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Affordable Food To Buy During An Emergency

Whether you're anticipating to be snowed in, or there's a impending lockdown, it's important to purchase food that can handle many different conditions. Check out our list to healthy, plant-based food to buy during an emergency! Be prepared and keep your bellies full!

Empty store shelves at Target
by Aly Michell Dated: March 2, 2020 Last Modified: August 28, 2023 6 Comments
517 shares
(This post may have affiliate links. Please see my disclosure.)
Jump to:
  • Why Are People Stocking Up? 
  • Types of Affordable Food To Buy During An Emergency
  • Where To Find Affordable Non-Perishable Food?
  • List Of Non-Perishable Food To Buy During An Emergency 
  • Recipes Using Pantry Items 

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading globally, this weekend’s grocery shop was chaotic, nerve-wracking, and concerning. 

With my regular shopping list handy, I groaned just thinking about the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at the grocery store.

I was right - once I arrived in front of the mechanical sliding doors at Trader Joe’s, I saw the crowd gasping for air whilst swimming up to grab the last of the dry food items. 

It’s important for us not to panic about the coronavirus, yet, still, be diligent in preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Along with stocking up food items, it’s a great idea to also keep household staples including laundry detergent, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and disinfectant. You might also want to add prescription medicine on that list, too. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is assumed to be spread mainly from person-to-person.

A person may become infected from close contact of another person who has the virus, or through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. 

Why Are People Stocking Up? 

As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, folks are concerned they may face self-isolation or potential city “lockdowns,” which neighborhoods in Wuhan, China are currently experiencing. 

Similar to preparing for an impending storm or outage, many people just want to have what they need - just in case.

Types of Affordable Food To Buy During An Emergency

When stocking up on food for a long stretch of time, consider cheap non-perishable food items. Also, stick with items you’ll most likely consume.

For example, if you no longer need an emergency food supply, you can still use it in your everyday cooking. 

Examples of my best non-perishable food items I use on a regular basis include rice, beans, lentils, potatoes, nut butter, and oats. All of which I always have in my pantry and on my grocery shopping list. 

My #1 tip: don’t buy anything you won’t normally use, won't enjoy, nor use in a basic recipe. 

My #2 tip: visit the grocery store equipped with a shopping list. Not only will this save you time, but this will help ensure you’re buying everything you need while sticking to a budget. 

What Food To Store For Pandemic

  • Canned Food (beans, soups, and sauces)
  • Dry Food (beans, lentils, and pasta) 
  • Frozen food (mixed vegetables, bread, and fruit) 
  • Seasonings & Spices (salt, black pepper, and garlic powder) 
  • Produce (potatoes, apples, and dried fruit) 
  • Nuts & Seeds (sunflower seeds, nut butter, chia seeds) 
  • Grains (brown rice, oats, cereal) 
  • Snacks (granola, trail mix, tea) 
  • Condiments (ketchup, mustard, hot sauce) 
  • Oils & Baking (flour, baking powder, baking soda)

Where To Find Affordable Non-Perishable Food?

While grocery stores might have just about everything you need, here are a few places you can consider if you’re tight on cash: 

  • Local food pantries  - Local food pantries are a great resource if you’re facing hard times and cannot afford to buy adequate food. To find a pantry near you, check out ampleharvest or foodpantries.org. 
  • Dollar stores - Here you can find plenty of canned food items. Keep in mind that the dollar store does not always have the best deals. However, they are convenient and maybe an accessible option if grocery stores are challenging to travel to. 
  • Ethnic grocery stores - I usually find the best deals at ethnic (Latin, East Asian, Indian) stores. You can also find food in bulk including beans, rice, and pasta for very cheap. 

List Of Non-Perishable Food To Buy During An Emergency 

Here is a list of affordable food to buy during an emergency, pandemic, or for the coronavirus. All of the foods listed are easy-to-find, with cost in mind. Let's get into what you should consider for your emergency food supply.

Canned Food 

Black Beans

Red Kidney Beans

White Cannellini Beans

Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans  

Pinto Beans 

Tomato Sauce

Pasta Sauce 

Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

Crushed Tomatoes 

Sun-Dried Tomatoes 

Salsa 

Olives 

Corn 

Green Beans 

Peas 

Soup 

Coconut Milk 

Dry Food 

Lentils 

Split Peas 

Beans 

Pasta

Rice 

Sugar/Sweeteners 

Instant Potatoes

Frozen Food 

Mixed Vegetables 

Corn 

Green Beans 

Broccoli 

Peas 

Cauliflower 

Spinach 

Edamame 

Berries 

Bananas 

Seasonings & Spices 

Salt 

Black Pepper 

Italian Seasoning 

Oregano 

Parsley 

Garlic Powder 

Onion Powder

Chili Powder 

Smoked Paprika 

Nutmeg 

Cinnamon 

Garam Masala 

Sazon

Adobo 

Cumin Seeds 

Produce 

Potatoes 

Apples

Carrots  

Oranges 

Sweet Potatoes

Raisins

Nuts & Seeds 

Peanut Butter

Sunflower Seeds 

Grains 

Brown Rice 

White Rice 

Oat Bran 

Oatmeal 

Rolled Oats 

Whole Wheat Pasta 

Cereal 

Grits/Cornmeal

Snacks 

Popcorn 

Granola 

Raisins 

Chips & Salsa 

Peanuts 

Energy Bars 

Trail Mix 

Tea

Crackers

Condiments 

Ketchup 

Mustard 

Hot Sauce 

Soy Sauce 

Teriyaki Sauce 

Barbecue Sauce 

Salad Dressings 

Chutney 

Aioli 

Salsa 

Worschestshire Sauce

Oils

Olive Oil

Coconut Oil

Canola Oil

Baking Items

Flour

Sugar

Honey

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Yeast


Recipes Using Pantry Items 

Need recipe ideas? I got you. Below are breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that use only or mostly pantry and cheap non-perishable food items.

No-Soak Black Beans

Easy, flavorful black beans perfect with a side of white rice, sweet plantains, and sliced avocado.

Veggie Fried Rice 

This oil-free veggie "fried" rice is perfect if you have a bunch of vegetables lying around that need to be used up. If you prefer an oil version, check out "chicken" stir-fry.

Home Fries/ Breakfast Potatoes

Craving potaotes for breakfast? These are perfect for your morning meal - easy, cheap, and goes along with any savory breakfast side including tofu scramble.

Creamy, Savory Oat bran 

How about a bowl of creamy oats? Add a dab of butter and a pinch of salt. Breakfast is ready!

Cream Of Rice

Bowl of rice porridge with cinnamon walnuts, shredded coconut

If you're getting tired oats, cinnamon-spiced breakfast rice pudding is a great way to use that pot of leftover rice.

Cozy Lentil Potato Stew

Warm yourself up with a bowl of vegetable lentil soup.

Vegan Mac and Cheese 

Bowl of macaroni and cheese

Mmmmm mac and cheese! Just about everything used in this recipe is plant-based, using raw cashews for the cheese sauce.


If you're unsure how to protect yourself from the coronavirus, check out these tips from the World Health Organization (WHO): 

  1. Regularly clean your hands with hand sanitizer or alcohol-based hand rub. Or, wash with water and soap. 
  2. Distance yourself from anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms including coughing or sneezing. 
  3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. 

To learn more about the coronavirus, or any other diseases, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.


517 shares
Category: All, Plant-Based Food Guides

About Aly Michell

Over 10+ years of plant-based eating and cooking on a budget!

Previous Post:Puerto Rican habichuelas guisadas with a side of riceHabichuelas Guisadas From Dry Beans
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. nom

    March 12, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    Great post, but in the recipes section, there are no actual recipes or links to recipes… for each dish there's just a name and picture and a brief description.
    Maybe the links are missing or not showing up?

    Reply
    • plantbasedandbroke

      March 13, 2020 at 8:19 am

      The links were definitely missing! Thank you so much for letting me know. The name of the recipes along with the images has been hyperlinked appropriately.

      Reply
  2. Victoria

    March 11, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Those chocolate muffins look tasty. I'd love to look at the recipe but the link on the words "cocoa flavor" take me to Amazon to buy cocoa powder.

    Reply
    • plantbasedandbroke

      March 11, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      Yes, that's right! These muffins are made with cocoa powder and that's the one I used. 🙂

      Reply
  3. MrsSys

    March 09, 2020 at 12:15 am

    Very timely! Thank you ❤️

    Reply
    • plantbasedandbroke

      March 09, 2020 at 7:33 am

      You're welcome! I hope it helped. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, My name is Aly Michell! I create plant-based recipes that are easy, accessible, using everyday cookware.

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