COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

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COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby landog » Fri Feb 28, 2020 11:35 am

Hi Jeff,

I'd like to be prepared in case the bug comes our way and we have to isolate ourselves for a few weeks. So, I've been thinking of ordering a quantity of foods that can be stored on the shelf for a while. I recall that you may have mentioned ordering from Vitacost, in the past. I was wondering if you could share what you purchase and from which supplier(s) in order to keep your shelves stocked?

Thanks,
Marty
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Fri Feb 28, 2020 12:19 pm

Sure.

Hopefully, this will not turn out to be necessary and if it is, that it won’t be too bad a situation. It is possible that if anything, like you mentioned, some of us may be in areas that get quarantined for 2-4 weeks. So, the plan would be to make sure you have everything you need to stay in for that long of a period.

My plan is not any different than what I posted here as my Hurricane Survival Foods. The only difference is, as far as I know, we will still have water (which I run through a RO) and electricity, which makes all of this easier. I do keep about 20 gallons of water on hand and a few cases of propane for my camping stove.

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=56448&p=569677&#p569951

In short

I like Harmony House Foods (there are others like them too)

https://www.harmonyhousefoods.com

I order the gallon size jugs and keep on hand
- Sweet Potatoes
- Lentils
- Split Peas
- Carrots
- Sweet Peas
- Corn
- Green beans
- Broccoli (which i didn’t like so won't reorder)

I have been ordering the 365 dried beans, 365 rice, 365 oats and 365 Whole Wheat Pasta from Amazon, but all of them went MIA over the last 2 weeks and I don’t think they are coming back. I’d check your local Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Costco, BJ’s, Sams, etc to see what you could get to keep on hand for rice, oats, pasta and canned/dried beans. I try to keep about 4 cases of beans on hand or a few lbs of each of the dried ones, or both. You can also get the canned ones online at Vitacost. I also keep about 8-10 lbs each of rice and pasta on hand.

Our freezer is full of frozen vegetables and fruit too which we get at BJ’s.

I would also go to WHO and CDC and read about what they recommend you keep on hand in regard to medications (if needed) and supplies that you need at home if you couldn’t go out for 2-4 weeks (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc)

I am an optimist but I also plan for the worst.

Hope that helps

In health
Jeff
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby landog » Fri Feb 28, 2020 9:09 pm

Thanks!

Do you keep the Harmony House Foods stored for emergency, or do you use them somewhat regularly?
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby Daydream » Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:01 am

Jeff or anyone: Is there a difference in taste between freeze-dried and dehydrated vegetables? Which do you prefer between the two?
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:14 am

landog wrote:Thanks!

Do you keep the Harmony House Foods stored for emergency, or do you use them somewhat regularly?


Both. I mainly keep them for emergency but after Hurricane season, I will try to use up any open containers during the rest of the year. There are also a few thing you can make with these that are quick and easy. The lentils and split peas can me made into a quick dip/spread and some potatoes, beans and veggies can be made into a soup very quickly.

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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:32 am

Daydream wrote:Jeff or anyone: Is there a difference in taste between freeze-dried and dehydrated vegetables? Which do you prefer between the two?


I prefer air-dried.

You can read about the differences here

https://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/blog- ... dehydrated

I find air dried to have a better final texture whereas I think freeze dried seems more "crumbly"

You can order smaller sample packs of each to try for yourself

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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby Daydream » Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:51 am

Thanks :-D Jeff!
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Fri Mar 27, 2020 3:58 pm

Now that you know how I get by with the food, here is how I get by with the exercise

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=17017&p=613888#p613888

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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Sat Apr 04, 2020 8:01 am

Its been just over 5 weeks since I posted this, which for some of us, may be longer then the original 2-4 weeks that was being predicted.

About 2 weeks in, I ordered another round of everything (just in case), and so am well stocked on dry beans, canned beans, rice, kasha, pasta, dried vegetables and frozen & fresh produce/vegetables. Most all has been from the online companies I mentioned with 1 run out to the Publix and BJs.

Some of the companies are continuing to restock and any order you place may be delayed up to 2 weeks. This weekend I am receiving 2 that I placed just over 2 weeks ago.

It is possible this may go another 4-6 weeks (depending on where you are).

Hopefully, you are all well stocked and able to restock as needed.

Stay safe and healthy
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby Ltldogg » Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:01 am

JeffN wrote:It is possible this may go another 4-6 weeks (depending on where you are).


It's likely this may go on way longer than 4-6 weeks. We may lower the curve, but unless we get a treatment like plasma antibodies, medicine, etc, there is still a math problem of those not infected getting infected and starting a new spike.
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:05 am

Ltldogg wrote:
JeffN wrote:It is possible this may go another 4-6 weeks (depending on where you are).


It's likely this may go on way longer than 4-6 weeks. We may lower the curve, but unless we get a treatment like plasma antibodies, medicine, etc, there is still a math problem of those not infected getting infected and starting a new spike.


Definitely possible. But, my hope is that access to food will become easier.

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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby Ltldogg » Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:14 am

JeffN wrote:Definitely possible. But, my hope is that access to food will become easier.

In Health
Jeff


Ahh, sorry. I assumed you were speaking of the pandemic as a whole and not just the food supply chain. We have noticed in Phoenix that the shelves are definitely fuller and lines shorter on any give day and at any given time.

~Scott
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby JeffN » Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:17 am

Ltldogg wrote:
JeffN wrote:Definitely possible. But, my hope is that access to food will become easier.

In Health
Jeff


Ahh, sorry. I assumed you were speaking of the pandemic as a whole and not just the food supply chain. We have noticed in Phoenix that the shelves are definitely fuller and lines shorter on any give day and at any given time.

~Scott


Yes, I understand the same is happening here and I check inventories frequently at the stores with delivery and pick up and feel encouraged. When I did go out, I found much more at the stores then I expected. Fresh produce was completely stocked with no limits and frozen was about 50% (though with a limit of 2 per item).

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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby Ltldogg » Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:20 am

JeffN wrote:Yes, I understand the same is happening here and I check inventories frequently at the stores with delivery and pick up and feel encouraged. When I did go out, I found much more at the stores then I expected. Fresh produce was completely stocked with no limits and frozen was about 50% (though with a limit of 2 per item).

Jeff


Yes, we have noticed a similar thing. For about the first 4 weeks one of the only things that was easily stocked still was frozen veggies and in the last 2 weeks frozen veggies are one of the things that are short on supply. I'm guessing this is a stock pile issue coming to light for the frozen veggie industries in that we have either gone through that supply or the suppliers are starting to decrease the availability to make that stockpile last longer.

~Scott
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Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk

Postby verde » Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:07 am

Ltldogg wrote:
JeffN wrote:Yes, I understand the same is happening here and I check inventories frequently at the stores with delivery and pick up and feel encouraged. When I did go out, I found much more at the stores then I expected. Fresh produce was completely stocked with no limits and frozen was about 50% (though with a limit of 2 per item).

Jeff


Yes, we have noticed a similar thing. For about the first 4 weeks one of the only things that was easily stocked still was frozen veggies and in the last 2 weeks frozen veggies are one of the things that are short on supply. I'm guessing this is a stock pile issue coming to light for the frozen veggie industries in that we have either gone through that supply or the suppliers are starting to decrease the availability to make that stockpile last longer.

~Scott



Very interesting, I'm all the way here in Portugal, and yet the same exact thing is happening... I was surprised by the amount of fresh produce the last time I went to the store (last week), compared to two weeks ago when I couldn't find anything. But frozen vegetables were and still are running low everywhere.
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