Purchase any comfort foods that would be pleasant to have should you be forced to live off your food storage for a long time (chocolate, pickles, spices, condiments, etc).

Key Points

  • Comfort foods can help ease your stress during rough times
  • While not considered “life sustaining” foods, we consider them “sanity-sustaining” foods. This is especially important if you have young children. A few normal foods or delicious snacks now and then can really help a difficult situation.
  • Our advice to use what you store, and store what you eat applies to comfort foods as well. Try a new thing each week or month. Some of our ideas may not be your normal treats but they are great food storage items.

Comfort Food Ideas

  • Home-made popcorn in a pot
  • Mashed potatoes with instant potatoes and GRAVY
  • Hard Candy
  • Chocolate
  • Pudding (made using dry milk)
  • Granola bars
  • Fruit snacks for children
  • Chicken noodle soup in a can (for if you get sick)
  • Kool-aid
  • Condiments (ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, salsa, pickles)
  • Spices (inventory what spices you use and store an extra one or two of each)
  • No-bake cookies ingredients (recipe coming soon)
  • Rice Krispie Treats
  • Macaroni & cheese dinners
  • Chocolate and butterscotch baking chips for homemade cookies or snacking
  • Peppermint tea bags
  • Ovaltine
  • Danish dessert (w/frozen raspberries)
  • Busy Day Soup (this is a meal, but it’s dinner comfort food & easy to make)
  • Homemade peach pie
  • Homemade cinnamon rolls

These are all just ideas- Obviously they aren’t all that healthy, necessary to sustain life, or totally “food storage” types of foods – but hey, everyone needs a little comfort food sometimes!

Do you have any more ideas to share? If so leave a comment below and we will add them to the list!

 

  • Deirdrercox

    tapioca pudding!

  • Damama78521

    What do you store if you are lactose intolerant?

  • Kathleen

    I have been working diligently over the past 6 months to build up our short term food storage and last month began our long term storage! Recently though I’ve been thinking about adding comfort foods. Candy, condiments, spices, peppermint tea and Kool-aid all sound appealing but I was looking for a
    filling-instant-something that would require very little or no prep. I spent almost an hour wandering up and down the grocery store aisles and rediscovered a treat from my childhood…canned ravioli and spaghetti-o’s! This isn’t something I ever buy, because it isn’t cost effective for my family of 7 but what a wonderful comfort food with no prep! I like the idea of being able to heat and eat them right out of the can. I plan on buying 7 each month to add ‘comfort food’ to our food storage.
    This would be great in our 72 hour kits as well since they are high in calories and fat and easy to prepare.

    • Shela

      Thank you for the idea Kathleen! We eat pasta twice a week (once with red/marinera sauce, and once with white/cream sauce). The spaghetti-o’s aren’t something I normally buy, but I will now because they require no “prep” and will definitely be a comfort food. The more you can store that is close to what you would normally eat, the better. For example, I have stored several cans of Spam. The chocolate pudding cups are also a great thing to store. Good luck and thanks again!

  • Mary voss

    The other day I was online looking at different freeze-dried food sites and came across a video of one where the staff was testing out their beans and rice (with southwest flavorings). Now that I am looking for it, I can’t find it!  Do any of you know which site I was on?  Thanks!

    • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi and Julie

      I’m not sure which site it was, if you find it let us know – sounds tasty.

      • Kathleen OMeal

        Good Heavens folks!  Why dont you just can or cook and then dehydrate your own tasty Southwest beans recipes…Why pay so much out on FD????  Chipotle sauce/cumin chicken tomato salsa/tomatillo,any seasoning, flavoring, salsas can be canned, dehydrated…just have to search what ingredients need to be added after the fact and store these…

        For example: a fast grab company coming super snack we put together fast make Cafe Del Rio’s Chicken Fajita mixes at home.  These are the best on the trail…just make the tortillas and cook on top of a flat stone if you have to.  When we sent out with military on maneuvers they flattend the dough out by hand and covered a latriene shovel with a little foil and it riveled the delicious recipes at Cafe Del Rio.

