Every person should have certain foods on hand at any given time for use in an immediate survival situation.

Here are some of them.

Dried Fruit

According to Real Simple, dried fruits are a great replacement for fresh fruit if that’s not an option.

Dried fruit provides necessary fiber and potassium, plus they’re a great sweet snack that can provide you with a good amount of calories and nutrients.

Canned Fruits And Vegetables

Canned fruits and vegetables can be eaten straight out of the can, and they provide essential nutrients that you would normally get from fresh fruits and veggies.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is necessary for your survival kit — it provides a great source of energy and has lots of healthy fats and protein.

Normally, you can keep peanut butter unrefrigerated, which makes it great for emergency snacks and meals.

Canned Juice

Canned juice, like the kind you drank in elementary school, is great for a survival kit.

It can provide necessary fruit you need when you don’t have access to fresh fruit.

Whole Grain Cereal

Like crackers, whole grain cereals have enough fiber to be filling, but are also a great snack to munch on.

Try to find cereal that has individually-packaged servings, that way it won’t get stale after you open it.

Vitamins

You never know how long you may be out of power or how long it might be before you have access to fresh food, so it’s important to put multivitamins in your emergency kit.

Multivitamin supplements can help replace nutrients you’re missing.

Pasteurized/Powdered Milk

Non-perishable pasteurized milk and powdered milk are good sources of calcium and vitamin D when you don’t have access to fresh milk.

These types of milk don’t require refrigeration, so they’re essential for a food survival kit.

Water

Arguably the most important item of all to keep in your emergency kit is bottled water.

Granola/Power Bars

Granola bars and power bars, which are often used by athletes as sources of quick energy, are snacks that stay fresh for a long time.

They’re a good source of carbohydrates and protein, and they’re a great kid-friendly snack.

Nuts/Trail Mix

Nuts and trail mix are great sources of energy that are both healthy and convenient.

Nuts that are individually sealed into servings are great, otherwise look for vacuum-sealed packages that can keep the nuts fresh for longer.

Canned Fish/Meat

Canned meats and fish usually last over two years, which makes them perfect for emergency survival kits.

These canned goods provide essential protein.

Canned Soup/Chili

Canned soups and chilis are one of the first things people think to stock up on — and for good reason.

Canned soups and chilis can be eaten straight out of the can and can serve as entire meals.

They are filling and relatively healthy, as long as you choose low-sodium options.

Regardless of the space you have or what you can afford, each item on this list is affordable and able to be stored in a smaller space and will provide you with valuable survival food if you are faced with that situation.

Best of all, because most of the items are part of our normal diets, you can eat them as part of your normal routine and replenish them quickly as needed.

To learn more food items you should always keep in stock, check out Little Things.

Featured Image via Laura Caseley for LittleThings