Gluten Free Survival Kit

[Lisa]

EDUCATION & AWARENESS

Planning Ahead: Creating a Gluten-Free Emergency Kit

By Linda King

NFCA Volunteer

The idea of a gluten-free survival kit became important to me recently as my family was subject to some of the floods that made their way across the Midwestern states. Suddenly, we found ourselves with almost two feet of water in our basement for a total of 48 hours. We lost heat, hot water and electricity while working really hard to keep our positive mindset! After all, no one was injured, but instead we temporarily lost the conveniences that we depend upon, including those to help us prepare gluten-free meals for our family.

Now that heat, water and electricity are restored to our family home, I've browsed some Internet resources to help put together a gluten-free emergency kit, in the event that our house is flooded again. I am hoping that we won't need this kit, as one flood was more than enough.

The outline below is adapted from the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org/services/disaster). The gluten-free food items were collected from manufacturer websites and the Delphi forum product lists.

There are essentials that we all need in any kind of emergency situation, whether or not we live gluten-free. These include water, food, first aid kit, non-prescription drugs, tools and supplies, sanitation, clothing and bedding.

Below, I focused on the food details and what brands will accommodate the emergency survival kit guidelines. Please check all labels when choosing items for your emergency kit, as labels can change anytime.

FOOD

Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack a can of sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Include a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables

Canned juices

Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)

High energy foods

Vitamins

Food for infants

Comfort/stress foods

Ready-to-eat canned meats

HORMEL

[Phyllis28]

Thank you Momma Gooose. This information will help me add lots of items to my very basic earthquake emergency kit.

[Lisa]

Thank you Momma Gooose. This information will help me add lots of items to my very basic earthquake emergency kit.

You're welcome. Hurricane season is about to begin here.

[YoloGx]

How great!

The electricity just went off here in the Los Gatos hills for a while. A little reminder of 3 1/2 days earlier in the year without power.

I couldn't handle all the chocolate and sugar goodies, however my mom can and the rest looks great!

Just would add a nice propane two burner portable cooker. Plus extra propane tanks. It really helps.

Bea

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Since I'm not an American I don't know, what can happen in PA (please, don't think, I'm stupid, I live here for only a little over 4 years), but on my list I'd exchange peanut butter for Nutella. Nutella is a litte in the same direction. It is a Hazelnut breadspread and glutenfree and I thought, I put it on here for all of you who don't like or can't have (because of an allergy) peanut butter.

Hugs to all, Lukas and Stef

[CCM]

Since I'm not an American I don't know, what can happen in PA (please, don't think, I'm stupid, I live here for only a little over 4 years), but on my list I'd exchange peanut butter for Nutella.

I lived in PA for about 10 years (and ten years ago). An emergency kit would be great: depending on the season, you should be prepared for flooding, ice/snow/hail storms with extended power outages, bad wind damage as hurricanes that have made landfall further south head inland and north...and let's not forget the random tornado.

I am in Utah now, and finally have my brain wrapped around the fact that I must be able to survive "the big one"...the earthquake that hits the Wasatch Fault. Figures I would find out I have to be gluten free now! Thanks so much for the note on Nutella, I did not realize it was gluten free. Yum!

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

WHOA I did not know that. Awesome, I just hope, if one hurricane hits, then it's on our marital home at a time, when I have my boy and my ex is at home... just kidding.

Yeah, Nutella is glutenfree and my life depends on it. Well, I don't take any other drugs, at least I can have my Nutella... lol.

I'm in a funny mood today. I thought, after all this grieving, I do myself something good and come here today. I'm sorry, when I'm being a little sarcastic, but I love you guys and this always was my place to go, when I needed it.

Hugs, Stef and Lukas

[psawyer]

I thought, after all this grieving, I do myself something good and come here today. I'm sorry, when I'm being a little sarcastic, but I love you guys and this always was my place to go, when I needed it.

Come here any time, Stef. You have friends here. Please keep in touch.

[Ivanna44]

Thank you Momma Goose

For the wonderful "shopping" list. As a newbie gluten free person, you feel like you are spending hours reading all the indregients. Thanks for the heads up that "Equate" vitimans in Walmart, marked with the "6" will list "gluten" as gluten

My husband who still does not get the seriousness of myself going gluten free does most of our shopping. So I really needed "name brands" to tell him to get.

Up north here, in terms of weather, it can be anything, tornados, flooding (which we had a bad one about 3 years ago), and freak snow storms. We just got 10 odd inches of snow today, more in some areas of city. But, alias that the weather here, look out the window 5 mins. later and its completely changed LOL , we are up in the 70s this weekend. lol

Anyhow, thank you again for gathering such a wonderful list to keep in a rubbermaid container for the "gluten free" and "gluten" members of the house for emergency readiness. Don't forget the 3 litres of water per day >per person

I recall years ago, when I made one of those up. They suggested at the time, to replace it every 3 odd months, with newer items. > Just to keep it as "fresh" as possible. Otherwise 2 years later, you are going through the crawlspace (under stair storage) and finding yourself asking. "Oh Yes? I forgot about that."

Some of those food ideas are handy for putting in a small rubbermaid box in the car trunk, in case you are stranded etc. Right, now I'm trying to make sure I always carry some sort of snack in my purse. Last weekend I was 4 hours at a clinic hospital for my daughter >she's ok. But, there was nothing there for me to eat, other than the 4 Glutino lemon wafers I happened to have in my purse.

Thanks Again, Momma Goose for the reminder, be prepared for short trip food needs, stranded car/boat food needs, and long term emergency readiness kits.

[Ivanna44]

PS. Sorry, Momma Goose,

Forgive me, I forgot to say > Sorry to hear that you were under a "flooding" emergency situation. I recall 3 odd years ago, when we had bad flooding (some ppl. had 5 feet of water, in city outskirts), how much it was not only physically but emotionally exhausting to endure.

I am glad to hear you are well, and those close to you are well too. I hope you are able to recover some of your loses due to water damage so forth

hugs

[Sweetfudge]

I am in Utah now, and finally have my brain wrapped around the fact that I must be able to survive "the big one"...the earthquake that hits the Wasatch Fault.

I am so terrified of that...especially living down by the lake. Well, the only thing I can really do is be prepared, so that's what I'm trying to do....and trying NOT to think about earthquakes lol!

WHOA I did not know that. Awesome, I just hope, if one hurricane hits, then it's on our marital home at a time, when I have my boy and my ex is at home... just kidding.

lol