As you prepare your emergency food stash, be sure to not forget to add greens! Learn how to prep greens to keep all that nutrition on hand.
By Danielle, contributing writer
In these uncertain times, even the anti-preppers may think it’s a good idea to have some extra food on hand. Our grandparents knew the value of having a stocked larder or pantry, and I think regardless of the times, it’s wise to have enough on hand for your family whenever possible.
Though the regular staples are no-brainers, like rice, dried beans, water, peanut butter, seeds, etc., we commonly forget to have greens in our survival stash.
Greens of course contain a slew of important vitamins and minerals, and in an emergency situation you need the nutrition power that greens hold. Use these simple ways to add green security to your preparedness storage.
How to Prep Greens in Your Survival Stash
- Easy peasy – buy some organic greens powder to keep in your stash.
- Or, save some cash and make your own greens powder. You could grab sale/clearance greens at the store, edibles outside, or greens from your garden. Dry them out in the oven or a dehydrator, blend, and store in an air tight mason jar or plastic bag. Just be sure they are 101% dry before jarring.
- If you don’t feel like doing the drying process, you can chop most greens (especially kale or spinach) and freeze them in freezer-safe bags.
- Another way to get the benefit of herbs is tinctures. Tinctures utilize alcohol or vegetable glycerin to extract the beneficial properties of herbs.
- Stock up on seeds to grow greens now before an emergency arises.
- Sign up for a local CSA or greens share. This allows your local farmers to invest in what they need to grow your food before you even need it. Strengthening local farms means you are more food secure. If you can’t find a CSA near you, get together with your neighbors and each agree to grow a certain food for the entire group.
- Consider growing microgreens or sprouts in your home. Learn how to now and keep some seeds on hand in case they’re needed.
Fight Food Insecurity
How to get better food security in general is a question on many minds today. Most of us in the natural world aren’t shocked to learn that the conventional food system isn’t quite up to snuff. But now, many are wondering if the superstore approach is the best for our health. (To which we all say NOPE!).
Never has there been a better time to grow a garden – some would call it a victory garden. Jump on an organic seed source, like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds or Seed Savers, and commit to growing one thing for your family this year. It could be tomatoes, cucumbers, or just some Mesclun mix salad. Maybe consider buying some fruit or nut trees.
Don’t Forget Water and Other Essentials!
Aside from food, consider how you can filter and obtain water naturally. Do you have lanterns, candles and flashlights in case the electricity goes out? What about a compost toilet system (I.E. a 5-gallon bucket and sawdust)? An emergency heat source may be a good idea, too. Don’t overdo it and cause yourself anxiety, but preparing for emergency can ease your mind.
