With today's grocery delivery I will [for the first time in my life] have a full two weeks of food on hand (for my family of five.)

Feeding a family of five for two weeks during the #ZombieApocalypse…

…Note this date on the calendar (Sunday, April 5, 2020).

Over the past month or so, I have – when possible – been purchasing extra basics and supplies (as many Americans have been), to sustain my family during this “Zombie Apocalypse.” I believe that after today’s grocery delivery arrives, I will [for the first time in my life – including my nearly 24 years as a mother] have a full two weeks of every possible contingency for food and supplies on hand (with the exception being the ongoing need for a new delivery of fresh veggies every four or five days for my posse)! I can’t imagine keeping up with this (vs. just doing it this once); it’s so costly — and has been so time-and-energy-consuming to plan and implement!

All the considerations…

First off, it’s important to note that each of my three children here at home [my fourth son is away at college] is over 5 feet 9 inches tall – and growing; these are VERY HUNGRY boys!
Also important to note – a consideration not applicable to some families – is that I have kids with special needs. This means that I have to make sure that if I am going to have “two weeks of emergency food on hand” it must include *special* things — that I know for certain they will eat, no matter what else is going on in the world.
Point #2 is especially important for my youngest; my 5 feet 9-1/2 inches tall 11-year-old son, Charlie – with his severe ADHD diagnosis and super-high metabolism – crashes hard when he’s running low on fuel, and when that happens things quickly get unsafe [AND he becomes a very picky eater]! Under normal circumstances I need to be able to offer Charlie a healthy snack every 90 minutes to two hours. If his critical supply of calories is not vigilantly regulated, we all live to regret the outcome — as he tends to get violent / unsafe!

Each kid also has very different dietary restrictions, different tastes, and different appetites. So that means if I am going to buy something (like provisions for just a single mealtime – say, lunch – across 14 days), I have to get 14 servings of one thing for Charlie and 14 of something completely different for Avi – and usually 28 of something else — to cover A.J. and Len (my husband) for that 14-day period! [I’m Mom – so I usually eat the leftovers! lol]

210 meals + snacks = two weeks of meals

So in order to have just two weeks covered, I have to keep in mind the above considerations for 42 family meals — 42 meals (and snacks) for five people. That means I have to plan 210 separate (dietary-specific) meals + snacks using a foundation of non-perishable foods. I also have to make sure that the non-perishable food stores on hand include at least several alternatives to fresh fruit and vegetables (in the form of frozen, canned, dried, or pickled) — for each of those meals — in case we don’t have access to fresh produce during any or all of that two-week emergency time for whatever reason (finances, delivery issues, quarantine restrictions, or whatever)! Said another way: two weeks worth of just chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels won’t cut it! 😉

Something special for everyone to keep spirits up…

In addition to planning three square meals a day (and making sure we have all the ingredients and resources for that) for my brood, it is very important that I make sure there is at least one treat / fun snack for each person each day. A reward or special thing — that is healthy, and gives them something to look forward to (or something for me to bribe them with – depending on the circumstances!) I also have to make sure I have treats for one child that will not get eaten by another “accidentally”… (& oh yeah, did I say we are a mostly vegan, mostly sugar-free household?)

Treats for Avi have to be sugar-free (so: chips, nuts, food bars, etc.).
Treats for Dad have to be vegan – and follow a strict new medically-prescribed diet, too. (so add no peanuts, wheat, coffee, sweets – or even certain fruits & vegetables!).
Charlie craves salty and sour treats (chips, pretzels, crackers, nuts, pickles…).
I love gefilte fish with horseradish this time of year! (That’s my extravagant special treat just for me – but I do end up sharing that with A.J.!)
A.J. likes hummus, chips & salsa, and sardines every now and then — and no one else in the family eats those, so that’s a good choice for him!

However, A.J. (my 17-year-old – and the most energetically-hard-working / constantly-in-motion of the three boys) will also “accidentally” eat up everyone else’s treats (to maintain his necessary calories!) if I am not careful. As a result, all of the treats and nearly ALL of the food and supplies are kept under lock and key. Literally!

