Hurricane Preparedness Food Box Shopping List

With hurricane season upon us, Houston Food Bank’s Nutrition Education Department has compiled a list of nutritious non-perishable foods and supplies for your emergency supply kit.

Make sure to store at least a three day supply of non-perishable foods and water. Include a selection of the following foods:

🖨 Download a print-friendly version of the Hurricane Preparedness Food Box Shopping List.

PROTEINS

  • Canned meat packed in water
    • Tuna
    • Chicken
    • Salmon
    • Turkey
      .
  • Nut/Seed Butter
    • Peanut butter
    • Almond butter
    • Sunflower seed butter
      .
  • Low-sodium or no salt added canned beans and lentils
    .
  • Low-sodium jerky
  • Low-sodium canned soup
    • Chicken noodle
    • Minestrone
    • Vegetable
    • Tomato
    • Lentil
      .
  • Unsalted nuts and seeds
    • Almonds
    • Walnuts
    • Peanuts
    • Pistachios
    • Cashews
    • Sunflower seeds

What’s low sodium?

Low-sodium = 140 mg of sodium or less per serving

Low-sodium foods are heart healthy and help regulate blood pressure

An illustration of a can of beans sitting next to two jars of peanut butter to represent nutritious proteins.

FRUITS

  • Canned fruits in water or 100% fruit juice
    .
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Dried fruits, no sugar added
    • Raisins
    • Prunes
    • Apricots
      .
  • Fresh whole apples
A colorful illustration of two canned goods filled with fruit.

VEGETABLES

  • Low-sodium or no salt added canned vegetables
    • Corn
    • Green beans
    • Carrots
    • Green peas
    • Spinach
    • Potatoes
    • Beets
    • Mixed vegetables
An illustration of two cans: one featuring corn on the label with the other featuring green beans on the label.

GRAINS

  • Oats
    .
  • Whole grain crackers
    .
  • Whole grain cereal
    .
  • Rice cakes
    .
An illustration of a white box with a bowl of grain cereal on the cover.

Why Whole Grain?

Whole grain foods contain fiber, which helps you feel full longer and promotes regularity

The word “whole” should be listed first in the ingredient list

Look for: whole grain flour, whole wheat or 100% whole grain

DAIRY

  • Shelf stable low-fat milk
    .
  • Non-fat dry milk
    .
  • Shelf stable milk alternative
    • Soy milk
    • Almond milk
    • Rice milk
A simple line drawing illustration of powdered milk

Did You Know

Cow’s milk contains 8 grams of protein per 8 fl oz serving
Soy milk* contains 7 grams of protein per 8 fl oz serving
Almond milk contains <1 gram of protein per 8 fl oz serving
Rice milk contains 0 grams of protein per 8 fl oz serving

*Soy milk is closest in protein to cow’s milk than any of the other milk alternatives

SNACKS

WATER

  • Trail mix, fruit and nut varieties
    .
  • Low-fat pudding
    .
  • Granola bars
An illustration of a granola bar wrapped in a bright yellow wrapper with a sprinkle of almonds laying next to the bar.
  • 1 gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
Acceptable food item: water

NON-FOOD ITEMS

  • First aid kit
    .
  • Personal hygiene items
    .
  • Non-prescription drugs such as: aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
    .
  • Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
    .
  • Hand sanitizer and moist wipes for sanitation
    .
  • Extra battery or charger for cell phone
    .
  • Manual can opener
An illustration of a red first aid kit with a white cross emblem on the front.

FOR BABIES

  • Formula
  • Diapers
  • Bottles
  • Powdered milk
  • Medications

FOR ADULTS

  • Prescription drugs
  • Denture needs
  • Extra eye glasses
  • Powdered milk
  • Medications

FOR PETS

  • Secure identification tag on collar
  • Pet carrier
  • Extra pet food
  • Pack a week’s worth of litter for cats
  • Medications

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

🖨 Hurricane Preparedness Food Box Shopping List

🖨 Hurricane Food Safety Information:  English | Spanish