Anxiety about running out of food

[WonderOnTheUp]

Hi everyone,

First post in this topic but have been reading the threads for a while. I’m relatively new to prepping, I stocked up reasonably well before the pandemic really took hold and have continued to grow my stash (even got an extra freezer!).

I wondered if anyone else feels any anxiety or panic around food or running out of it? I’ve tried to prep for various scenarios - need to isolate for 14 days (so still well enough to cook) my DS being unwell (so foods get may like to eat when ill) then if I’m ill I worry about what he’ll eat (so batch cooked some favourite meals which can just go straight in the oven). Then I worry about any combo of the scenarios running one into the other so not enough time to replenish stocks properly

The thing is, I’m now really reluctant to eat any of it and feel really worried if we do. I’ve kept lists of the food which helps me keep a bit of perspective as I can actually see we have plenty of food for several weeks). I will of course have to eat some of it eventually but I can’t seem to shake off the feeling!

Does anyone else feel like this? If so, do you have any coping tips you could share please?

I don't consider myself a prepper, but I have about 200 freeze-dried camping meals (brand Mountain House) that come in sealed plastic buckets stashed in the basement, in addition to all of the frozen and canned food.

All you need to prepare them with is hot water. While not restaurant quality, they're really quite tasty. It's good to know that I always have them to fall back on.

You were me at start of lockdown. I was doing fine and then I went to Tesco and I have never seen the shelves so empty. I do have a ton of food allergies and have a limited diet and was really panicking about how I was going to get food.

When in reality I had two freezer full and cupboards had tins I couldn’t even get it.

My husband hit the nail right on the head.
You feel out of control because everything around u is out of your control. And the only way to bring back some of the control in your life is to make lists and get and worry.
I also clean when I feel like this so my house in March was so clean

Sit down. Write it all down. You have more than enough food I would think to last you for two weeks of isolation. And you know you do. ( saying this with love ❤️)

Try doing what I did. Try and focus on other things. Keep ur mind occupied with something other than the world right now. Do you have the news notifications turned on your phone. I did. And in the end I turned them off. As every bit of my life was about do we have enough food , what if I get sick.

You have prepared well. You are more sorted than most people. Even me. I’m doing my big shop this weekend.

And breathe.

God yes got more than enough food, but mine is a result of upbringing fucking up my fear of running out of food. I did manage to walk past and not take any of the last pasta on the almost bare shelves. It was hard to do though.

Even though I have some stuff I still feel that I won't have enough. Don't think I will ever go back to not having any spare, as I know it would make me worry.
Well done on the walking past Blackeyed I would find it hard too.

Start using and replacing it for now OP - so use your stocks and buy replacements with every shop.

Its really easy to hoard instead of prep to begin with, but you'll suddenly end up with lots of out of date food if you're not careful.

You'll also get more confident using your supplies and begin to see what you really need / what if you've accidentally stored stuff "just in case".

You can never prep for every eventuality or build a tesco inside your house - the main thing is if shops are disrupted for a few weeks or you're stuck inside, you'll survive and eat something, even if its not your typical favourite meals.

I agree. It is hard to do sometimes, but the food is there to be eaten and enjoyed. I remember at the start of lockdown not being able to shop looking at the stash wondering whether we are allowed to use it now. You know there in the very moment we are preparing for. Takes a while for the brain to adjust from save save save to eat eat eat.

I had to give myself a good talking to about not worrying that I had only a few fresh things when I had loads of other food that we are perfectly happy eating usually.

Yes, I think that's why its better to not think of it as a stash, but a daily larder. You don't get in the habit of "protecting" it that way. (I mean some stuff like dried milk maybe, but even that goes out of date before you know it!)

Thank you for so many replies!

Paranoidmarvin - I think that’s exactly it! Not being in control. That’s a huge thing for me, I’m a planner, I like knowing what’s happening next and you just can’t do that right now. Also, I will go back through and make sure my lists are up to date, that definitely calms me down when I can see it a go “I’ve got X amount of meals for DS and X amount for me” so thank you for your post. I have come off Facebook for that reason, it was adding to my stress I think and I was spending too much time on it.

Well done on walking past the pasta @BlackeyedSusan - it can be really hard to keep things in check, especially when you have past experiences which impact on you.

I agree with you @Oxyiz about using up supplies, I really need to get better at this part. I did think I should plan for using stores up for two days per week then shopping for the other 5 days. In the 5 days I could freeze leftovers so would be replacing the stock but just with some fresh things! I will make a start on this now.

I think part of it comes from not wanting to rely on or ask for help so I can be self sufficient but in reality, I will be able to get some food and I know that I have enough to keep us fed if there is a hold up in supplies.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply with support and suggestions, it really does mean a lot.

