Grains

How much to store

Grains should be the largest part of your food storage.  It is recommended to store 300 lbs of grain/ person/ year.  The USDA MyPyramid recommends that half of grains eaten should be whole grains.  Here is a list of common grains that are good for storing in your food storage.

Whole Grains

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel - the bran germ and endosperm.  These are some commonly stored whole grains.

• red hard wheat
• white hard wheat
• popcorn
• oatmeal
• brown rice
• whole grain barley (dehulled barley)
• stone ground cornmeal
• bulgur (cracked wheat)
• some ready-to-eat cereals

Refined Grains

Refined grains have been milled to remove the bran and germ.  This process also removes fiber, iron and many B vitamins.  Many of these product have been enriched which means that the iron and B vitamins have been added back.  However, fiber is not added back to enriched products.  Some examples of refined grains that are commonly stored are:

• all purpose flour
• white rice
• grits
• cornmeal
• pasta
• some ready-to-eat cereals
• pretzels
• flour and corn tortillas 

Cherubim Grain packages are an excellent add-on to their Family, Security or Modular units of long term storage food. These grains are packed in tough #10 cans using an inert nitrogen atmosphere to provide a shelf-life of seven to 15-years. Some are packed in premium pails.