Tinned fruit
If there was a problem with the supply chain of fresh fruit, you want to be thinking about how you’re going to get vitamin C. Tinned fruit – maybe peaches, pears or mandarin oranges in natural juice, not syrup – is a good option. An 80g portion still counts as one of your five-a-day, and provides fibre, antioxidants and beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.
Long-life orange juice
I don’t normally recommend drinking fruit juice because it’s very high in free sugars – you’re much better off eating a whole orange than drinking the juice – but having a couple of long-life packs could be sensible for the vitamin C content, especially if you have young children.
Tinned vegetables
It’s not worth filling your cupboards with endless tins of vegetables you wouldn’t eat ordinarily, but you could get some tins of peas, carrots or sweetcorn for the vitamin C and fibre. You’d be better off ensuring you have tinned tomatoes, which are more versatile and a source of vitamin C.
Pouches of cooked grains and lentils
Rice would be fine, though it doesn’t really offer much in the way of fibre or protein, but if you’re in a disaster situation, it makes your ingredients go further. You can eat them cold if required, or add a splash of water and warm them on a camping stove if you don’t have power for the microwave. Personally, for carbs, I prefer pre-cooked wholegrains such as quinoa, buckwheat and bulgur wheat, as well as pouches of cooked lentils, which support heart health, gut health and blood sugar regulation. They offer a wider range of nutrients than rice and are also a source of protein.
Breakfast cereal
If you wanted a fortified breakfast cereal, Shredded Wheat or Weetabix are the healthiest ones on the market, though my personal preference would be rolled oats. I’d bump them up with some dried fruit, nuts and seeds to increase the fibre, healthy fats and micronutrients in the bowl.