The Five Levels of Food Storage
Food storage is most effective when built in levels. Each level adds on to the previous one — you never need to start over, just keep building.
Level 1 — A Year of Wheat
A full year's supply of wheat per person. Wheat is the foundation: calorie-dense, 30+ year shelf life, and remarkably versatile. This level is required before expanding to any other.
Level 2 — Bare Necessities
The absolute minimum beyond wheat to sustain life for a year: grains, legumes, powdered milk, cooking oil, sweetener, and salt. Simple, dense, and effective.
Level 3 — Expanded Necessities
Builds on Level 2 with fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, yeast, baking soda, and spices — creating a genuinely nutritious and palatable year-long supply.
Level 4 — Niceties
Comfort items that maintain morale during difficult times: cake and brownie mixes for birthdays, pudding mixes, and additional spices and herbs.
Level 5 — Self-Sustaining
Home production meets all or nearly all food needs through gardening and small livestock. Level 1 remains required as a minimum safety net.
Home production →Annual Supply Reference
The quantities below show per-adult-per-year amounts. Use the food plan calculator to get personalized household totals adjusted for children's age groups.
Level 1 — Core Staples (Per Adult Per Year)
| Food Item | Examples | Quantity / Adult / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | wheat, flour, rice, corn, oatmeal, pasta | 300 lbs |
| Legumes | dry beans, split peas, lentils | 60 lbs |
| Powdered Milk | non-fat dry milk | 16 lbs |
| Cooking Oil | vegetable, olive, coconut | 10 quarts |
| Sweetener | sugar, honey | 60 lbs |
| Salt | iodized preferred | 8 lbs |
Level 2 — Expanded Supply (Per Adult Per Year, 2,000 cal/day)
| Category | Daily Amount | Annual Amount | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 2 cups | 45.75 gallons | raw, frozen, canned, dried, or juice |
| Vegetables | 2.5 cups | 57 gallons | raw, cooked, canned, leafy greens, or juice |
| Protein | 5.5 oz | 125.5 lbs | lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, legumes |
| Dairy | 3 cups | 65.5 gallons | milk, yogurt, natural cheese, fortified soy milk |
Level 2 — Additional Items
- Yeast — for bread baking
- Baking soda — ~10 lbs per person per year (see breakdown below)
- Baking powder
- Basic spices — pepper, garlic powder, dehydrated onions
| Use | Per Person / Year |
|---|---|
| Food preparation (with baking powder) | 1 lb |
| Food preparation (only leavening agent) | 3 lbs |
| Personal hygiene | 2 lbs |
| Medicine and first aid | 1 lb |
| Household cleaning and deodorizing | 5 lbs |
| Miscellaneous | 1 lb |
| Total | ~10 lbs |
Shelf life: 3 years officially; stores indefinitely if perfectly sealed and dry. Test potency by mixing a pinch with vinegar — it should fizz vigorously.
Level 3 — Niceties (Per Person Per Year)
- Cake, brownie, or cupcake mix — 1 box per person for special occasions
- Additional herbs and spices beyond Level 2 basics
- Dessert items (pudding mix) — approximately 1 cup per person per month
Children's Portion Guidelines
Children require a percentage of the adult annual quantity, based on age:
| Age Group | Portion (% of Adult) |
|---|---|
| 3 and under | 50% |
| 4 to 6 | 70% |
| 7 to 10 | 90% |
| 11 and older | 100% (full adult) |
Shelf Life Reference
When stored correctly — cool, dry, and dark — many staple foods last decades. The figures below reflect properly sealed, airtight storage.
| Food Item | Shelf Life (Years) |
|---|---|
| Wheat | 30+ |
| White rice | 30+ |
| Corn | 30+ |
| Sugar | 30+ |
| Pinto beans | 30 |
| Rolled oats | 30 |
| Pasta | 30 |
| Potato flakes | 30 |
| Apple slices (dehydrated) | 30 |
| Non-fat powdered milk | 20 |
| Dehydrated carrots | 20 |
Items NOT Suitable for Long-Term Reduced-Oxygen Packaging
- Pearled barley
- Dried eggs
- Whole wheat flour
- Milled grains (except rolled oats)
- Granola
- Dried jerky
- Nuts
- Brown rice
- Brown sugar
- Dehydrated vegetables or fruit that hasn't dried to snapping point
Ideal Storage Conditions
The four enemies of stored food are heat, moisture, light, and pests. Guard against all four:
Temperature
Store at or below 75°F (24°C). Every 10°F reduction in storage temperature can roughly double the effective shelf life of most stored foods.
