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Best tinned food options for a seven-day emergency food hamper

131 replies

Linnende · 03/10/2026 20:35

In light of the recent government guidelines in preparedness for any emergency. I am trying to put together a 7 day emergency food hamper. I do not normally eat tin food. What are your favourite tin food options? Is there really any difference between supermarket own brands. Have you started preparing, if so, what are you storing away?

OP posts:
Caspianberg · 11/10/2026 07:55

We don’t really like tin pre made food. So I wouldn’t stock it. Ie pre made soup. But do have tins of ingredients ie tin tomatoes, beans.

We live rural and get snowed in most years.
We have a bbq that can run off coal or wood, and fire pit with grill plate. Kettle and cast iron pan for bbq or fire pit.

Our freezer always has basics in. We have sausages that would grill easily, and homemade portions of curry, bolognese, goulash , soups. These we eat regularly anyway so freezer always has a rotating supply of things as they get used and replaced ( I always make for example 4 family portions at a time, eat 1 and freeze the rest for easily nights).
I figure in power outage we would just work our way through freezer. Most things would be fine to eat for up to a week after powder off as would eat certain things first, the freezer would stay cold at least 24-48hrs still, and in winter it’s freezing outside anyway so I would just decant into cool box outside. All these would easily warm on bbq in cast iron pan or on grill.

I also keep flour and dried yeast. - could make flat breads easily and pan cook. We grow own potatoes/ pumpkin/ squash, so these are generally in storage here over winter ready to use. Bake potatoes on bbq pretty low maintenance

Granola, oats, uht milk, vacuum pack rye bread, cashew butter, jam, marmite. Dried fruits and nuts. We always have cheese in also which again is fine not in fridge, just cold place for ages. So porridge/ granola/ bread with toppings is filling and easy without cooking if needed

Glühwein and spiced apple juice stocked - for winter in general. But in emergency life would be nicer and warmer with a hot gluwein, and eating the goulash from freezer. Usually have part bake bread rolls in freezer also - these last weeks unfrozen so would just use over time. Bake on bbq.

Generally always have a least a spare of day to day basics like toiletries, cleaning stuff, sugar, tea, snacks etc.. so in supermarket closed a few days senario no huge rush. If supermarkets opened after a few days on restrictions then it’s only fresh things that would be nice to have really.

Basically this is normal prep here. For normal it’s cold or snowy or we are sick and can’t get anywhere 2-7 days. Or power fails after storms. No apocalypse scenarios.

we also have grayl water filter bottle and spare filters we bought for Asia travel, but handy in emergency. There’s stream 5 mins away and snow in winter, so would melt and filter.

BiddyPopthe2nd · 11/10/2026 11:20

One thing that struck me as I went around a large supermarket yesterday was that, while not what you want for everyday, having a couple of packets of pot noodle or similar meals that only need hot water coupled with b really useful - Knorr do a tub of instant potato with bacon and onions, as well as a few different instant pasta pots, there are now all sorts of instant noodles pots available. And there are also different packets of ready mixed risotto, pasta meals, noodle meals that need hot water and a few minutes stirring over hat (so not quite instant but good if cooking options are there but difficult). Or tinned ravioli which could be eaten cold if need be from the can (I saw 3 different types of filling for the pasta yesterday) or just reheated in a pot.

And the traditional corned beef, spam, or hot dogs.

They are definitely not gourmet options - but they are options that have a long life and could be very useful if it’s a power outage that cooking is difficult.

My main cooking option if the gas hob and electric oven are both gone is a combination of gas BBQ and a single ring gas cannister camping stove, both to use in the garden. Neither is great but both work in a pinch, but with limited gas cannisters, I tend to stick to boiling water on the stove (and using any spare left in the kettle to fill a flask to use later). And grilling meat/vegetables and using tinfoil trays to cook/heat up sloppy stuff on the BBQ.

SaraHoliday · Yesterday 09:19

Linnende · 03/10/2026 20:35

In light of the recent government guidelines in preparedness for any emergency. I am trying to put together a 7 day emergency food hamper. I do not normally eat tin food. What are your favourite tin food options? Is there really any difference between supermarket own brands. Have you started preparing, if so, what are you storing away?

