Fruits and Vegetables

• Fresh fruits and vegetables are great, but they often will not last too long if not consumed right away. Canned fruits and vegetables give you the same nutrition and allow you to keep the food for a longer period of time. Your local grocery store will likely sell canned vegetables, such as corn, beets and beans as well as canned fruits, such as peaches and pears.
  
  

Grains

• Grains will not go bad for quite a while if stored properly. Cereal, oatmeal, crackers and pasta can last much longer than a week, if not opened. You can keep grains fresh by tying the bag up after use or purchasing an airtight clip at your grocery store to keep the food fresh and avoid spills.
  
  

Drinks

• Some drinks go bad after a week or so, such as milk. There are several drinks you can buy that will last a bit longer. Water will never go bad and bottled water is a great thing to keep in an emergency kit. Canned sodas and canned and packaged juices will also keep for longer than a week. You can also purchase powdered milk to make at a later date, as the powder will keep for several weeks.
  
  

Frozen Foods

• Freezing foods is an effective way of keeping some foods fresh. While bread will get moldy after sitting out for a week, sometimes even less, you can place it in the freezer to keep it fresh. Simply defrost the bread in the microwave or oven and enjoy. You may also freeze meats to keep them longer than one week.
  
  

Dried Foods and Nuts

• Dried fruits and meats also have a long shelf life. The fruits and meats, because they have been dehydrated, stay preserved for weeks, or longer if preserved in an airtight container. Nut meats, a good source of protein, also keep well when properly stored in an airtight container out of sunlight.