…and something to drink….

We have a very high-quality water filtration setup, and at this time (March / April / May 2020) we are being assured that there will be no disruption to household water service, so we have not yet stocked up on any kind of bottled (or barreled) water – but we do need to do that sometime soon (so we are covered in case of that big earthquake). It’s on my “to do list”. In the meantime, for the current Zombie Apocalypse, I also needed to make sure to have at least a few special beverages around (to ward off “monotony depression”). To this end, I invested in some organic fruit juices (not something we normally have on hand!) and unsweetened flavored soda waters (they really help my kids to feel better when they have tummy aches or fevers, so that is important to have “just in case”); lots of tea bags & loose tea to make iced and hot tea, some kombucha…a bottle of wine, and an 8-pack of beer!

…and get the kids involved…

New chore lists have been posted for this time (when everyone is home all the time), but I also like to make sure the kids are involved in meal prep and planning to the degree that they are able. To this end – to keep kids busy and have them contribute (and to further extend the “two weeks of emergency food”), I needed to make sure we have all of the ingredients for them to make all of the things they could possibly make on their own [they love to search online for exciting new healthy recipes and to cook and bake things themselves!], using mostly shelf-stable ingredients, combined with whatever fresh vegetables or fruit we might have available during the two weeks.

For us this includes everything to make vegan, sugar free pumpkin pies, banana bread, zucchini bread, oatmeal raisin cookies, flax-and-other-assorted-nuts-and-seeds crackers, coconut milk and chia seeds pudding, dairy-and-sugar-free fudge(!), and other treats! This also includes making sure we have all of the organic alternatives to cane sugar on hand, as well as all the (non-wheat) whole-grain flours; all the potential egg substitutes; all of the seasonings, flavorings (we’re currently out of vanilla – darn!), and condiments for two full weeks (in a house where one of the children eats mustard nearly every day if at all possible, and the other has a fetish for vinegar! lol)

…more basics…

I also need to make sure to have all of the oils (coconut, olive, avocado, sesame), butters, tamari, and milks (both dairy – for Charlie, who prefers that, and non-dairy – for everyone else!) – for all the meals – including at least two weeks worth of shelf-stable milks. For us, this means two-weeks of organic unsweetened soy milk (and natural non-dairy shelf-stable creamer – because…coffee) for five people on hand.

I also needed to make sure (to the best of our financial ability) that all of the normal items we store in our “jar pantry” (image below) are replenished. This includes a huge variety of beans, grains; seeds; etc.,— so hearty vegan whole-grain porridges, pilafs, and soups and stews can be made each day too.

Oh yeah – and don’t forget the COFFEE (I always stock up on coffee — as far as I am concerned, one should really have closer to 6 months of coffee on hand just in case; that’s critical!). Other critical considerations that have come up at this time: Does the electric popcorn maker work? Do we need a new one? Do we have enough aluminum foil? parchment paper? wax paper? Saran Wrap?

Continue reading below the image.

and then we have to put it all together into meals…

Then – on top of all of this – I am responsible for making sure that all of the above resources combined cover at least three balanced meals a day possible for each person. Do you have “Plan B” and “Plan C” contingencies for fruits and vegetables? We’re working with Avi to plant his first garden — you can see the videos of our garden below.

I am also responsible for ensuring that the use of these resources are appropriately managed and timed (so that one whole piece of a meal isn’t gobbled up without using the other… like using all the spaghetti and not using the sauce – or vice-versa). Another example: if the kids had it their way they would eat 10 packages of Quorn products (a vegetarian meat alternative they like) in one day – not sharing one packet among them along with vegetables and crackers or bread – like a meal! So I have to police packaged, ready-to-eat food like a hawk — if we are to maintain a healthy balance over a two-week “lock down” or other emergency.

And that was just the FOOD….

