The Best Canned Goods To Have In Case Of An Emergency

There's never been a more opportune time to start stocking up on essential goods. As our environmental and political climate remains tense, we may feel compelled to prepare for potential situations where we can't acquire necessities. I've been focused on preparing for emergencies since the pre-Covid era, when I traveled full-time with nothing but a tent and some essentials. Those situations required me to be prepared for anything. Now that I have a more traditional living situation, I've transferred those survival skills into keeping a well-stocked home and mindset for safety and preparedness.

Canned food has long been a favorite for long-term storage due to its extremely long shelf life and diverse variety. These foods don't typically require water or any preparation to be safe to consume, so they're a great choice when you don't have access to an indefinite water supply or a cooking apparatus. In this list, I identify which canned foods are the most nutritious and provide the most energy, making them ideal to keep for emergencies. As long as they're stored in a cool, dry place and aren't damaged, they can last for years. These foods provide sustenance and convenience that will help you get the most out of your emergency stockpile and eliminate anything that will likely sit in your pantry and collect dust.

Beans and lentils make excellent additions to an emergency stockpile and are great options to start rotating into your regular meal schedule. Americans eat about 7.5 pounds of beans every year, which isn't all that much considering the legumes' low cost, high protein content, and general health benefits. They're versatile enough that they can be added to just about any meal to beef it up and add some nutritional value. They're useful for creating simple, creative meals, and they're dense and filling. Beans and lentils are chock full of protein, iron, fiber, vitamin B6, thiamine, and niacin, and unlike meat, they're inexpensive and low in saturated fat.

When stocking your pantry full of beans and lentils, aim for a variety. Variety is the spice of life, so they say, and it's also the key to making sure you're getting adequate nutrients and vitamins to sustain all bodily functions, which is particularly crucial during emergency situations. Chickpeas are neutral-tasting and make a great simple snack with just a little bit of spices. Black beans are a cheap, healthy base for a simple, minimal-ingredient stew, and baked beans are loaded with flavor right out of the can.

Ahh, sweet, sweet corn. It reminds us of simple summer days and evokes a sense of sentimental nostalgia. But the universally loved summertime treat also makes a smart addition to your stocked pantry.

When storing food for emergency use, it's best to think of that food as energy rather than as an ingredient to make a tasty meal. Energy in food is measured as calories, so the most energy-providing foods will be the most caloric and should make up a significant percentage of your stock. That's not to say that you should store mostly chocolate bars and ice cream. Food that is nutrient and calorie-dense is the best food to stock, and corn falls into this category more so than other vegetables.

Corn is a starch, and starchy vegetables provide more calories than other types of vegetables. On top of providing a decent amount of calories, corn is high in micronutrients, vitamins A and C, and magnesium. It can be a tasty treat right out of the can, thanks to its bright, sweet flavor. Accentuate that flavor with just a touch of salt, and you've got an easy, nutritious emergency meal that even picky kids will love.

Canned meat has a reputation for being pretty undesirable, but in an emergency, a can of meat might as well be a Wagyu ribeye. Canned ham, beef, chicken, and turkey are all viable options for storing long-term, although they're all typically very high in sodium. You're most likely to find the lowest-sodium meats as chicken, so opt for the majority of your canned meat stock to be this ubiquitous fowl.

It's hard to think of canned meat without conjuring up images of Spam — a popular canned ham brand in America, particularly in Hawaii. Those who are familiar with Spam are likely also familiar with its infamous sodium content. This common canned meat isn't a great choice for your emergency stockpile, where healthier foods should be prioritized. If you find yourself with a lot of Spam stashed away, you can blanch it to remove some of its saltiness, but this requires water, which is usually limited during disasters and emergencies. Instead, look for low-sodium canned ham and beef if you're on the hunt for canned red meat options.

Keeping bouillon cubes on hand to make your own soup in times of limited access to supplies is ideal, but there's no denying the convenience and ease of canned soups. Soup is probably the most frequently canned dish, so there's always a laundry list of canned soup options at any grocery store. One of the many benefits of storing canned soups as emergency food is its high water content. In situations where water is scarce, you might have to rely on your food to hydrate you. Soup is a champion of hydration, making it an excellent two-in-one, easy meal choice. Aim for a mix of condensed and ready-to-eat soups. Condensed soups take up less space, but they require water, so keep an assortment of soups that don't require water in case you have minimal access to it.

There are few soups you should steer clear of for your stock, so choose your favorites and only avoid those with excessive sodium. Creamy soups provide calcium and are particularly comforting, while veggie-packed soups offer a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals. Some soups are very low in calories, so specifically seek out those that are extra beefy, like this line of Chunky Soups from Campbell's. Make sure to keep a wide variety of different soups, and allow them to make up at least 30% of the canned portion of your emergency supply.

