When the panic purchasing hit in 2020, a lot of Code Red Rebels wondered what kinds of shelf-stable Code Red-approved foods they could buy.

A Rebel brought it up again recently, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

So here are some Code Red-approved foods you could keep around that wouldn’t need refrigerated. Keep in mind they wouldn’t last 40 years like a Twinkie allegedly would, but they’d last long enough that they’re worth buying and keeping around.

Nuts & Nut Butters. Peanuts are a legume, not a nut, but in a state of emergency they’d be better than candy and other sugary stuff. Actual nuts you can store include almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, and/or Brazil nuts.

Pickles. Since pickles don’t need refrigerated until they’re opened, you could buy several jars and just open them one at a time.

Olives. Same deal as pickles – they only need refrigerated once they’re opened.

Canned or dehydrated veggies. Canned vegetables are pretty gross, in my experience, but they’re still one of the healthier choices. Same with dehydrated veggies.

Ghee. Ghee is clarified butter. It does not need to be stored in the fridge.

Coconut oil. While eating plain coconut oil isn’t exciting, it’s not gross, either. Plus you could use it to clean your teeth, since it has anti-bacterial properties.

Jerky and salami. Some salami needs to be in the fridge, but some doesn’t. Go to your supermarket and look for salami that’s just sitting out and not in a refrigerated area. Grab jerky while you’re at it. Get the stuff without added sugar if you can, but it’s not a bridge to die on.

Canned meat and fish. You can find canned tuna, salmon, and chicken in most grocery stores.

Powdered eggs. Steer clear of these in weight loss mode as a general rule, but in a state of emergency, go for it.

Seeds. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are the easiest to find. You can stock up on chia seeds and ground flaxseed meal, and make noatmeal.

Coffee Grounds & Teabags. If you have a way to heat water, you can use ’em! They’re not much nutritionally, but could be a little luxury you enjoy amidst all the crazy.

So there you go – a bunch of foods you can have around in case the power goes out for an extended period of time, or some other state of emergency hits. (These would also make great camping foods!)