The Survival Food Pyramid

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

By Joel Jefferson •  4 min read

From personal experience I know, when you first get into surviving/prepping the information thrown at you can be overwhelming. The Survival Food Pyramid will get you started stocking food in a logical, simple, and economical way.

Everyone who has a basement full of canned goods and a survival garden started somewhere.  We will help get you started.

The Concept

The top of the pyramid is for stocking the smallest amount of food for the shortest amount of time. The idea being that someone who is completely new to prepping can start with a cheap and easy goal and build (downward) from there.

This pyramid will keep you from spending time and money on preps that, while they may be useful overall, are pointless to you right now.  How much of a 50 pound bag of flour or rice will you use in a 3 day long power outage? Prepping in complete, logical steps is the smart way to go.

SHTF Food Storage

Immediate

If you are new to prepping, or you are experienced but find your supplies jump all over the map, start by stocking enough food and supplies for a 3 Day Emergency. This can be as simple as a single trip to the grocery store. Buy a 3 day supply of food for your household (be sure to get things with a long shelf life) and place it somewhere other than your pantry.

If you have a typical local situation, such as a major snow storm or power outage, you won’t be one of the people raiding the grocery store.

Be sure to include at least 1 gallon of water per day, per family member, and something to cook on, such as a survival stove.

If you want even more backup in a portable fashion, you can stock up on emergency food bars as well.

Extended

The extended food preps simply build on the immediate preps. On further trips to the store, add a few food items to your 3 day cache each time and you will soon have enough to survive for several weeks. Perhaps choose a dedicated closet or other area to stock your preps.

Remember that the extended survival food supply is going to need regular cooking supplies to be stocked, such as oil, flour, sugar, spices, etc. You will also need larger water containers to support not only drinking and cooking, but hygiene.

Long Term

Long term food preps mean there has been some type of major disaster and there won’t be any trips to the store for months.. This step moves on from basic stocking, to self sustaining.

You will have to have stocked bulk supplies of staple foods for cooking, like flour, wheat, sugar, and canned goods. A large fuel supply, or alternative cooking method will have to be used, and hunting if it is available. You will also have to have an alternative water source such as water collection, filtration, and recycling.

Perpetual

The perpetual food supply is for total collapse from which there is no coming back or voluntary off grid living indefinitely. You must have a self sustaining food supply, like a garden with heirloom seeds and large hunting area. You must also have a natural water source other than anything you have stocked.

Take Note

All of the time periods and recommendations in the pyramid are general. There are no specific rules. You immediate preps might last you a week. Your extended preps might run out in a month. It all depends on your situation, and what you have stocked.

Make it Last

Think about how many times you go to your kitchen in a day to grab a snack or go back for seconds and thirds of a meal. During emergency times your mindset and eating habits may have to change a bit depending on your level of preparedness.

One way to help your supplies last longer is to sit down and create a menu for every day of the week based on the food you purchase. While it is still up to you to be disciplined, creating a menu can help keep you on a routine that will help your supplies last longer. For more information on creating your own food menu, check out this article on making An Emergency Food Stockpile: DIY Approach.

Where are You?

I’m curious to know where our readers are on the Survival Food Pyramid. Are you guilty of jumping around without purpose? I’m currently working on my Extended Preps (3 Weeks or so).

To expedite my progress though, I utilized a guide and video found here.

Joel Jefferson

Joel is one of the original founders of SurvivalCache.com. After college, he joined the USMC where he served as an (0302) Marine Infantry Officer. Joel is an avid outdoorsman and spends much of his free time in the mountains. Joel’s hobby is researching survival gear & weapons as well as prepping. Read his full interview here.