Power’s Out? What Will Your Family Eat?

9/27/2019 (Permalink)

Keep a supply of nonperishable food on hand to help you feed your family during a power outage caused by a storm.

When a strong thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado or snowstorm hits your area, you can lose power—and that outage can last for days. How will you feed your family? Follow these tips for weathering storms and outages safely and nutritiously.

Stock Up on Staples

Avoid a panic trip to the grocery store by shopping for staples while the weather is still clear. Periodically pick up extra non-perishables throughout the year, and keep a manual can opener in your home. Rotate the items occasionally so that your stock is fresh. Then, when a storm is in the forecast, check your stocks of food and plan what to eat first.

Healthy shelf-stable options include:

• low-sodium canned beans
• vegetables
• fruit (packed in fruit juice)
• breakfast cereal
• peanut butter
• pouches of fully cooked whole grains
• nuts
• whole-wheat crackers
• snack bars
• shelf-stable milk or plant milk (the kind sold in aseptic boxes)
• bottled water

How Long Will Refrigerated Foods Last?

A closed refrigerator will maintain a safe temperature—below 40° F—for about 4 hours, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. A full freezer will stay cold for 48 hours, and 24 hours if half full. (A quick way to fill up your freezer to gain another 24 hours is to fill containers with water and freeze them.) 

Although often stored in the refrigerator, bread, butter, fresh fruit and vegetables, jelly and hard cheeses (such as cheddar) will keep for days at room temperature.

Keep the Menu Healthy

For interesting and nutritious meals, combine canned fish or meats, pouches of precooked grains, vegetables, beans and fruits to make fresh salads and sandwiches.

Apples, avocados, citrus fruit, carrots, celery, cucumbers, grapes, green beans, peppers, snap peas and tomatoes can be eaten raw and will be good for days unrefrigerated. These fruits and vegetables will not only sustain you, but as good sources of fiber, they will keep your body running smoothly.

If your home or business suffers damage from a storm or other natural disaster, call SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield today at 860.649.0836

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The team at SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield has specialized training and experience in natural disaster and storm damage cleanup, water damage remediation, fire restoration services and chemical cleanup. Call SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield (860.649.0836) any time.

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If your home or business suffers damage from a storm or other natural disaster, call SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield today at 860.649.0836