        we vacumn pack spices in bulk and store these in cool dark places for many years…these can also be packaged in little packets using any sealer and then sealed into whole meals in Bishops Storehouse super mylar bags…iron them shut if you have to…so many ways to do this….

        my 720,000 family plus EPA  preparedness group make all of their own snacks and meals ahead with great simplicity and ease..once you understand food processing very well…and also learn to garden year round in any zone, you can eat 5 star restaurant quality at every meal…there is never a need to not do so if you plan ahead, are prudent to the max and are creative in recipe building and use….just dont forget to use different colored carotenes in vegetables each day

        ….get ready to shelter in for several months…lots of super bugs here now and on the horizon….so long

  • ILinch4U

    not anyone that I have seen has mentioned good old fashioned cocoa. It is a must have

  • Dusty

    My collection of spices & herbs are a necessity. I can take one bean & grain soup recipe, and by adding potato flakes or less broth, it’s a stew. My soup bases are chicken, beef and ham. Then depending on the seasoning, it’s Italian, TexMex, BBQ, Chili, East Indian… I can make about 25 different soups & stews from this one recipe, and that’s before adding any kind of meat. Same for varmit or hunter’s stews, stir frys, and the master recipe for Artisan Bread in 5 makes dozens of different breads with spices & herbs, depending on what I add.

  • Dusty

    My collection of spices & herbs are a necessity. I can take one bean & grain soup recipe, and by adding potato flakes or less broth, it’s a stew. My soup bases are chicken, beef and ham. Then depending on the seasoning, it’s Italian, TexMex, BBQ, Chili, East Indian… I can make about 25 different soups & stews from this one recipe, and that’s before adding any kind of meat. Same for varmit or hunter’s stews, stir frys, and the master recipe for Artisan Bread in 5 makes dozens of different breads with spices & herbs, depending on what I add.

    • Jenny

      that sound simply amazing…wondering if you wouldn’t mind sharing your recipes and such….being a newbie to all this…it would be a huge help…and soup can be stretched a long way…

      jdickey.

  • http://thesusanbanthonycoin.com Susan B Anthony Coin

    In 1873, the U.S. Mint began producing a special silver dollar to circulate in the Orient and compete with similar coins from other nations (see Figure 11-30). The new trade dollar bore a modified version of the Seated Liberty design — this time, Liberty is seated on a bale of cotton, and she offers an olive branch to an unknown recipient on the other side of the ocean. The trade dollar enjoyed some popularity in Asia, where merchants would punch their special marks into the coin to give it their stamp of approval. Even though the trade dollar was heavier than the regular U.S. silver dollars, it was good only for purchases up to $5 in the United States. After that, the trade dollar was worth only its bullion value, which was less than its face value. As a result, many of the coins found their way back into the United States, where they could be spent at a profit.

  • NancyB

    Very Easy Cobbler: I reconstituted 2 cups freeze dried blueberries with warm water, then drained before using. You can also use apples, peaches, whatever.
    Melt 2 tablespoons butter in baking dish.
    Mix: 2/3 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt,1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    Stir in 2/3 cup milk, mix until smooth. Pour into baking dish with the melted butter, don’t stir. Dump fruit on top – no need to stir. Sprinkle top with sugar if the fruit is really tart.

    Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

    • Jenny

      just curious…the water you drain off the fruit…can that be used if using powdered milk for recipe…and then make up any difference needed with reg. water…

  • Heather

    Here is a great little recipe I saw in a magazine recently – maybe Ladies Home Journal, not sure. It’s just a box of devil’s food cake mix, and one can of plain pureed pumpkin (not the pie mix). That is all! You mix together those ingredients, it will be thick, and put it in a greased muffin pan. Follow the temp and time that the box says for cupcakes, just keep an eye on them in the oven. My kids liked them. They have a little different taste, but we thought they were pretty good. (Plus they are food storage, and reasonably healthy). Enjoy!

