The Prepper Pantry – Your Questions Answered

Today, I am answering your pressing questions about How to Stock the Prepper Pantry. After my special three-part Prepper Pantry Series, I had so many outstanding questions! I was able to answer many queries in the comments section of each video. However, there were two important areas where I had the most inquiries, so I decided to create a video to share my thoughts with you.

Real-Time Prepper Pantry Questions

My thanks to everyone for the comments you added to the three videos in the Prepper Pantry series. I enjoyed all of them, and I especially loved those viewers who were leaving me questions in the comments while they were shopping at their local grocery store! Now that is dedication!!

With my replies to your video comments, I hope I was able to help in a timely fashion so that you were able to find the right products—or a close substitute—to stock your Prepper Pantry!

Protein Foods and Nutrient-Dense Snacks

When it comes to stocking your Prepper Pantry with long-term, shelf-stable foods, the two most pressing questions dealt with protein foods and nutrient-dense snacks. In my questions and answers video, I review some of the best shelf-stable protein foods for all palettes, and I share multiple options for all budgets.

And when it comes to snacks—yes, you were all spot on. It’s all about finding those foods that are not only shelf-stable but are also nutrient-dense or nutrient-rich. These types of snacks will sustain you and your family during those times of hard work between meals. As one of you shared with me, trekking through a half-mile of snow (and back home again!) to get to the barn to tend to the animals requires some high-calorie, nutrient-rich foods!

Food Storage 101 for Your Prepper Pantry

In addition to the questions that I cover in this video, check out Peggy Layton’s helpful book, Food Storage 101. This book discusses the types of foods you need to stock your Prepper Pantry. Plus, Peggy provides a clear plan on how to go about stocking your pantry using helpful charts, lists, and more! It’s everything a prepper heart could want.

Prepper Pantry Video Series

In addition to the questions that I cover in this video, be sure to watch my Prepper Pantry video series, if you haven’t had a chance to do so:

1. What is a Prepper Pantry? And Why We All Need One.
2. How to Stock Your Prepper Pantry with Real Food
3. How to Stock Your Prepper Pantry for $5 a Week with a Prepper Pantry Grocery List

Pantry List for Your Prepper Pantry

My Traditional Foods Pantry List is exactly what you need to get started stocking your Four Corners Pantry, which consists of your:

• Main Working Pantry
• Fridge
• Freezer
• Extended Pantry (also known as your Prepper Pantry).

This pantry list is especially helpful if you are at the beginning of your journey in transitioning from a processed foods kitchen to a Traditional Foods Kitchen.

And best of all—It’s FREE! And did I mention…it 36 pages long! This free eBook contains lots of food lists, information about traditional foods, and links to all my different videos that show you how to make traditional foods, including bone broth, cultured dairy, ferments, sourdough, and more!

Shelf-Stable Recipe Videos

You can certainly buy many shelf-stable foods to stock your Prepper Pantry, but did you know that you can actually make many types of foods homemade! And you can make them with much more wholesome ingredients. I show you how in the videos below.

More Prepper Pantry Videos

See all →

3 Crucial Pantry Questions You Need to Ask

Ask yourself these questions to ensure you have the essentials in your pantry to prepare for emergencies.

How to Prep a Pantry That Can Withstand Price Controls – The 3 Essential Foods to Stock NOW!

Learn about foods you should stock in your pantry that would be the most affected by future price controls.

The 3 EASY Ways to Lower Preparedness Anxiety

Take these simple steps to ease your “Preparedness Anxiety” and help you feel ready for the unexpected.

Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy

Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.

Kitchen Academy Videos

See all →

How to Eat a Mediterranean Diet with a Keto Twist

Explore a Mediterranean-Keto twist with a full sample menu focused on healthy fats, quality proteins, and low-carb veggies.

Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy 2025 Member Update

I chat about what’s in store for my Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy in 2025.

Baking with Ancient Grains in the Traditional Foods Kitchen

Bake with Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt—nutritious ancient grains that bring rich flavor and tradition to your favorite recipes.

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

1. Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
2. Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
5. Preorder The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Be one of the first to get Mary's hardcover book about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

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Shop for items used in this blog post or video

Favorite Food Storage Supplies

When it comes to keeping the foods fresh in a Prepper Pantry for as long as possible, these are some of my favorite supplies:

• Handheld Food Saver
• Food Saver Jar Adapter Kit
• Food Saver Space Saver Kit
• 32-Ounce Canning/Storage Jars
• 5 Gallon Storage Buckets
  • Bucket Lid Opener Tool
  • Gamma Lids – White
  • Gamma Lids – Multi-Colored
• Mylar Bags (1 Gallon) (5 Gallon)
• Oxygen Absorbers
• Silica Gel Packs (Prevents moisture build-up)
• Bay Leaves (Deter bugs)
• Presto Dehydrator
• Excalibur Dehydrator

Favorite Nutrient-Dense Snack Foods

Here are some of the nutrient-dense snack foods that I talk about in my prepper pantry questions answered video. Do you have these types of foods in your long-term storage?

• Individual Coconut Oil Packs
• Coconut Chips
• GORP (this is the type of mixture I remember growing up with)
• Trail Mix Snack Packs

Favorite Kitchen Supplies

• Favorite Aprons
• Spice Grinder
• Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
• Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
• Vacuum Lids
• Whisk
• Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
• Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
• Flour Sack Towels
• pH Strips (Helps you check on the acidity of your vinegar)

Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide

• Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
• Visit my Shopping Guide page
  Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!

Recommended Reading

• The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
• Nourishing Traditions
• Food Storage 101 Where do I begin? (Cookin’ With Home Storage)
• Prepper’s Pantry: Build a Nutritious Stockpile to Survive Blizzards, Blackouts, Hurricanes, Pandemics, Economic Collapse, or Any Other Disasters