Not long ago I received an email from one of my readers asking if there may have been a typo on one of my food storage lists. He said, “I really appreciate your site and info, but I am a little confused with the amount of certain supplies you suggest, for example: ‘Minimum: 30 lbs of grain per person per month.

Total family members ____x 30 =_____ x by ____ months supply =______lbs’

This appears to be a huge supply of food, I don’t know anyone that would eat 30lbs of grain in a month.”

I appreciate the question and I remember having the same question when I first got started with food storage. Do you know how much grain to store to have a month supply for one person? There are many different opinions out there and I say opinions because only you can determine what the right amount would be. With that being said here is how I decided what was right for my family.









How Much Grain Does 1 Person Eat in a Day

When I began researching how much grain to store for my family, I came across several websites that use 300 lbs as an approximation (here, here, and here) for how much grain to store per year per person. It seemed like a lot so I decided to track how much grain I ate in a day.

2.6 oz Breakfast – Pancake Mix (makes two pancakes)

2.4 oz Snack – Cliff Granola Bar

4.0 oz Lunch – Homemade Bread Mix for a Sandwich (1lb of grain to make a loaf)

1.0 oz Dinner – Crust Mix for Chicken

3.0 oz Dinner – Pasta Noodles

3.0 oz Snack – Popcorn Kernels

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

= 16 oz or 1 lb of grain

After tracking my eating habits, I determined that I eat, on average, one pound of grain a day. It comes out to be 30 lbs a month or 360 lbs a year. I realize that my family’s eating habits will change when hard times hit and we will be more frugal with our rations. However, it’s important to have a little extra grain to barter with for items like fruit, jellies, milk, or eggs.









Storing Grains

Buying a sack of flour from the store will last a couple of years. The shelf life of your grains can be greatly extended by sealing it in a food grade bucket inside a Mylar bag with oxygen absorbers. This method, done properly, can not only increase the shelf life of your grains by approximately 20 years but can protect them from bacteria and insects. Storing grains in dry, cool places will also help to extend its shelf life.

For long-term food storage, I try to buy whole grain that has not been milled or cracked. The outer shell of the whole grain helps to protect the inner nutrients and prolongs storage life. “Whole grains contain 3-5 times the vitamins and minerals found in refined grains.”

What Grains to Store

There are a variety of grains that you’d find in my food storage. Grains such as:



Steel Cut Oats

Rolled Oats

Wheat

White Flour

Masa Corn Flour

Corn Meal

Milo Flour

Risotto

Rice

Pasta Noodles

Quinoa

Popcorn

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