  • Bob

    I must be really slow, I’m just now trying to start, and am lost. This site is a God Send. My wife just wants to just run out and start buying stuff and we don’t even really know what we are doing. It is all so overwhelming

    • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

      Just take it in babysteps! Julie and I started only 2 years ago. You would be surprised how much you can accomplish when you just get started. Good luck!

  • Bob

    I must be really slow, I’m just now trying to start, and am lost. This site is a God Send. My wife just wants to just run out and start buying stuff and we don’t even really know what we are doing. It is all so overwhelming

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1362810159 Amber McCullough

    so with maybe 4-6 times the amount of milk powder could you make make a substitute for cream or half-and-half?

    My husband won’t use non-dairy creamers in his coffee. (Yeah, we aren’t Mormon either, but I really like your site!)

  • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

    I made pudding with my powdered milk and it turned out great! Maybe you could try different brands of milk. Or try using twice the amount of milk powder to make it a bit thicker and more like a 2% consistency instead of skim.

  • Tamra

    Do you have tips or recipes for pudding with powdered milk? I mixed up some regular Jello pudding using the rehydrated dried non-fat milk and it wasn't great. Would love tips!

  • Tamra

    Do you have tips or recipes for pudding with powdered milk? I mixed up some regular Jello pudding using the rehydrated dried non-fat milk and it wasn’t great. Would love tips!

    • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

      I made pudding with my powdered milk and it turned out great! Maybe you could try different brands of milk. Or try using twice the amount of milk powder to make it a bit thicker and more like a 2% consistency instead of skim.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1362810159 Amber McCullough

        so with maybe 4-6 times the amount of milk powder could you make make a substitute for cream or half-and-half?

        My husband won’t use non-dairy creamers in his coffee. (Yeah, we aren’t Mormon either, but I really like your site!)

        • http://www.plumtreechild.com Janet Mein

          Hi Amber and Tamra, depending on where you live you can buy powdered full cream in large cans for storage and also could try evaporated milk for more body as well. Not sure how they would be but it would be worth trying and the powdered ceam would be worth having in storage but I am sure the shelf life wouldn’t be as long as powdered skim milk. I have not seen the powdered cream here in Alberta Canada but I have seen it at Macey’s grocery store in Utah, so it must exist in other USA places as well or at the very least on an emergency preparedness website like Thrive.

          • Msgreenjeans50

            I get a dried whole milk called Nestle NIDO in the Mexican food section of my local grocery. It doesn’t have a long shelf life …maybe a year.  But it workes great to make yogurt.

  • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

    Morning Moo is a milk alternative. We don't really recommend it as it doesn't contain the same nutrients as regular powdered milk, and in an emergency situation you would want the NUTRIENTS more than the good flavor. If you family just loves the taste and wants to drink milk instead of water or something, then it's not a BAD thing to store. But we really like to stick with the regular stuff. If you want to purchase powdered milk in cans there are several places online or you could look for an LDS cannery in your area. Look through http://thefoodstorageshopper.net for some ideas on how to shop for it!

  • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

    Morning Moo is a milk alternative. We don't really recommend it as it doesn't contain the same nutrients as regular powdered milk, and in an emergency situation you would want the NUTRIENTS more than the good flavor. If you family just loves the taste and wants to drink milk instead of water or something, then it's not a BAD thing to store. But we really like to stick with the regular stuff. If you want to purchase powdered milk in cans there are several places online or you could look for an LDS cannery in your area. Look through http://thefoodstorageshopper.net for some ideas on how to shop for it!

  • kathy

    Where can I purchase canned powdered milk? I live in the Northeast and its even difficult to find Carnation in the box.
    Is Morning Moo an example of “Milk Alternative”? Would u recommend this to have on hand for drinking purposes?
    Is it possible to find whole powdered milk?
    I apologize for all the questions; however, food storage is unheard of in my area. I do not know a single person here who stock up on anything. I recently purcased 2 55-gal water barrels & my husband is concerned I have a mental disorder! lol

    • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

      Morning Moo is a milk alternative. We don’t really recommend it as it doesn’t contain the same nutrients as regular powdered milk, and in an emergency situation you would want the NUTRIENTS more than the good flavor. If you family just loves the taste and wants to drink milk instead of water or something, then it’s not a BAD thing to store. But we really like to stick with the regular stuff. If you want to purchase powdered milk in cans there are several places online or you could look for an LDS cannery in your area. Look through http://thefoodstorageshopper.net for some ideas on how to shop for it!

  • kathy

    Where can I purchase canned powdered milk? I live in the Northeast and its even difficult to find Carnation in the box.
    Is Morning Moo an example of “Milk Alternative”? Would u recommend this to have on hand for drinking purposes?
    Is it possible to find whole powdered milk?
    I apologize for all the questions; however, food storage is unheard of in my area. I do not know a single person here who stock up on anything. I recently purcased 2 55-gal water barrels & my husband is concerned I have a mental disorder! lol

  • kathy827

    I love the honey popcorn honey idea. Sounds great. Thanks for the tip.

  • Sam

    I love bittersweet baking chocolate – I keep a stash in my bed room for emergency’s. It’s the only place my kids don’t find it.

    For some weird reason I find chips & salsa to be comfort food so I always have a stash of that around. Also, the salsa can be added to rice &/or canned chicken or beef for something different. I know store bought salsa is expensive – every time I make mine from scratch it’s just aweful though.

    We’ve been living off our food storage for over a year (layoff) & I don’t even know how to eat “normally” anymore! This the first month in ages we have a budget surplus & all I can think of is squirreling away food.

    • Susan B

      Hi Sam, Do you have a Food Saver with a jar sealer attachment and hose? If you do, or if you know someone who does you can buy quite a bit of the baking chocolate and store it for 5 plus years. You place the chocolate in a Kerr or Ball mason jar, put the lid on and place the jar sealer attachment on top. Lock the machine and turn it on. After a few seconds you have a jar that has all the air sucked out of it. Because of this many comfort foods can be sealed this way for long term storage.

      • Sam

        ????
        Given that the chocolate has a packaged shelf life of 6yrs and would have to busted up into pieces to even fit in the mouth of a jar, I don’t see how any such thing is remotely practical. Not to mention if the food is rotated via consumption regularly that’s a lot of trouble to go through on a somewhat regular basis for no additional benefit.

    • Susan B

      Hi Sam, Do you have a Food Saver with a jar sealer attachment and hose? If you do, or if you know someone who does you can buy quite a bit of the baking chocolate and store it for 5 plus years. You place the chocolate in a Kerr or Ball mason jar, put the lid on and place the jar sealer attachment on top. Lock the machine and turn it on. After a few seconds you have a jar that has all the air sucked out of it. Because of this many comfort foods can be sealed this way for long term storage.

    • Susan B

      Hi Sam, Do you have a Food Saver with a jar sealer attachment and hose? If you do, or if you know someone who does you can buy quite a bit of the baking chocolate and store it for 5 plus years. You place the chocolate in a Kerr or Ball mason jar, put the lid on and place the jar sealer attachment on top. Lock the machine and turn it on. After a few seconds you have a jar that has all the air sucked out of it. Because of this many comfort foods can be sealed this way for long term storage.

    • Susan B

      Hi Sam, Do you have a Food Saver with a jar sealer attachment and hose? If you do, or if you know someone who does you can buy quite a bit of the baking chocolate and store it for 5 plus years. You place the chocolate in a Kerr or Ball mason jar, put the lid on and place the jar sealer attachment on top. Lock the machine and turn it on. After a few seconds you have a jar that has all the air sucked out of it. Because of this many comfort foods can be sealed this way for long term storage.

    • Susan B

      Hi Sam, Do you have a Food Saver with a jar sealer attachment and hose? If you do, or if you know someone who does you can buy quite a bit of the baking chocolate and store it for 5 plus years. You place the chocolate in a Kerr or Ball mason jar, put the lid on and place the jar sealer attachment on top. Lock the machine and turn it on. After a few seconds you have a jar that has all the air sucked out of it. Because of this many comfort foods can be sealed this way for long term storage.

  • Sam

    I love bittersweet baking chocolate – I keep a stash in my bed room for emergency's. It's the only place my kids don't find it.

    For some weird reason I find chips & salsa to be comfort food so I always have a stash of that around. Also, the salsa can be added to rice &/or canned chicken or beef for something different. I know store bought salsa is expensive – every time I make mine from scratch it's just aweful though.

    We've been living off our food storage for over a year (layoff) & I don't even know how to eat “normally” anymore! This the first month in ages we have a budget surplus & all I can think of is squirreling away food.

  • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

    I've never heard of them, I'll have to check it out!

  • jj

    Does anyone have any experience with the Saladmaster pans? I remember years ago attending a demonstration, and the part that appealed to me was the lady put half a box of cake mix in a pan, added a splash of water and nothing else and 5 minutes later a perfect cake layer came out. I am wondering if you can use them on a camping stove, seems like a nice thing to keep extra of would be packaged cake mix since I use it anyway and no eggs would be needed. I sure can’t afford the set but was thinking maybe that one pan on ebay :)

    • http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net Jodi – Food Storage Made Easy

      I’ve never heard of them, I’ll have to check it out!

      • Mstxgal

        I had Saladmaster pans for many years, but the item I loved most was the Saladmaster shredder, it is NOT electric, does everything a food processor does, but in emergency times, it is great, cuz it still works when there’s no electricity!  Hash browns, salads and slaws, scalloped potatoes, all of it, was great!!

    • Anita

      I’ve had a set of Saladmaster pans for 25 years. LOVE them. I’ve only had a problem with one lid on one pan in all these years. I love that I don’t have to worry about the toxic chemicals that the new coated pans come with. Hope that helps.

    • Gerry Ann Hooks

      I bought a set of Saladmaster pans before I got married in 1968 & have raised my family of 3 boys using that set.  I do make cakes on top of the stove. Instead of using a splash of water, I use 2 cups of shreaded vegetables (cabbage, carrots, squash, celery, etc.). It’s called a salad cake. My set still looks new.  I do need to replace one handle, I just have not done so yet. The Saladmaster pans are about the only thing (other than my husband) that is still around today. Look up Saladmaster on YouTube for demo’s.

  • jj

    Does anyone have any experience with the Saladmaster pans? I remember years ago attending a demonstration, and the part that appealed to me was the lady put half a box of cake mix in a pan, added a splash of water and nothing else and 5 minutes later a perfect cake layer came out. I am wondering if you can use them on a camping stove, seems like a nice thing to keep extra of would be packaged cake mix since I use it anyway and no eggs would be needed. I sure can't afford the set but was thinking maybe that one pan on ebay :)

  • Mara Grey

    I live on an island north of Seattle, and power outages are fairly frequent. Most are a few minutes or hours, but several years ago we were without power for three or four days during unseasonably cold weather, with snow on the ground. Believe me, this was proof that comfort food in an emergency is a necessity, not an optional luxury!

    The comfort food I’m storing includes cooked, packaged bacon, spiced cider, olives, dried butter and, of course, chocolate.

  • Mara Grey

    I live on an island north of Seattle, and power outages are fairly frequent. Most are a few minutes or hours, but several years ago we were without power for three or four days during unseasonably cold weather, with snow on the ground. Believe me, this was proof that comfort food in an emergency is a necessity, not an optional luxury!

    The comfort food I'm storing includes cooked, packaged bacon, spiced cider, olives, dried butter and, of course, chocolate.

  • Liz C

    I’ve a recipe for a really great chocolate cake that is made entirely from food storage items (no need for eggs or milk!)… it’s very hard to feel like you’re eating “storage” when there’s chocolate cake involved!

    One of our favorite treats is a huge bowl of stove-popped popcorn drizzled with honey and sprinkled with salt. It’s just enough sweet and crunch and salt to satisfy most treat cravings.

    I honestly put comfort food and comfort food skills fairly high up on the list. When we’ve been living off our storage, it was an incredible thing to know how to make a fantastic peach pie, for instance, or homemade cinnamon rolls.

