Long-term food prepping is essential for ensuring you and your family are prepared for any emergency. Mylar bags are a top choice for preppers looking to store food safely for extended periods. They offer excellent protection against light, moisture, and oxygen—key factors in preserving food’s quality. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of selecting the right foods, buying in bulk gradually, and using Wallaby Goods' Mylar bags and accessories to build a sustainable 1-year food supply.
What Foods to Store for a 1-Year Supply
When prepping, the focus should be on foods that are low in moisture and fat for long-term storage. Some of the best options include:
- Grains: Rice, oats, wheat, barley
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas
- Freeze-Dried Foods: Vegetables, fruits, and meats
- Staples: Salt, sugar, powdered milk, pasta
Avoid storing foods high in fat or moisture, as they spoil more quickly. Wallaby Goods’ Mylar bags are an excellent solution for storing these dry, long-lasting foods. They provide an airtight seal that protects against moisture, pests, and air, ensuring your food remains fresh.
Buying in Bulk: Set Monthly Goals
Building your 1-year food supply doesn’t have to happen all at once. Instead, set monthly goals to gradually purchase in bulk, ensuring you stay within your budget. Here’s a simple approach:
- Start with staples: Buy basic grains and legumes in bulk.
- Add proteins: Purchase freeze-dried meats or dehydrated foods as your stockpile grows.
- Include vitamins and supplements: Don’t forget to add vitamins to support nutrition in your emergency food supply.
Setting monthly goals helps you pace your purchases, preventing you from overspending or overstocking.
Make Sure You Have the Right Food Groups
For a balanced 1-year food supply, it’s important to have a variety of food groups:
- Carbohydrates: Grains and rice
- Proteins: Beans, lentils, freeze-dried meats
- Fats: Oils, peanut butter, nuts (store in small quantities)
- Vitamins and minerals: Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables
By ensuring your supply includes a mix of food groups, you’ll have a well-rounded stockpile to cover all nutritional needs. To help determine exactly what foods you need, Wallaby Goods offers a handy food storage calculator. This tool allows you to input the number of people in your household and helps you figure out the right quantities of food to store for a year. It’s a great resource for making sure you’re covering all your bases.
The Importance of Mylar Bag Sizes in Food Storage
One of the great benefits of using Wallaby Goods’ Mylar bags is the variety of sizes available, making it easier to store different types and quantities of food. For example:
- 1-Gallon Mylar Bags: These bags are perfect for storing grains, beans, or pasta in manageable quantities. With a 1-gallon bag, you can easily store enough rice or oats for small to medium-sized families.
- 5-Gallon Mylar Bags: Ideal for bulkier items like flour or larger quantities of rice, beans, and freeze-dried foods. The 5-gallon size is perfect for long-term storage when you want to buy in bulk but also maintain easy-to-handle portions.
- 1-Cup Mylar Bags: Great for smaller portions of snacks, dehydrated fruits, or smaller grains. These are useful when you want to store individual meal portions or quick snacks in an organized manner.
Having different sizes ensures that preppers can buy in bulk without sacrificing convenience. Larger bags are excellent for bulk storage, while smaller bags allow you to portion out foods in a way that fits your family’s needs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Storing Food in Mylar Bags
Here’s how to store your food for the long term with Wallaby’s Mylar bags:
1. Choose the Right Foods
Select dry foods with low moisture content, like grains, beans, and pasta. Avoid high-fat or moisture-rich foods.
2. Label Your Mylar Bags
Proper labeling helps you keep track of your stock. Clearly mark each bag with:
- Type of food
- Quantity
- Packaging date
Use a permanent marker and protect the label with clear tape to avoid damage from moisture.
3. Fill the Mylar Bags
Use a scoop or funnel to fill the bags carefully. Be sure the bag edges are clean before sealing.
4. Add Oxygen Absorbers
Use oxygen absorbers from Wallaby to remove oxygen from the bags, preventing spoilage. For a 1-gallon bag, use 600cc oxygen absorbers. Larger bags may require multiple packets.
5. Seal the Bags
Seal your bags with an impulse sealer or a flat iron to create a secure, airtight seal that locks out moisture and air.
6. Store the Mylar Bags Properly
Place your sealed bags in a cool, dry location. For extra protection, store them in food-grade buckets to guard against light, pests, and physical damage.
Gradually Building Your Food Storage
Building a 1-year food supply is a long-term project that requires thoughtful planning. By breaking down your goals into monthly steps and focusing on different food groups, you can steadily build a sustainable, balanced food stockpile. Wallaby’s Mylar bags make it easy to store bulk purchases while keeping your food safe for the long term.
Mistakes to Avoid:
- Not sealing properly: Always ensure your bags are tightly sealed to protect your food from air and moisture.
- Overpacking: Don’t fill bags beyond their capacity; leave room for a proper seal.
- Forgetting oxygen absorbers: Oxygen promotes spoilage—be sure to always add them.
Conclusion
Mylar bags from Wallaby Goods are an indispensable tool for preppers looking to build a reliable and long-lasting food supply. By focusing on the right foods, setting achievable goals, and using high-quality Mylar bags in various sizes, you can build a 1-year food supply that will stay fresh and nutritious for years. Start slow, stay organized, and make sure your food supply is prepared for whatever comes next.
Ready to start your prepping journey? Wallaby Goods offers everything you need for secure food storage, including Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and impulse sealers. Start building your long-term food supply today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do preppers use Mylar bags?
Preppers rely on Mylar bags because they offer superior protection against light, moisture, and pests, all of which contribute to food spoilage. These bags help extend the shelf life of stored food, making them ideal for long-term storage.
What are Mylar bags made of?
Wallaby Mylar bags are engineered with an added internal layer of aluminum foil which provides superior durability and puncture resistance. All Wallaby bags are made with BPA-free, food grade materials.
What types of foods are best stored in Mylar bags?
Mylar bags are perfect for storing dried, low-moisture foods such as grains (rice, wheat), beans, pasta, sugar, salt, and dried fruits. Foods with low fat and moisture content are ideal, as they last longer when sealed in Mylar bags.
Do you need to put an oxygen absorber with Mylar bags?
Yes, using oxygen absorbers is essential. They remove oxygen from the bag, preventing the growth of mold, bacteria, and insects that can spoil the food. This step helps preserve the food’s freshness and extends its shelf life.
Do you need to store Mylar bags in buckets?
While not strictly necessary, storing Mylar bags in food-grade buckets adds an extra layer of protection. Buckets shield the bags from light exposure, physical damage, and pests, ensuring your food remains safe and intact over the long term.
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