What about drugs and first aid supplies – medications for chronic conditions, as well as possible periodic conditions that may arise, such as allergies; “regular” cold or flu symptoms; bug bites, bruises, etc., and cleaning products and first aid (band-aids, ointments, bandages, etc.)? Do we have enough batteries for essential things that need them – like flashlights? And are the various chargers for the rechargeable items present and organized? What about keeping the kids clothed, bathed (and clean-shaven, in our case) and having all of those types of needs taken care of? Add also – for these times – do we have appropriate amounts of household disinfectants, rubber gloves, disposable gloves, respirators [or any other face masks that one can find]?

The “ funny” (funny – strange”, not “funny – ha ha”) thing I am pondering as I assemble these resources for our family is that many “normal” families of five already have a lot of this stuff on hand in most cases. “Normal” families (families who have not dealt with years of poverty and food scarcity – and perhaps who are current on their mortgage, and have one parent employed in a regular, predictable, decent-paying job) make sure they always have all the shelf-stable resources and other supplies they need – for two weeks (or a month, 3 months, or whatever)…. but so many American families out there are not “normal.” [What is “normal” anymore anyway?!]

Keeping kids BUSY is just as important as feeding them…

And so I must consider: does everyone have creative stuff to do — stuff that will engage their minds (with the televisions OFF)? Do we have two weeks worth of…

Watercolors?
Acrylics?
Pastels?
Pens?
Pencils?
Papers (different types of papers —Graph paper? Tracing paper? Construction paper? Card stock? Origami paper?)
Clay?
Notebooks and Journals (for writing in)…
….and in my son A.J.’s case, leather and thread and special acid-free paper, and other book-binding supplies – so he can assemble the beautiful handmade journals he creates?
Needles?
Thread?
Knitting needles?
Yarn?
Tape (masking, duct, Scotch, packing…)?
String?
Wire?
Propane? (My boys do blacksmithing at a homemade forge in the yard!)
Also is the workshop which my husband and A.J. use daily fully stocked with the materials, consumables, and parts needed for doing fabrication, maintenance, and repairs [building materials, fasteners, abrasives, adhesives, lubricants, solvents, welding supplies]? These things are important in our house!

“Is there gas in the car?”

Is the house getting organized — so there is not crap everywhere and so it is a safe place to be 24/7? Are there any hazards in any of the rooms that need to be addressed to help reduce the possibility of injury (and to help make the place easier to clean?) Does everyone have pillows and blankets and sheets? Do you need to put financial resources into storage boxes and cleaning and organize supplies? Are the utilities current so they won’t be shut off unexpectedly? Has every worst-case scenario been thought of — including the possibility of having no more money or resources to solve any future problems, so you have everything on hand now in the case of that possible eventual concern?

*”Damn – I just realized we forgot to tune the piano!”*

How can ANYONE EVER afford to be this prepared?

In this time I am acutely aware of the fact that, had I not recently gotten paid for my best month in the history of my business (December 2019) – and had I not also just recently gotten a small loan to support my business expenses during this time, I would not have been able to do any of this – to buy any of these things to take care of any persistent “inventory depletions” and problems in the home! I am acutely aware that just months ago we would have been S.O.L. if this had happened. If this Zombie Apocalypse happened just a few months ago my family would have had no chance at all of pulling together two weeks of stores and supplies – including preparing the house for the possibility of not being able to go anywhere for weeks, and being fully self-sustaining with five people (including two with fairly significant special needs) during this time.

We truly feel that in that respect we are the luckiest family in the world right now. For us this emergency couldn’t have happened at a better time (so to speak). For many of my friends (especially other parents of Lead-poisoned and disabled children) – this is not the case.

How you can help others…

If you know someone who is not as lucky as you are during this time, someone who has no safety net and no resources (as our family might have been — had #CoViD-19 hit 6 or 12 months ago) please reach out and share what you have (skills, resources, money, ideas – anything!)

Our “little” family of 5 (with #6 away at college) barely has enough right now (just having pulled together our two-weeks of supplies using up all of our available resources to do so), but I am also trying to share whatever extra I do have right now (soap, coffee, honey from our farm — things I normally have on hand or stock up on with sales when it is not the #ZombieApocalypse) which might be critically needed by someone less fortunate or less able to prepare for all this. That’s really all there is to do right now.

Stay safe. Be well.

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama