It may sound dystopian, but Brits needing to store emergency supplies is becoming a reality.
Nearly 7,000 homes have been left without power as Storm Austen hit the UK last night.
And Storm Boleo isn’t far behind, with the Met Office issuing fresh ‘danger to life’ weather warnings.
The UK government has been stepping up its home defence plan in recent months. Andy Burnham’s office has prepared a publicity campaign which will tell households to prepare for extreme weather events, as well as cyber attacks, according to the Financial Times.
Preparation will include ensuring Brits have tinned food and bottled water, as well as knowledge about how to cope in a crisis, in order to free up immediate government resources for the most vulnerable.
While it may feel relatively new to us, other European countries have already issued this guidance. Finland has been stockpiling essential goods, vaccines, seeds, fuel and grains for decades with its agriculture minister, Sari Essayah, saying the country must be able to survive independently if something happens.
It has also hosted rescEU stockpiles since 2023, for the EU’s shared emergency stockpiles. The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency also asks citizens to have emergency supplies to last a week, because in an emergency ‘aid will be provided to those who need it most’.
For the UK, the impact of five heatwaves this summer has been forecast to lead to possible food shortages, according to analysts from the investment bank Shore Capital, while the The National Farmers Union (NFU) warned the situation is ‘increasingly concerning’.
Not to mention, Sir Keir Starmer warned the UK earlier this year there could be a Russian attack on Nato as early as 2030.
Now, there’s no need to panic buy, but stocking up on long-lasting food supplies would be a wise move. And, if you’re wondering what you’d ideally need in your emergency food cupboard so you can still cook healthy and tasty meals, we’ve got you covered.
Your stock cupboard essentials
Stephanie Baker, registered nutritionist and founder of Stephanie Jayne Nutrition, tells Metro you should prioritise these 20 items when stocking your emergency stores.
‘These will give you the basis for curries, chillies, soups, stews, pasta dishes, rice bowls, porridge, oat bars and snacks without needing fresh ingredients,’ she explains.
The list:
- Canned chickpeas
- Canned kidney beans
- Canned cannellini beans
- Canned chopped tomatoes
- Tinned sweetcorn
- Tinned peas
- Tinned tuna
- Tinned sardines
- Tinned coconut milk
- Rice
- Pasta
- Oats
- Red Lentils
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Peanut/almond butter
- Stock cubes
- Spices
- Tomato puree
- Olive oil
For Gabriela Peacock, nutritionist and founder of GP Nutrition, she doesn’t want anyone turning their noses up at tinned goods, and says you can easily have the ‘building blocks for balanced meals’.
‘Don’t assume that tinned automatically means less nutritious,’ she tells Metro. ‘Fresh food is wonderful, but canned foods can still be extremely valuable nutritionally and, importantly, they make eating a varied diet much easier when fresh produce isn’t available.
‘With canned foods, I’d simply check labels where possible and choose options without lots of added salt or sugar.’
Don’t forget to stock up on lots of bottled water, too.
Five easy recipes made from tinned food
Emergency vegetable & lentil soup
‘This is probably the most useful “everything in the cupboard” meal,’ Stephanie explains.
What you’ll need: Tinned lentils, tinned carrots, tinned peas, tinned tomatoes, tinned potatoes, tinned sweetcorn, stock cubes, dried herbs, and pearl barley or dried red lentils.
Method: Stephanie says to chuck whatever you have into a large saucepan with stock and seasoning and simmer until your barley or lentils are cooked through.
Ideally you’d serve it with bread or a baked potato, but if you don’t have it to hand in an emergency, the lentils will suffice.
‘Soup is incredibly forgiving, so it’s ideal when you’re working with whatever you have available,’ Gabriela explains. ‘Lentils add protein, fibre and minerals including iron, while adding several different vegetables gives you a much broader range of nutrients.’
Coconut chickpea curry
What you’ll need: Tinned chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, tinned coconut milk, tinned spinach or other greens, curry powder/garam masala, stock cubes, rice.
Method: Stephanie says simply add everything to one pan, simmer for 20 minutes and serve with rice.
‘You can also use lentils instead of chickpeas, tinned peas instead of spinach, and even peanut butter can be stirred through for extra calories and protein,’ she adds.
Gabriela agrees that a curry is a solid option, and suggests adding turmeric and cumin if you have them to hand.
‘Chickpeas are one of my star buys because they’re incredibly versatile and provide plant-based protein and fibre,’ Gabriela explains. ‘Fibre is particularly important for digestive and gut health, and chickpeas can go into everything from curries and stews to soups and salads.
‘Tinned tomatoes also make it incredibly easy to turn other cupboard ingredients into a proper meal.’
Tuna, tomato & bean pasta
What you’ll need: Tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes, cannellini beans, pasta, tomato puree, capers or olives, dried herbs, garlic granules.
Method: Stephanie says to cook the pasta, simmer the tomato sauce with beans and tuna, and then combine.
‘You could also swap tuna for tinned sardines, mackerel or salmon, which gives you a useful source of omega-3 fats,’ she says.
Gabriela suggests adding some sweetcorn if you have it to hand, too. ‘Adding beans and vegetables makes this much more balanced than simply having pasta and sauce, and the combination of protein and fibre should help keep you fuller for longer,’ she explains.
Smoky bean & vegetable chilli
What you’ll need: Kidney beans, black beans, tinned sweetcorn, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, tinned peppers, chilli powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.
Method: Stephanie says to simply simmer all the ingredients together for 20 to 30 minutes, and then serve with rice, wraps, baked potatoes or even pasta.
Garbriela also says a three-bean chilli with kidney, black and cannellini beans would also be great.
‘Beans are one of the most useful foods you can have in an emergency store,’ she explains. ‘They’re inexpensive, filling and give you both protein and fibre.
‘Using a mixture of beans also provides a broader range of nutrients and makes a very simple meal feel much more substantial.’
Mediterranean bean & tomato stew
What you’ll need: Tinned chickpeas or cannellini beans, tinned chopped tomatoes, tinned peppers, tinned olives, tomato purée, dried oregano/basil,garlic granules, stock cubes.
Method: Stephanie says to fry garlic/onion if you have it, but if not just add tomato purée, tomatoes, beans, peppers and seasoning to a pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Finish with olives and olive oil.
Again you could serve it with rice or pasta.
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