The most important rule to follow when preparing your food supply is to focus on variety. Cans of mixed vegetables uphold this sentiment by providing a colorful mixture of healthy veggies all in one convenient can. The recipe that most popular brands use for their canned mixed vegetables usually incorporates some combination of carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, celery, lima beans, and green beans. Not only will your meal or snack be more flavorful if you use mixed veggies instead of a single vegetable, but you'll also be ensuring that you receive an adequate amount of multiple vitamins and minerals.

Back when I was traveling and camping full-time, I utilized cans of mixed vegetables in nearly every meal. One can mixed with a pot of rice makes a cheap, highly nutritious, and protein-packed meal to give you tons of energy to tackle the day. Throw some beans into the pot, and now this staple dish packs even more of a protein punch. One of my favorite cheap and healthy camping recipes from my traveling days involved mixing a can of assorted veggies with ramen noodles from a single-serving pack (ditching the sodium-heavy seasoning packet), egg, and spices for a quick, simple, filling dinner.

Having access to milk in situations where refrigeration isn't possible will have you feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. A new world of cooking possibilities opens up, and all it requires is keeping a few cans in your pantry for future use. Evaporated milk is a great choice for shelf-stable milk. While there's a bit of a learning curve when it comes to cooking with evaporated milk versus regular milk, in many applications, it just requires adding water.

Evaporated milk is milk that's been heated to reduce its water content so that it's concentrated. It's similar to condensed milk, except it's not sweetened, making it a more versatile option. Aim for whole evaporated milk, which is high in fat and calories, or reach for coconut milk — a similar, vegan alternative — which has similar stats. Canned coconut milk is extremely high in fat and calories, so it shouldn't be relied on too frequently, but it's great at adding more calories to a soup, stew, or beverage. The slightly tropical taste works well in a lot of easy recipes, but it isn't as versatile as evaporated milk. Opt for unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk to add decadent creaminess (and extra calories) to pumpkin soup, corn chowder, coffee, or simple curries.

Fruit is a necessary aspect of a balanced diet, but it's often overlooked. According to the CDC, only about one in 10 Americans eat a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables, so incorporating them into your disaster-ready stock is a no-brainer. Whole fruits (as opposed to fruit juice) provide plenty of vitamins and fiber and act as an invigorating, tasty treat. Just like with vegetables, be sure to keep a wide variety of fruits so that your emergency stock provides plenty of nutrients and is more exciting to eat.

When choosing canned fruits for your fully-stocked pantry, aim for assorted fruits without excessive added sugar. You can typically find peaches, pears, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and berries in no-sugar-added cans. Stay away from fruit cocktails because these tend to be loaded with corn syrup — except for this canned fruit cocktail variety from Del Monte, which is packed in real juice. Choosing fruits packed in juice over water gives you more bang for your back, so to speak; the juice can act as a tasty, vitamin-packed beverage or recipe ingredient once you're finished with your canned fruit snack.

Canned fish is one of the most beneficial items you can keep in your emergency stock. The little fruits of the sea are a nutrient, calorie, and protein powerhouse, providing essentials like vitamin D2 and D3 (the latter is easy to be deficient in if you're stuck indoors), vitamin B12, iron, zinc, choline, iodine, and — most notably — omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are necessary for optimal cell function, so having ingredients in your stockpile with this essential nutrient is imperative.

Not only are fish champions of nutrition, but they're also incredibly tasty and satisfying and are a fairly versatile protein in plenty of convenient recipes. You can usually find canned tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies, but avoid anchovies because they're typically preserved in salt. Stick with whole fish packed in oil, as these types of tinned fish retain more moisture and are more calorie-dense.

I love topping just about any healthy, easy meal with a few sardines — my favorite are these from Chicken of the Sea — or pieces of canned salmon as a way to bulk it up and make it more satisfying. Make stews with tinned fish, use them in sandwiches, and top crackers with them for a snack — or just eat them right out of the can. 

There's no denying that canned potatoes aren't nearly as tasty as the freshly prepared stuff, but they're a convenient way to get healthy calories during a crisis nonetheless. Potatoes are bland and, quite honestly, pretty boring — but that's exactly what you should be looking for in emergency food. Canned potatoes have a plethora of uses in basic recipes; blend them seamlessly into stews or casseroles to bulk them up, make a quick and easy mash, create a potato-based soup — the list is practically infinite. They make a filling treat when sprinkled with a little seasoning, and while they taste better baked or fried, they're perfectly fine to eat unprepared.

