Gluten & Dairy Free Hurricane Preparedness

Gluten & Dairy Free Hurricane/Emergency 
Food Preparedness

This post is going to be short and sweet.  I will create a more in depth post, but since Tropical storm Lee is on its way, I have been gathering a few staples in case our power goes out, or in case the storm revs up into a hurricane.  

Since this is my first gluten free storm to prepare for, I was a little nervous, but as I wrote my list, I realized that most of the non-perishables that I was packing were some of the things I use when packing lunch, or snacks for a trip. You can read about some of those items in my lunch post. This post will focus on gluten and dairy free food preparation.

Scroll through the slide show for pictures of non-perishable gluten and dairy free hurricane/emergency food ideas.

There are many things to pack, but here are some of the non-perishable items that I have for this storm:

• Water, Water and More Water! Did I mention Water?
• GF DF canned soup
• GF DF Peanut or Almond Butter
• GF DF Dry Cereal - this can be eaten dry or with non-dairy milk
• GF DF Rice Cakes
• GF Nuts
• GF DF Protein powder, can be great mixed with water in a blender bottle
• Larabars
• Individual cartons of almond milk are great to drink alone or on cereal, especially if you can keep them cool in your fridge or cooler
• GF crackers
• GF cookies
• Tea or coffee (not essential, but it can be nice to have)
• If you have access to hot water, you can pack Thai Kitchen meals
• Canned beans, vegetables and fruit.
• GF Dried fruit
• Applesauce 
• Fruitcups
• Medicine- I ran out of a prescription during Hurricane Gustave and it was not pretty

Remember:

• Pack ENOUGH FOOD! Never underestimate the severity of a storm. Especially when you have food restrictions to deal with. When the store shelves are empty, it may be a while before they are restocked with things that you can eat.
• If possible, make an emergency card with your allergies and food restrictions.  Laminate it and keep it with you at all times in case you need medical attention.
• If your power goes out you need to have foods on hand that do not need heat or refrigeration.
  
• If your power goes out, do not go for the non- perishable items. Eat the things in your refrigerator and freezer first.
• Try not to pack foods that are too salty like chips. If you are in an emergency, salty things will make you thirsty, and you need to try to conserve your water.
• Try to pack healthier foods. You do not want to eat only junk during an emergency unless you run out of options.
• Look for items with a longer shelf life.  I plan on restocking my staples in about three months, so I am not as concerned about shelf life this time.
• Try to pack things that can be eaten without preparation.
• If you are packing canned goods, pack a CAN OPENER. Even if it has a top that peels back, sometimes those break, so have a can opener on hand.
• If you know about the storm in advance try to use up things like eggs by boiling them or baking muffins etc. to eat so that they do not go bad. 
• Even if you purchase water, try to fill up as many water containers as possible.
• Pack Ice!  Ice can be quite scare during a hurricane, so make some and bag it because it can be very useful if you need to use your cooler.
• If only one person has dietary restrictions, keep their food separately so that there is no confusion. This is especially important for children.
• I suggest you pack a few days worth of smaller non - perishable meals in ziplocks and store them in backpacks for each person in your household. Include food, water, clothing, flashlights, a first aid kit etc. in the event that you must evacuate and become separated. I do not mean to sound negative, but it is essential to be prepared.
• A few posts GF emergency preparedness posts that I find helpful are  a guest post on Ginger Lemon Girl's Site and Margo's post over at Off the Wheaten Path. I suggest you check them out.
• I also like to have my Bible on hand.

I hope this helps, and I apologize for not including more information. I know that many of you may be preparing right now like I am and I wanted to share how I am getting ready. God Bless you all and I hope you all remain safe!