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What Foods Are in Most Demand From a Supermarket in an Emergency?

In emergency situations, customers increase demands on supermarket supplies. This phenomenon occurs whether there is advance warning, such as with hurricanes and snow storms, or not, as with earthquakes. Because individuals might face continued power outages, lack of safe drinking water and travel difficulties, stocking up on basic food supplies is a good preparation strategy. FEMA recommends having a two-week emergency supply of food for you, your family and your pets. Unfortunately, the most sought-after items are not always the best choices for survival.

  1. Bread, Milk and Eggs

    • Photographs and reports from supermarket employees and shoppers indicate that the top three high-demand items in emergency situations are bread, milk and eggs. Bread is an excellent choice: it does not spoil quickly and can be used to make fast, simple meals. If you do not foresee a power outage, milk and eggs are also good choices. However, if you lose electricity, these products will spoil rather quickly, and you might not be able to cook your eggs.

    Roasted Chicken and Frozen Pizza

    • Reports from several snow storms reveal that roasted chickens and frozen pizza are also in high demand. These items pose the same problems as milk and eggs: they will spoil if you lose electricity. If you can eat the chicken before it spoils, it can provide you with several protein-rich meals. However, the pizza needs to be cooked, which is impossible if you have an electric oven.

    Better Options

    • If you are preparing your food supply for an emergency, you would be better advised to stock up on canned goods, dry cereals, powdered milk and peanut butter. These foods require no refrigeration and little or no preparation. Canned soups can be easily warmed on a small camping stove. Other good choices include fresh produce, such as apples and oranges, and fruit juices that do not require refrigeration.

    Water

    • Water is an important consideration in any emergency. FEMA recommends that you store a two-week supply of water for your family. Each person needs at least one gallon of water a day for drinking, food preparation and hygiene.

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