Print This Page
Grains - 300 lbs/ person/ year
How much to store
Grains should be the largest part of your food storage. It is recommended to store 300 lbs of grain/ person/ year. The USDA MyPyramid recommends that half of grains eaten should be whole grains. Here is a list of common grains that are good for storing in your food storage.
Whole Grains
Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel - the bran germ and endosperm. These are some commonly stored whole grains.
- red hard wheat
- white hard wheat
- popcorn
- oatmeal
- brown rice
- whole grain barley (dehulled barley)
- stone ground cornmeal
- bulgur (cracked wheat)
- some ready-to-eat cereals
Refined Grains
Refined grains have been milled to remove the bran and germ. This process also removes fiber, iron and many B vitamins. Many of these product have been enriched which means that the iron and B vitamins have been added back. However, fiber is not added back to enriched products. Some examples of refined grains that are commonly stored are:
- all purpose flour
- white rice
- grits
- cornmeal
- pasta
- some ready-to-eat cereals
- pretzels
- flour and corn tortillas
Storage
Grains are inexpensive and easy to store. They can be stored in glass jars, food grade buckets, #10 cans, Mylar bags, or other air tight food storage containers. If stored properly, some grains can store for many years.
Hard wheat will have the longest shelf life of up to 30 years. Once the outer shell of wheat is cracked, the inside is exposed to oxygen and the shelf life will be reduced.
The oil content in the bran of brown rice limits its shelf life to 6 months. This can be extended by refrigeration. Therefore, although less nutritious, white rice is the preferred rice to include in your long term storage.
Because the required quantity of grains to store is so high, I recommend storing the bulk of it in 6 gallon buckets . A bucket of grain typically ranges from 25-45 lbs, depending upon the grain.
