Food that needs no cooking

In a power outage you may have no fridge, stove or microwave. The food in your kit should be safe to eat cold, straight from the can or package.

Start with what your household already eats

The best emergency food is food people will actually eat. A stressful few days isn't the time to discover nobody likes what you bought. Look at your usual groceries and pick the versions that keep without a fridge.

What to keep

• Canned meat and fish: tuna, salmon, chicken and ham. Pull-tab cans are the easiest.
• Canned vegetables, beans and soup: beans, chickpeas, corn and most soups are fine cold.
• Ready-to-eat meals: check the label says they can be eaten without heating.
• Dried fruit, nuts and granola bars: lots of energy in a small space, and easy to share with kids.
• Crackers and dry cereal: they keep for months while sealed.
• Shelf-stable milk: lasts for months unopened. Once opened, use it within a day.
• Peanut butter and honey: filling, and they keep well.
• A few treats: they really do help morale.

Don't forget a manual can opener. Without one, a cupboard full of cans is no help.

How much

Plan for at least 3 days of meals and snacks for everyone at home: roughly three meals a day per person, plus snacks.

Dietary needs

Think about allergies, intolerances, diabetes and anyone who needs soft or special food. If someone in your home has a medical diet, ask a doctor, dietitian or pharmacist what to keep in reserve.

Keeping it fresh

The Government of Canada suggests replacing your emergency food once a year. The easiest way is to eat it and replace it: use the oldest items in everyday meals and put new ones at the back. Checking when the clocks change in the spring and fall makes it a habit.

Throw away any can that is bulging, badly dented, rusty or leaking.

Food in the fridge and freezer

In an outage, eat food from the fridge first, then the freezer, and save your emergency food for last. Keep the doors closed as much as you can. According to Health Canada:

• an unopened fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours
• a full freezer keeps food frozen for about 48 hours, and a half-full one for about 24 hours
• food that has been at room temperature for 2 hours or more should be thrown out
• food that still has ice crystals, or feels fridge-cold, can be refrozen

Don't put frozen food outside, even in winter. Animals can get at it, and sunshine can thaw it even on a very cold day.

When in doubt, throw it out. Food can make you sick even if it looks and smells fine.