Step 1: Get Started

Assess what your family eats so you know which staples to stockpile.

1. Look through recipes you frequently use and your recent grocery-shopping receipts to draft a list of your most-purchased nonperishables.
2. Think about canned foods (like corn, beans and tomato sauce or paste), dried staples (pasta, cereal and rice), dairy products (butter and cheese) and meat (chicken breast, fryers and ground beef).
3. Check beyond the kitchen for toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper.