When talking with people about food storage I often get asked what I keep in my food storage. It’s very simple, what my family eats. Choosing to stock up on food that is easily stored and that your family will eat consistently is the best way to start your emergency food storage. Making sure you rotate through your food storage will keep it fresh and keep the extra shopping to a minimum. I also keep some of the other basic need in my emergency storage like paper goods, medicine, batteries, and water. I have created a basic list of items I feel are important to include when starting your food storage.1. Grains/ Legumes- These are staples in our everyday diet so storing wheat, flour, rice, peas and beans are the foundation for any emergency food storage. When these items are stored correctly they can last up to 30 years, so once you get these stocked up you won’t have to worry about them very often.2. Drink Mixes- I do not like drinking water, I prefer having flavor. Keeping drink mixes in your food storage will offer variety of drinks and also a bit of something to look forward to, and don’t forget your instant coffee for all those coffee drinkers. This is also an important item to have for kids. They love getting “treats” and special drinks can count for those treats.3. Candy- Speaking of treats having some candy on hand will make everyone’s life easier. You can vacuum seal or can candy so that you will have some in your food storage.4. Water- Storing water is a very important aspect of any food storage. You need this for cooking, cleaning, and drinking you can use one of our water filtration products to clean water for drinking but having other water on hand is a must.5. Every day Essentials- This is where toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, and medicine fall into. Think about those things that your family uses every day and buy a bit extra next time and start storing them. Just because you are in an emergency situation doesn’t mean that you can’t be comfortable. Also think about those things that your kids need like diapers, formula, and toys.6. Kitchen/ Cooking Items– Make sure you have the items necessary to prepare the food you have stored. Have you tried mixing up a batter without a mixing bowl or a whisk? I keep my old set of pots and pans from college with my food storage along with our camping stove and extra propane just in case.There are a lot of blogs about this topic and each one will have slightly different ideas. Check them out! Do your research and make sure you have your necessities covered. Emergency Preparedness doesn’t have to be about barely surviving, if you are prepared your family can be very comfortable.---Breanna Legler---Breanna Legler is a staff writer who will be contributing to this blog along with others on the staff. Breanna is a food storage enthusiast who is excited to share her knowledge with others. She is also into outdoor activities such as skiing, camping and scuba diving.