Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

Zombie issues aside, how much food do you generally have in your house?

36 replies

sylar · 08/05/2010 10:26

How long would your food supply last if you suddenly couldn't leave the house? I've just read that most people only have enough to last them three days since most of us eat out several times a week.

I have an emergency stockpile so accept I am probably a bit extreme but I am concerned that everyone else is being taken out to dinner far more frequently than I am!

OP posts:
Katymac · 08/05/2010 10:28

Well I run a business from home (childminder/nursery) so I have enough to feed my family for about a month - there are only 3 of us

Original poster
sylar · 08/05/2010 10:34

That's handy Katymac.

Even without my secret stockpile I'm wondering whether I buy too much food. I just assumed that most people do a big shop every couple of weeks and then just top up with fresh stuff when necessary.

OP posts:
asktheaudience · 08/05/2010 10:44

We certainly don't eat out several times a week!

After a big shop I usually have enough basic groceries and frozen food to last a week or two ut I've never tried running everything down to see, and I buy fresh meat, fruit & veg every couple of days.

Katymac · 08/05/2010 10:45

Well I have 3 trays of baken beans (the very large tins) under the stairs from when Makro had an offer on

Plus 3 large bags of pasta, only 1 of rice but it's 25kgs

Plus a chest freezer with something like 10 pack of 6 sausages & 6 packs of 10 fish fingers

We would be bored but fed

I have 4 bags of bread flour - so that is 16 loaves plus 5 pack of 4 baguettes to bake - so we would be short of bread maybe?

3 bags of spuds, plus about 10kg of sweet potato

20 odd bags of various frozen veg

Plus tins - oh god do I have tins

I think I am a bit

GypsyMoth · 08/05/2010 10:50

Good grief katymac!!

I found out during the snow days that I need to stock up! There's 6 of us and could last a week. The kids like it when I run cupboards down.......pancakes!!

Original poster
sylar · 08/05/2010 10:51

I think we eat out maybe once every few weeks and then get takeaway maybe once a month - probably not even that.

I think the stuff in our cupboards and the freezer would keep us going for about 3 weeks - although the meals would be pretty odd towards the end.

I then have a stockpile of basics which would last us another few weeks.

OP posts:
Gay40 · 08/05/2010 10:57

We don't eat out several times a week either. Get the odd takeaway.
On a normal day, we'd have about a week's worth of fresh stuff (bread, fruit, veg, organic meat), about 3/4 days of food in the freezer and then it would be down to tins and pasta/rice which realistically is only about another few days tops.
But it would be really boring to eat. Maybe that's not a bad thing?

Does anyone else do this: eat the cupboards down before holidays? So that the last few days are very odd meals.

Original poster
sylar · 08/05/2010 11:04

I like your supply list Katymac. I might have to get out my stockpile and see what I have. I think its pretty random!

OP posts:
FreakoidOrganisoid · 08/05/2010 11:05

I have lots of cupboard stuff eg lentils, beans, rice, pasta, flour, tinned tomatoes and replace all of those as they start to run low rather than when I need them for a particular meal iyswim.

Fresh food I buy as and when.

My freezer is quite small so not much in there, a few bits of meat, some soups/stews, fish fingers and frozen peas.

I certainly don't eat out a few times a week, a few times a year more like!

gorionine · 08/05/2010 11:16

We do a montly shopping (only add fruit/veg and bread when needed)so if something dreadfull that prevent us going out of the house happend, technically we can survive for up to a month but would be at risk of scurvy as our vitamin C supply would run short pretty quickly!

muggglewump · 08/05/2010 11:18

Hmmm, I reckon we wouldn't go hungry for a month as I have a massive freezer and loads of storecupboard bits, but nutrient wise we'd be on dodgy ground after a couple of weeks and fresh food would last a week at most.

ImSoNotTelling · 08/05/2010 11:27

Maybe when they say eat out several times a week they are including people buying lunch when at work.

I can't believe that most people eat out in the evening several times a week.

Original poster
sylar · 08/05/2010 11:28

I wonder who these people are who eat out several times a week. And I wonder how they afford it.

Actually I've just remembered one of the families at school eats out every weekday evening. They are loaded though!

OP posts:
ImSoNotTelling · 08/05/2010 11:29

most people have tins of soup and beans and stuff knocking around don't they?

i think this "what most people do" thing is rubbish

Original poster
sylar · 08/05/2010 11:29

You could be right Imsonottelling. That would make more sense and I suppose lots of people would then be eating out a lot of the time.

OP posts:
ImSoNotTelling · 08/05/2010 11:32

I get a bacon sarnie for breakfast when I'm working.

Think that counts

rosieposey · 08/05/2010 11:39

Hmm i read that other thread where people were saying that if there was a societal breakdown type scenario (or the banks went under and you couldnt access any of your money) that it was a good idea to have stocks of food and water and perhaps some hard cash. I think that it would only be worth having food if you didnt need to cook it (no gas or electric) and what about water? A bathtub full wouldnt last you very long.

My 3 DD's are nearly grown up and eat loads (DS is 1.5 and doesnt eat that much) so i dont know how the heck i would be able to get a whole months worth of non perishable food to store and where the hell i would store it (no garage). Also how long is tinned food supposed to last?

ImSoNotTelling · 08/05/2010 12:14

In society breakdown scenario food would be the least of your worries I reckon.

We could prob go about a week I reckon but it's be pretty thin pickings

ImSoNotTelling · 08/05/2010 12:14

Are people really bunkered into their houses with piles of food and bog roll and hard currency?

bridewolf · 08/05/2010 14:15

oh , we wouldnt survive very long, my weeks shop barely lasts the week, have three huge hungry teen boys and a 11 yr old DD, to feed...........i go though tons of stuff.

the only thing left at the end of the week is the spices and dried herbs, tinned tomatos, and a tin of mackeral...

although i hate opening the fridge and seeing empty packets of ham, chicken , and empty cartons of juice, and empty bottles of milk......i know the day i open the fridge and its full, is the day i dont have any kids living with us anymore........it will be just me and hubby and a tin of corned beef....

nannyl · 08/05/2010 17:22

i reckon i could not starve to death for a whole month...

though never have more than a few days worth of fresh fruit and veg (except pots and onions) and milk

I have loads of tins of tomatoes / beans etc and a few emergancy soups (I also have loads of my own homemade soup in freezer that id choose over tinned any day!)
loads of pasta and rice, of all shapes / kinds /white and brown etc

also have lots of flour and a bread maker

I reckon i could make a balanced diet for about 2 weeks, and then risotto / pasta and herby tomatoey sauce on repeat for another couple of weeks...
and bread and jam / peanut butter /marmite for a while too!

I have spare bottles of ketchup / mayo / teabags / coffee / baked beans/ breakfast cereals / pickle / UHT frut juice etc (all bought while on special offer) in the cellar too!

OhYouBadBadKitten · 08/05/2010 17:32

When the snow came we tested the system a bit. we had 3 weeks of reasonable meals and probably another 2 weeks of calories. I think I'm probably in a similar position now.

HellenaHandcart · 08/05/2010 17:32

Nothing! Apart from herbs and oil and gravy powder etc.

We don't eat out often but i tend to buy food for three days at a time.

Our freezer is very often switched off as it's empty. I find this more economical.

So yes, we would starve in hours....

HellenaHandcart · 08/05/2010 17:33

No soup or beans - but we do have a bag of rice and a bag of pasta....

EarthMotherImNot · 08/05/2010 17:38

Just asked Dh how long he'd last in a breakdown scenario, "oh ages" he replied

"worst case, I'd have to eat you though"

He's joking isn't he

Swipe left for the next trending thread