In planning your food storage, the specific needs and preferences of your family should be a primary consideration. As much as possible, your ‘food storage’ diet should be similar to your ‘normal’ diet. You need to have a short term and a long-term food storage plan.
Short Term Plan
Your short-term plan should be to store a 90-day supply of foods that you normally eat. There will be some modifications, because you must assume that your refrigerator and freezer will not be working. You should also assume that fresh fruits and vegetables must be grown in your own garden.
Each time you go shopping, buy some additional food and add it to your food storage. Do this until you have a 90-day supply for your entire family, including pets.
Once you have a 90-day supply, maintain it by rotating your storage items and buying additional food to replace the food you are consuming on a day-to-day basis.
Long Term plan
Your long-term food storage plan should include shelf stable foods such as wheat, dried beans, sugar, etc. These foods will not be useful to you unless you know how to prepare them. For that reason, it is recommended that you routinely include food from your long-term storage in your regular diet.
Food Preparation
Your plan should include obtaining food preparation items that can be used without power or gas. These items include a camp stove with a supply of fuel, a manual can opener, etc.
Food storage resources
There are many excellent on-line resources to help with the specifics of your food storage plan. Here are a few:
Provident living – food storage
Tips for Food Storage and Production
Best foods for long term storage
Beginners guide to emergency food storage