Potatoes are particularly high in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber, making them a superb addition to a healthy diet that's composed of inexpensive, shelf-stable foods. Like corn, they're also a starchy veggie, meaning they're much more calorie-dense than the majority of other vegetables.

Canned sweet potatoes are another excellent choice for a more flavorful potato for your emergency stock. Sweet potatoes have a similar nutritional profile to white potatoes, but with a much higher presence of vitamin A, making them even more nutritionally diverse than white potatoes, but not quite as versatile due to their particular sweet, earthy flavor.

Like canned soup, canned chili is a satisfying meal right out of the can with no additional ingredients needed for fresh-off-the-stove, home-cooked flavors. Typically, canned chili with beans is packed with protein and offers a good source of vitamins and minerals alongside optimal calories. If you love the taste of chili but would prefer something with less fat content, vegetarian chili packs a similar punch of flavor, but relies solely on beans and veggies for protein and calories as opposed to ground beef and pork.

There are a ton of different varieties of canned chili, all with different flavor profiles, heat levels, and textures, so before loading up on a bunch, make sure you get the kind that you already know and love, or test out a few. I love Hormel's turkey and bean chili for my emergency stock, because turkey tends to be lower in cholesterol and fat than beef and pork but still protein-packed. Lean towards chili with beans rather than all-meat chili, as this adds more variety — and, therefore, nutrition — to your canned food stock.

Canned pumpkin is usually reserved for baking, and you're probably not going to be cranking out too many cakes and cookies during an emergency situation. But canned pumpkin is a great addition to more than just baked goods; it provides heaps of vitamins and minerals and a relatively substantial amount of calories. Pumpkin is incredibly high in vitamins A, K, and E, the latter being a vitamin that most vegetables aren't particularly high in, which makes pumpkin a great ingredient to add more healthy diversity to your stock.

Pumpkin isn't a particularly versatile ingredient, so don't go rushing off to snag as many cans of the pureed gourd as you can. If you like the taste of pumpkin, add some cans to your stockpile and then make a plan for how you'll use it. Pumpkin makes a great soup base, especially with coconut milk and curry seasoning. You can also use canned pumpkin puree in quick breads, pasta sauce, oatmeal, or add it to your canned chili to stretch it out. Canned pumpkin can even make a healthy, sweet treat right out of the can. When I'm baking with pumpkin, I like to save a little of the puree and sprinkle it with cinnamon, sugar, black pepper, and cayenne for a quick, flavorful treat.

Although it isn't calorie-dense like the rest of the items on this list, spinach is a dark leafy green, and dark leafy greens are unstoppable in the nutrient department. Of all dark green veggies, spinach is the easiest to find in a can, and it's among the most vitamin-rich of all canned veggies, making it ideal for your fully-stocked pantry. Spinach contains vast amounts of vitamins K, A, B9, and C, and it's an excellent source of iron, folate, and fiber. Compared to fresh spinach, canned spinach lasts much longer (obviously) but it's also cheaper and contains more nutrients. Have you ever cooked raw spinach and been shocked when an entire 20-ounce bag reduces to a mere couple of spoonfuls? Canned spinach is cooked down before it is canned, so a can packs in more spinach than a whole bag of the fresh stuff, making it more nutrient-dense.

Canned spinach can be added to home-cooked recipes or other canned meals, like soups or chili, to add vitamins and minerals and a hint of mild, earthy bitterness. Blend canned spinach into simple smoothies to get your nutrients down in a hurry, or eat it right out of the can. In cases where electricity isn't accessible, or cooking isn't feasible, mix some canned spinach with black beans and hot sauce or spices for an easy and nutritious meal.

One of the most important aspects of stocking food and water for emergencies is one that can be easily overlooked by those new to the prepping game. The absolute best way to keep excess food — including canned goods — is to purchase what you already use and rotate it through your regular food supply. This guarantees that you'll use everything and nothing will expire because canned foods can technically go bad, although it takes them being damaged or going untouched for an exceptionally long period of time.

Instead of buying items that sound like they'd be ideal in emergencies but that you don't like or haven't tried, stick with food items that are your favorite. For example, if you love a couple of types of soup in particular, stock those, as long as they're nutritious and preferably calorie-dense and low sodium. Then, eat those soups for a quick lunch or dinner periodically and restock them as needed. Just be careful not to let your emergency supply get too low as you rotate through it.

If you don't normally eat canned food at home, try introducing some canned items into your regular diet for convenience. You'll likely find that they're nearly as tasty as fresh foods and cheaper. The only canned foods I use frequently are beans and fish because I prefer frozen veggies and homemade soup. But every so often, I grab a can from my stock so that way I can incorporate it into my regular diet and not let those cans sit and collect dust for years.