What do I need to buy for food stock at home?

The news about the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has caused panic several times and made many people do it panic buying. In fact, this action actually makes goods even rarer and their prices go up. With the right calculations, everyone can actually prepare food stocks at home as needed.

Preparing food stocks at home is important, whether there is an outbreak or not. However, that doesn't mean you have to buy everything in excess. If everyone just bought everything, food ingredients that were not in accordance with their needs would be wasted.

A smart way to prepare food stocks at home

Before buying groceries, you need to compile a list containing the types and quantities first. This is anticipated in order not topanic buying. Also distinguish between the needs of food ingredients that are not durable and foods that can last for weeks.

As an illustration, here are the ingredients that need to be stocked at home:

1. Staple food and source of carbohydrates

There are many types of staple food and carbohydrate sources, both in the form of whole grains, flour, to finished products. With so many choices, you don't need to worry if the rice supply on the market is limited.

Here are a selection of staple foods and sources of carbohydrates that you can try:

Brown or brown or black rice
Paste in packaging
Wheat flour, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and so on
Whole grain, high-fiber cereal
Whole grain like oats and quinoa
Different types of bread

Unmilled brown or brown rice usually lasts up to six months, while white rice lasts only three months. Meanwhile, the shelf life of bread is even shorter, which is only 3-7 days outside the refrigerator.

If you want to keep a more durable stock of food at home, pasta and cereal products can be the solution. Both of these materials can last for one to two years when stored in a dry place.

2. Source of protein

Your body needs protein to carry out its functions, even when you are at home for a long time. Therefore, make sure your home also has an adequate stock of protein sources.

You certainly cannot store raw materials such as chicken, red meat, and fresh fish which only last for less than two days, as quoted from the Food Safety page. So, it's best if you buy this ingredient frozen or canned.

Overall, here's a selection of protein sources that you can buy:

Canned fish, for example in the form of sardines, tuna, salmon, and so on
Corned red meat
Canned beans, such as peas, kidney beans, or lentils
Dry beans, can be peanuts, almonds, or cashews
Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, and so on
Cheese, especially hard textured ones like Cheddar
Milk in cartons
Chicken eggs, store in the refrigerator to last up to three weeks

3. Vegetables and fruit

Keeping a stock of vegetables and fruit at home is a bit difficult, because both are fresh foods that wither or spoil quickly. However, you can overcome this by sorting out the types of vegetables and fruit with a slightly hard texture, such as:

broccoli
cauliflower
paprika
carrot
Apple
pear
banana
orange

Canned and dried fruit can also be a substitute for fresh fruit. Usually, this product is made from mangoes, grapes, lychees, or apricots. When buying processed fruit, choose one that doesn't contain a lot of added sugar.

As for vegetables, supermarkets usually provide frozen vegetable products that have been blended. These products last longer than fresh vegetables and can allow you to eat a variety of vegetables even if you are at home for a long time.

4. Drinking water

Food stock at home is important, but don't forget to prepare drinking water too. One person should prepare a stock of drinking water of 3.5 liters per day for the next few days. This is to meet the fluid needs of 2 liters per day.

Before buying groceries for stock, the first thing you need to do is prioritize food ingredients. That way, you don't waste food items that don't last long.

Prioritize foods that are dry, do not spoil quickly or spoil, and can last longer when stored in the refrigerator. You can then process these ingredients with fresh ingredients to balance their nutritional content.