11 of 5
Bean and tuna salad
Drain a can of beans and a can of tuna into a bowl, add a spoon of oil, a dash of vinegar and some salt and pepper. Add tinned sweetcorn or olives if you have them.
The scratch kitchen
No-cook meals from the pantry
Five plates from cans and packets that need no stove, no fridge and no fuel to spare.
Time15 min
LevelEasy
Steps5
Official sources2
When there is no power and no fuel to spare, ready-to-eat shelf food still makes a proper meal. These five use what a stocked pantry already holds.
What you need
Gather these before you start.
- Tinned beans, chickpeas, tuna, chicken or salmon: a few cans
- Crackers, tortillas or flatbread: 1 pack
- Nut butter, dried fruit, nuts, rolled oats: 1 pack each
- Shelf-stable milk or plant milk: 1 carton
- Manual can opener
- Bowl and fork
- Clean water for washing hands
Step by step
22 of 5
Chickpea crackers
Mash drained chickpeas with a fork, oil, lemon juice from a bottle and a pinch of salt. Spread on crackers or roll into a tortilla.
33 of 5
Overnight oats
In the evening, cover rolled oats with shelf-stable milk, stir in dried fruit and a spoon of nut butter, and leave it covered. By morning it is soft enough to eat.
44 of 5
Peanut butter wraps
Spread nut butter on a tortilla, add sliced banana, honey or dried fruit and roll it up. It is quick fuel for children and adults working hard.
55 of 5
A cold plate
Lay out tinned salmon or chicken, crackers, tinned peaches and a handful of nuts. A plate with protein, fruit and starch feels like a meal.
The numbers
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Meals in this guide | 5 |
| Time to make | about 15 min |
| Opened can with no fridge | eat within 2 hours |
| Opened can above 32 °C (90 °F) | eat within 1 hour |
| Shelf-stable milk | 1 carton |
USDA FSIS, Keep your food safe during emergencies
Stay safe
- With no fridge, eat opened cans within 2 hours, or 1 hour if it is above 32 °C (90 °F).
- Wash hands, or use sanitizer, before you handle food.
- Check allergy needs before sharing food with neighbors.
When you're done
| Result | Five filling meals made in minutes from the shelf, with nothing left over to spoil. |
|---|---|
| Keep it ready | Stock small cans for no-fridge days and rotate them with the rest of the pantry. |
Questions people ask
What are the best foods to eat during a power outage?
Canned food can be eaten straight from the can without warming, so tinned beans, tuna, chicken and fruit go far. Add crackers or tortillas, nut butter, dried fruit, nuts and shelf-stable milk.
What are easy no-cook meals for a power outage?
Bean and tuna salad, mashed chickpeas on crackers, overnight oats in shelf-stable milk, nut butter wraps with banana, and a cold plate of tinned salmon, crackers and peaches.
How long do canned goods last after opening without a fridge?
Eat the food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when it is above 90 °F (32 °C). Small cans that a household finishes in one sitting work best on no-fridge days.
Sources
Related guides
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