You have to keep reminding yourself to use up old to make room for new.
I regularly resort to dried milk like this morning when Asda fucked up and lost about forty items of our click and collect including all the milk.

If I use up old, I have room for new so at the point of needing to resort to what is stored then it all has as long date as possible.

I haven't for a moment considered we might run out of food completely. As a nation we are rich enough to be able to out bid others, so even with the brexit covid mess there will be food. But it might not be the food I want to eat, so I would rather prep now so that if supply chains are disrupted I have resilience and chocolate. Good quality chocolate. I am lucky that we have no food allergies or intolerance, but can totally see how much harder it would be for those that do.

I am getting worried, when before I was okay. I read the threads about how much prices could go up and the poor will not be able to afford food and it makes me anxious. I know I am being silly as I have a full time job and only have myself and my 14 year old to feed. We were poor until five years ago so that anxiety is still with me I think. I have 100 days of dry cat food so my little cat is sorted at least, if only it was so easy for us!

It is scary kowari. All any of us can do is try to prepare ahead of time as much as possible.

I am aware how lucky and privileged I am that we can have a full larder - I meant to set up a DD to a food bank a while back, I'll look into that today.

To be honest I don't think any of you are being silly for worrying about this. The only thing I can say is at least you are preparing, I think you have to look at what you've got so far and say well done to yourselves.

I look around at so many people who just bury their heads in the sand, oh this is Britain people won't go hungry here attitude. Oh really?!

I know it's easy to say, hard to do, but try not to become too obsessed with it, have your stock, however much you think you will need, and just work from there by rotating it, like a working pantry.

I also have this worry, not really so much for me but for my children, I really couldn't stand to see them starving so I completely empathise with your feeling.

We are doing our best, maybe looking at other areas of prep instead of just food would help, like security, for yourselves and home, water, filters etc, first aid/medical supplies.

All the best to you all. I think you are all justified in your worry, I think tough times are ahead.

I try to section what I have to prep for into themes such as toiletries/medicine/cleaning/breakfast/lunch/dinner, as then I buy each day some items from that theme. I find it helps me and helps me to realise what I have and what I need to purchase.

I've done a spreadsheet now with food groups, how much of each food and and number of servings. It's helped a lot to know what I have and what I need. Aiming for a month of regular food then longer with basic rations just in case. We eat heaps of rice and lentils so will use them up regardless.

There are the zeroers on the how many weeks threads, who are not even the minimum two weeks in case you have to self isolate. Maybe they are privileged enough to always have a large freezer and large fridge of stuff with a big kitchen with many full cupboards normally, with plenty of spare money to buy from local farm shops etc. Those who have never found difficulty getting the one specific brand their autistic child will eat nor had to make food stretch when their was too much week at the end of the money. Not lived somewhere with a small kitchen and not much storage, nor lived a long walk from supermarkets and only have expensive corner shops with not much stock.

I felt like this at the start of the pandemic. I was happy and content for a few days after I had done the weekly shop but as shopping day loomed I felt very anxious.

We had plenty of food but it was just stressing me out watching it go down.

But as pp mentioned, I started focusing on using what was there and replacing my stock.

You have to train yourself now to be a consumer, not hoarder and just replace your stock as you need.

In our previous house we had 2 small under the counter cupboards to store food. We now have a really big pantry and a huge fridge freezer so I'm thankful I have the room to store properly.

I bought my dsis the same fridge freezer as I love it so much and she didn't have a freezer

I agree, I think a lot of people have packed freezers and cupboards by default, and on mumsnet especially they can afford any price rises.

All I can say is that it's been a useful change for us and I can't understand why anyone would oppose the notion.

Instead they seem to picture people huddled in basements over mountains of baked beans and a pitchfork.

As far as Brexit goes I'm more worried about medicines than food. My FIL is insulin dependant I I take thyroxine daily.

I've been building up our food supplies and I think we're ok as long s there are no power cuts (electric cooker and also the freezer).

As long as you don't open the freezer it will keep frozen for a while.

Barbeque? Camping stove? For cooking.

Genuine question so please be kind if you think I am being naive. Do you think we will run out of food? Or is it more that we won't be able to get hold of everything we are used to?
Fully understand the anxiety around medication, but not so sure I understand the panic around food as we do have Lots of food produced in the UK?
I would hope that supermarkets have learned from the panic buying around lockdown and limit what people can buy so that there is more to go round.

No, we're not going to run out of food. But it could get harder to get hold of the stuff you like, which when you're autistic like me is a nightmare. Prices will rise, which when you're just getting by will be tricky. And if there is any "crisis" things will be a bit chaotic in the shops - think the shelves emptying of milk and bread when snow is predicted.

Most of us here work on the basis of filling larders and freezers and then keeping them stocked. Possibly some dried milk. Nothing hugely drastic or dramatic