Where Did All The Canned Goods Go? Covid-19

Sometimes it feels like there is forced rationing happen but mostly there is a lack of supplies because of how people are reacting to the news. By now everyone is pretty aware the Covid-19 Pandemic has resulted in rationing at stores of some products, bizarre destruction of food, empty shelves at stores, people panic buying, disruption in supplies, concerns over contaminated food supply, and a need for many to ration some aspect of their daily supplies. In addition many have taken to planting gardens and raising animals as a result of concerns concerning food supply. 

In my family’s case we had many of the products, supplies and foods our neighbors began to panic buy already at home in sufficient quantity to weather out most of the continued empty aisle situations. Though with each new panic shopping spree of my neighbors I have often left been baffled on why today suddenly no one could live without bananas or crunchy fried noodles. I still don’t understand the obsessive hoarding of toilet paper. On the whole my family is doing better because we are mostly vegetarian meaning often our alternative foods were still available... up until people started avoiding products with pork in it... then suddenly all the Vegetarian Baked Beans were sold out, vegetarian hot dogs gone, vegetarian bacon and sausages gone, thus making it impossible to replace those foods as used. Other items I wondered if people actually knew how to cook with that or even liked that food.

Developing An Emergency Food Supply

This brings me to an important aspect of food, supplies and items we use daily in preparation of an emergency and possible rationing. First gradually stock extra food or supplies you actually like, and use. You don’t need to go crazy just take a look at what you cook regularly, what you use and need regularly. Next figure out how many people and meals you would need if say you had to shelter in place for different periods of time. The easiest way to do this is start thinking about just one week. Next figure out of these foods the most shelf stable version of your ingredients you will need. Many folks simply buy an extra can of this or that, an extra bag of beans and suddenly there is food for week, then two weeks, and so on. You can of course research all sorts of new options in cooking and food too but it is better to try out in a small amount a food than buying a case of something only to find out after the fact you hate it. Explore recipes using canned, dehydrated, preserved, and freeze dried  foods. Try cooking with those supplies you have bought. Rotate your food supplies using oldest first.

For an extra source of fruits and vegetables start a little garden. Even if you are just growing a few potted fresh herbs, those fresh herbs will be a bonus in your diet. Most people can not keep chickens but quail might be an option for fresh eggs, many people can keep pigeons, rabbits, or guinea pigs as well in urban or suburban environment. However not everyone wants to garden or can garden and animals are an extra responsibility that simply may not work for folks.

Emergencies 

Try to tailor your emergency supplies to first obvious problems... weather, disasters likely to occur in your area, actual situations you know could happen because they have happened. Check your government’s Emergency Preparedness advice out. As I am in the USA I use that as a starting guide, but sometimes I look to see what other countries suggest too. These lists can be huge, start small and work on putting together an emergency kit that works for you.