5 Foods That Sell Out First In A Crisis

Past Disaster Survivors Saw These Foods Run Out First

True story:

People waited in line for over an hour at a Burger King… every day. Just for a chance at a sandwich. It was after Hurricane Charley hit Orlando, FL. Power was out for two weeks or more.

And when Hurricane Ike hit Louisiana? One man wrote he was shocked at what he saw at his local Wal-Mart:

“I've never seen shelves in such a big store so empty. I simply couldn't believe a big store like that having nothing on their shelves. It was truly eye opening.”

All around the country, survivors of major disasters are promising themselves and their families: “Never again.”

Never again will they watch their children go hungry for weeks at a time. Even after a major disaster.

Even FEMA recommends you have enough food in your house for two weeks per person. (Maybe because they know that when a disaster hits—their supplies will run out too.)

Let me fill you in on the most valuable foods that disappear first after a disaster… that you might not make it without.

#1. Canned Fruits And Vegetables…
And The One Tip No One Thinks Of

In a lot of ways, canned foods are the perfect disaster items. So it’s no wonder they disappear first.

(Also, this is one of the only items on the list that can double as a weapon if things get really hairy… but that’s a last resort.)

Think about it:

They have a great shelf life (sometimes two years or more).
They can be eaten directly from the can without cooking.
And most importantly: the juices in the can hydrate you as a source of water and extra nutrients.

Here are my top picks:

Chunky soups (these have some of the broadest nutritional value…)
Beans (you’ll need the protein when you run out of meat)
Vegetables such as corn, green beans, and peas
Fruit, such as pear halves and peaches

But here’s the one tip that no one thinks about with these canned goods:

You can buy the enormous, 40-ounce cans. But once you open one of those babies, you have to eat it all right away.

In most crisis situations, you don’t have any way to store leftovers. And unless you’re feeding 10 people at once, huge cans mean a lot of wasted food.

So think about how much food you’ll need in one sitting. If you’re going to eat by yourself, don’t buy a can that feeds a family of four (about 15 ounces).

EXTRA TIP: In a minute I’ll tell you how to cook canned foods the right way. It’s the difference between a warm meal and a shrapnel bomb. Stay tuned.

#2. Canola Oil (But If You Buy The Wrong
Kind You’ll Be Crippled In Pain)

I don’t have to explain to you how great fried food tastes, or that the shelf life on canola oil is amazing…

But you may not know that the omega-3 fatty acids in canola oil are important for your body…

And there’s no way for your body to get them without the right foods. (It can’t make omega-3 acids)

These omega-3 acids build up in cells (trust me, that’s good). It helps to create leukotrienes, which slow down swelling in tight places.

Basically, if you don’t get your omega-3s from somewhere, you’ll slow down like the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz, unable to move with arthritis and severe joint pain.

(Oh, and by the way… regular vegetable oil has omega-6 fatty acids… which can make your arthritis worse.)

#3. Easy Dry Foods
(With One Small Adjustment)

This is the second most fun category to shop for (stay tuned for the most fun item to get… I saved it for last).

You’re going to want to get graham crackers, regular crackers, trail mix, peanut butter, and nuts.

But some of the literature out there doesn’t mention one key thing.

Salty foods make you thirsty. That’s a problem if water is running low.

You don’t know ahead of time if water will be an issue. So the safest things to get are dry foods that don’t have salts.

We’re talking unsalted crackers, unsalted nuts, etc.

All foods have some moisture in them (even really dry nuts), so by opting to get unsalted foods, you’re not wasting the natural water in your food.

Now on to number four...

#4. Honey
(You’d Be Surprised Why)

This is one of the first foods to sell out, and you’re going to want this. A lot of this.

This great all-purpose sweetener almost never goes bad. When stored in the right conditions.

One tablespoon gives you about 100 calories, and can be completely absorbed by your digestive tract. That means nothing in that tablespoon goes to waste once it goes down the hatch.

But the main reason you’re going to want honey is for the trading value. Other people will want this too.

So if there’s anything you need… just give them some honey.

For that reason, you may want to store up some small jars in addition to a couple of huge vats. The small jars will be ready for bartering, while the big vats will be for you and your family.

Makes sense right? Well, the number five might surprise you.

#5. Beer
(Ready For The Reason?)

The first reason is obvious. Beer is a great bartering tool. Beer flies off the shelves in a disaster situation…

If you have a couple cases in your supply room and you wait for the right moment... you’ll have liquid gold that no one else has.

But the shocking thing is that beer is actually kind of useful by itself...

Why?

Professor Manuel Garzon at Granada University in Spain led a study that claimed that beer can help rehydrate you better than water alone.

It’s because the carbohydrates, ions, and carbonation help people absorb fluids more effectively, the study says.

Careful, though… the study used non-alcoholic beer.

Still, it could be really useful.

So that’s it for the 5 foods that fly off the shelf first. But stick around – I’ve got one more tip for you...

How To Go Twice As Far…
On Half The Food

I couldn’t end the article without throwing this bonus tip in here. FEMA says that with reduced activity, you can live for an extended period of time on half your normal food intake.

Many survival-minded people agree with this, with one important change:

Take your vitamins.

Eating less food, or even eating the same limited diet for a long period of time, will leave your body wanting more. But you can take vitamins with the right nutrients that your body isn’t getting. And you’re going to be happier with less food.

Work Smarter, Not Hungrier

Tomorrow I’ve got one tip you don’t want to miss. Check here tomorrow for a survival tip that might surprise you...

Prepare Now,
Survive Later!

~Damian Campbell

P.S. One last useful note on the canned veggies. If you want to cook them in the can, remember this: first open the lid of the can and remove the label.

Forget these two things and you could have a shrapnel bomb.

Check back tomorrow for a survival tip you don’t want to miss.