My friend sent me these photo's yesterday! A 3.12kg tin of baked beans!

Best tinned food options for a seven-day emergency food hamper
Best tinned food options for a seven-day emergency food hamper
Linnende · Yesterday 09:26

SaraHoliday · Yesterday 09:19

My friend sent me these photo's yesterday! A 3.12kg tin of baked beans!

This made me 😂 great price, thanks for sharing 👍

OP posts:
Linnende · Yesterday 09:28

BiddyPopthe2nd · 11/10/2026 11:20

One thing that struck me as I went around a large supermarket yesterday was that, while not what you want for everyday, having a couple of packets of pot noodle or similar meals that only need hot water coupled with b really useful - Knorr do a tub of instant potato with bacon and onions, as well as a few different instant pasta pots, there are now all sorts of instant noodles pots available. And there are also different packets of ready mixed risotto, pasta meals, noodle meals that need hot water and a few minutes stirring over hat (so not quite instant but good if cooking options are there but difficult). Or tinned ravioli which could be eaten cold if need be from the can (I saw 3 different types of filling for the pasta yesterday) or just reheated in a pot.

And the traditional corned beef, spam, or hot dogs.

They are definitely not gourmet options - but they are options that have a long life and could be very useful if it’s a power outage that cooking is difficult.

My main cooking option if the gas hob and electric oven are both gone is a combination of gas BBQ and a single ring gas cannister camping stove, both to use in the garden. Neither is great but both work in a pinch, but with limited gas cannisters, I tend to stick to boiling water on the stove (and using any spare left in the kettle to fill a flask to use later). And grilling meat/vegetables and using tinfoil trays to cook/heat up sloppy stuff on the BBQ.

Some excellent ideas and advice😃 It is important that we don't forget our pets!

OP posts:
Linnende · Yesterday 09:31

Caspianberg · 11/10/2026 07:55

We don’t really like tin pre made food. So I wouldn’t stock it. Ie pre made soup. But do have tins of ingredients ie tin tomatoes, beans.

We live rural and get snowed in most years.
We have a bbq that can run off coal or wood, and fire pit with grill plate. Kettle and cast iron pan for bbq or fire pit.

Our freezer always has basics in. We have sausages that would grill easily, and homemade portions of curry, bolognese, goulash , soups. These we eat regularly anyway so freezer always has a rotating supply of things as they get used and replaced ( I always make for example 4 family portions at a time, eat 1 and freeze the rest for easily nights).
I figure in power outage we would just work our way through freezer. Most things would be fine to eat for up to a week after powder off as would eat certain things first, the freezer would stay cold at least 24-48hrs still, and in winter it’s freezing outside anyway so I would just decant into cool box outside. All these would easily warm on bbq in cast iron pan or on grill.

I also keep flour and dried yeast. - could make flat breads easily and pan cook. We grow own potatoes/ pumpkin/ squash, so these are generally in storage here over winter ready to use. Bake potatoes on bbq pretty low maintenance

Granola, oats, uht milk, vacuum pack rye bread, cashew butter, jam, marmite. Dried fruits and nuts. We always have cheese in also which again is fine not in fridge, just cold place for ages. So porridge/ granola/ bread with toppings is filling and easy without cooking if needed

Glühwein and spiced apple juice stocked - for winter in general. But in emergency life would be nicer and warmer with a hot gluwein, and eating the goulash from freezer. Usually have part bake bread rolls in freezer also - these last weeks unfrozen so would just use over time. Bake on bbq.

Generally always have a least a spare of day to day basics like toiletries, cleaning stuff, sugar, tea, snacks etc.. so in supermarket closed a few days senario no huge rush. If supermarkets opened after a few days on restrictions then it’s only fresh things that would be nice to have really.

Basically this is normal prep here. For normal it’s cold or snowy or we are sick and can’t get anywhere 2-7 days. Or power fails after storms. No apocalypse scenarios.

we also have grayl water filter bottle and spare filters we bought for Asia travel, but handy in emergency. There’s stream 5 mins away and snow in winter, so would melt and filter.

I'm coming to yours if there is an outage 😆 Thanks for your take on things, some great ideas and advice 😃 😊

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