacon. Frozen biscuits.

i would not call avocados long lasting. That's the one food I really miss during all this - avocados.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good to hear, thx. We are in the Towne of (22180) so your county water is prolly better.

Ye Olde Towne is sureth to have lesser water pressure.

Tears

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

tons of long-lasting veggies: kale, cabbage, peppers, potatoes.

Apples and avocados would be good. Also frozen dinners, for variety. Smoked sausages and bacon. Frozen biscuits.

i would not call avocados long lasting. That's the one food I really miss during all this - avocados.

you can keep avocados in the fridge for a long time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note to self for the next pandemic: stock up on vegetable oil and Ghiradelli brownie mix and chocolate chips.

+1

I had to settle for store brand brownie mix and used olive oil. Not quite the same...

We used corn oil. :/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

Try to buy food that will last you as long as possible between trips. So fresh fruits and veg, and frozen and canned and dried. Beans, rice, stuff that will last a while.
Think about meat etc options that you could store for 2+ weeks... eggs, cheese, beans, canned soups. It may not be gourmet.m but the fewer times you go to the store the better

We are trying to go to the store as little as possible - 10-14 days is our current target. Mostly to pick up meats & fresh foods. Also replenish any non-perishables you have eaten. We are eating less and wasting less and generally buying less than normal though for the same time period.

Is anyone thinking that the food supply issues could get worse in a month? I'm not sure if to use our frozen/dried stash now, or to keep buying fresh and maintain that store for a time when stores shut down due to worker illness.

No. Not if people actually eat the food they already bought.

Plus, sadly, more people will be sick so less people will be out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guns have come up a couple times in this thread. We don't have any -- but are second guessing that. If we go down that route, what type would dcum recommend? Pistol? Shotgun? (Please assume we would take all necessary training and precautions for whatever firearm we get).

VERY liberal husband bought a small shotgun. Shocked my adult kids who thought for sure it's something I would do.

I would have bought a revolver

What he didn't buy was the eggs we needed. Told me they had none, then told me today, well actually they did, but they had 24 packs and why get that much?

I just can't....

If I hadn't stocked our pantry in early February, we would have been screwed. And my family is still making fun of me, while happily eating well. I'm content in knowing I did the right thing.

My retired military officer husband went to the store and came back with bags of candy and 2 12-packs of coke. And a mental list of items the store had, that we might be interested in. I'm 7 months pregnant. I just can't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

Try to buy food that will last you as long as possible between trips. So fresh fruits and veg, and frozen and canned and dried. Beans, rice, stuff that will last a while.
Think about meat etc options that you could store for 2+ weeks... eggs, cheese, beans, canned soups. It may not be gourmet.m but the fewer times you go to the store the better

We are trying to go to the store as little as possible - 10-14 days is our current target. Mostly to pick up meats & fresh foods. Also replenish any non-perishables you have eaten. We are eating less and wasting less and generally buying less than normal though for the same time period.

Is anyone thinking that the food supply issues could get worse in a month? I'm not sure if to use our frozen/dried stash now, or to keep buying fresh and maintain that store for a time when stores shut down due to worker illness.

Yes, it is likely.
Estimates see the peak of illnesses and deaths in the US at May, don't they?

I can't make up my mind about how much to get started on the non-perishable stocks rather than buying more fresh food. Had another grocery delivery yesterday, all perishables. Emptied a quart-size spray bottle's worth of diluted hydrogen peroxide on every box, bag, carton, thick skin fruit (mangoes, oranges, apples). Still not sure I did it right. Should we be eating definitely virus-free canned fruit and powdered milk now instead, and not be spending money we don't have (all went into stocking the pantry 6 weeks ago)? Or should we eat produce and fresh dairy while it's still available/affordable and learn decon as we go? Or should we eat the pantry food while we wait until supply goes back up once everyone's done stocking up? I don't know.

[Anonymous]

Eating lots of fresh for now. Not obsessing about cleaning produce, except fruits. Using vegetable brush and also leaving fruits out for a few days before refrigerating. I haven't died yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what foods are you mostly buying now? I was very stocked 10 days ago but obviously a lot has been eaten. Should I try to buy more meat? Potatoes?

Try to buy food that will last you as long as possible between trips. So fresh fruits and veg, and frozen and canned and dried. Beans, rice, stuff that will last a while.
Think about meat etc options that you could store for 2+ weeks... eggs, cheese, beans, canned soups. It may not be gourmet.m but the fewer times you go to the store the better

We are trying to go to the store as little as possible - 10-14 days is our current target. Mostly to pick up meats & fresh foods. Also replenish any non-perishables you have eaten. We are eating less and wasting less and generally buying less than normal though for the same time period.

Is anyone thinking that the food supply issues could get worse in a month? I'm not sure if to use our frozen/dried stash now, or to keep buying fresh and maintain that store for a time when stores shut down due to worker illness.

Yes, it is likely.
Estimates see the peak of illnesses and deaths in the US at May, don't they?

I can't make up my mind about how much to get started on the non-perishable stocks rather than buying more fresh food. Had another grocery delivery yesterday, all perishables. Emptied a quart-size spray bottle's worth of diluted hydrogen peroxide on every box, bag, carton, thick skin fruit (mangoes, oranges, apples). Still not sure I did it right. Should we be eating definitely virus-free canned fruit and powdered milk now instead, and not be spending money we don't have (all went into stocking the pantry 6 weeks ago)? Or should we eat produce and fresh dairy while it's still available/affordable and learn decon as we go? Or should we eat the pantry food while we wait until supply goes back up once everyone's done stocking up? I don't know.

Our pediatrician suggested feeding DD as much fresh food especially high nutrient foods now as we can manage. Then frozen. And to save canned or reconstituted for last. It does require extra sanitizing for me and my hands are sandpaper, but I remember that I had nutritional diseases as a poor teen who rarely saw produce. We have almost zero food waste right now. I threw away salmon skin, egg shells, tea bags, the green and white parts of strawberries, and a bone.