  • Liz C

    I’ve a recipe for a really great chocolate cake that is made entirely from food storage items (no need for eggs or milk!)… it’s very hard to feel like you’re eating “storage” when there’s chocolate cake involved!

    One of our favorite treats is a huge bowl of stove-popped popcorn drizzled with honey and sprinkled with salt. It’s just enough sweet and crunch and salt to satisfy most treat cravings.

    I honestly put comfort food and comfort food skills fairly high up on the list. When we’ve been living off our storage, it was an incredible thing to know how to make a fantastic peach pie, for instance, or homemade cinnamon rolls.

    • Guest

      I love the honey popcorn honey idea. Sounds great. Thanks for the tip.

    • Jenny

      Iiz if you come back around to this post…would you mind sharing your recipes for the food you mentioned? 

      Blessings.

  • Pingback: Organize Blog » Cupid Is On His Way

  • http://www.tweencraft.com Suzanne

    Thank you for sharing your ideas! After looking at other food storage sites I’ve gotta tell you that your site is a breath of fresh air! Your tips are friendly and do-able.

    My Comfort Food Suggestions
    * Danish dessert (w/frozen raspberries)
    * Milk Chocolate Chips
    * Busy Day Soup (the recipe is at: http://www.eaglescoutscarves.com/camp_recipes/busydaysoup.htm) – while this is a meal – it’s dinner comfort food and easy to make.

    PS – I saw your twitter note, that you’re LDS, but gearing your site for everyone. I’m not LDS. Thank you for including everyone!

  • http://www.tweencraft.com Suzanne

    Thank you for sharing your ideas! After looking at other food storage sites I’ve gotta tell you that your site is a breath of fresh air! Your tips are friendly and do-able.

    My Comfort Food Suggestions
    * Danish dessert (w/frozen raspberries)
    * Milk Chocolate Chips
    * Busy Day Soup (the recipe is at: http://www.eaglescoutscarves.com/camp_recipes/busydaysoup.htm) – while this is a meal – it’s dinner comfort food and easy to make.

    PS – I saw your twitter note, that you’re LDS, but gearing your site for everyone. I’m not LDS. Thank you for including everyone!

    • Jenny

      i have to agree that this site is amazing…and thank you for making it for everyone…no matter their religious associations…people from all walks of life can use the wisdom this site contains…and they truly need it for the days ahead!  I also cherish the comments left by others…i’m learning so much!  

      blessings.

  • Angel

    I think this step is an important one. The last thing you want to do in an emergency is feed your kids food they have not tried and may not like. They want the ‘comfort’ of what they know and like.
    Of course the more you expand your recipies and use your storage they more likely they WILL be used to these things.
    For 72 hr kits I pack foods I KNOW they will want to eat.
    And don’t we all feel that way?
    I just treat this as part of storage, not extras.

  • Angel

    I think this step is an important one. The last thing you want to do in an emergency is feed your kids food they have not tried and may not like. They want the ‘comfort’ of what they know and like.
    Of course the more you expand your recipies and use your storage they more likely they WILL be used to these things.
    For 72 hr kits I pack foods I KNOW they will want to eat.
    And don’t we all feel that way?
    I just treat this as part of storage, not extras.

  • Tegan

    Favorites in my family: macaroni & cheese dinners, chocolate and butterscotch baking chips for homemade cookies- or just snacking out of the bag, peppermint tea bags, and Ovaltine.

  • Tegan

    Favorites in my family: macaroni & cheese dinners, chocolate and butterscotch baking chips for homemade cookies- or just snacking out of the bag, peppermint tea bags, and Ovaltine.

  • http://atuesdaystory@blogspot.com Lindsay

    Another comfort for children would be to have a few lightweight paperback books and coloring books and crayons packed in the 72 hour kit if you have one. :)

  • Lindsay

    Another comfort for children would be to have a few lightweight paperback books and coloring books and crayons packed in the 72 hour kit if you have one. :)