Moisture
Keep all containers dry. Elevate storage at least ½ inch off the floor to guard against ground moisture seepage and minor flooding.
Light
Protect cooking oils and PETE bottles from direct and indirect light. UV exposure degrades oils and can break down plastics over long storage periods.
Insects & Rodents
Use oxygen absorbers or dry-ice treatment to eliminate insect eggs in grains. Protect foil pouches from puncture. Inspect storage areas regularly.
Long-Term Packaging Methods
PETE Plastic Bottles
PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles — look for recycling code #1 on the bottom — are an accessible and effective option for grain and legume storage.
- 30+ year storage: wheat, corn, dried beans (with oxygen absorbers)
- Up to 5 years: white rice and other dry shelf-stable foods
- Wash and dry bottles thoroughly; add one 300cc oxygen absorber before filling
- Cap tightly with original lids; store in a cool, dark location
- Do not use milk jugs — they are HDPE (#2) and are difficult to sanitize fully
Oxygen Absorbers
Small packets containing iron powder. When exposed to moisture, the iron oxidizes (rusts), absorbing the oxygen inside the sealed container. This is more effective than vacuum sealing, which removes only nitrogen-containing air but leaves other gases; oxygen absorbers eliminate the oxygen specifically.
- Use 300cc absorbers for containers up to 1 gallon
- Compatible containers: metal cans, foil pouches, PETE bottles, glass canning jars with metal lids only
- Do not use in standard plastic buckets — they are not airtight enough
- Work quickly — once a packet is removed from its sealed bag, it starts absorbing immediately
Multilayer Foil Pouches
Laminated plastic/aluminum foil pouches (approximately 7 mils thick) provide an excellent long-term barrier against moisture, oxygen, and light. Each pouch holds approximately 1 gallon (4 liters).
| Product | Weight per 1-Gallon Foil Pouch |
|---|---|
| Wheat | 7 lbs |
| White rice | 6.8 lbs |
| Non-fat dry milk | 5 lbs |
Pouches must be sealed with an impulse heat sealer. Unlike freezer bags, they are far thicker and substantially more durable — handle carefully to avoid punctures, and store in cardboard boxes for additional protection.
Food-Grade Plastic Buckets
Five-gallon food-grade plastic buckets are a practical, affordable bulk storage solution — especially useful for rotating stock.
- Use only food-grade buckets (look for a fork-and-spoon symbol, or HDPE #2)
- Treat contents with dry ice (not oxygen absorbers): 1 oz of dry ice per gallon of container capacity
- Place dry ice on top of the food, set the lid loosely until the CO₂ gas stops escaping, then seal tightly
- Stack no more than 3 buckets high; store at least ½ inch off the floor
Home Production & Preservation
Four time-tested methods for preserving food you grow or raise at home:
- Root cellaring — Store root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips) underground or in a cool, dark, humid space. No energy required.
- Dehydrating — Remove moisture with a food dehydrator or by sun-drying. Dramatically extends shelf life and significantly reduces storage volume.
- Bottling (canning) — Pressure canning or water-bath canning seals food in glass jars. Requires proper technique and tested recipes to prevent botulism. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (the "Blue Book") is the standard reference.
- Salting and brining — Salt acts as a natural preservative. Works well for meats, fish, and fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi).
Helpful Resources
- LDS Provident Living — food storage planning guides and calculators
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving ("Blue Book") — available at most hardware and grocery stores. The authoritative home canning reference.
- Gardening Resources — free BYU online courses on growing vegetables, fruits, and nuts