My prayers and thoughts are with everyone in the path of the current storms looming and headed towards the US. Hurricane season is always a stressful time of year. Since my family and I live in Miami, over the years, we’ve had our fair share of close calls and direct hits. It’s already hectic enough getting our homes and emergency supplies ready, but the stress level gets even higher when there’s an evacuation order. That is what happened to my family last year. I’ve included the complete post for you to read.  I wrote it from my hotel room as I wanted to share my experience with you while it was fresh in my mind and describe how we got through it all from the time we secured our home, packed up our valuable documents, belongings, food and water. There’s a link to another blog post which is an emergency supply kit checklist for bariatric patients.

http://weightitgetsbetter.com/evacuated-how-my-emergency-supply-kit-for-bariatric-patients-helped/

http://weightitgetsbetter.com/emergency-supply-kit-checklist-for-bariatric-patients/

Each year, we always have hurricane supplies and once the season is over, I use those items throughout the year and re-stock again starting in March and April. Since having bariatric surgery in 2014, I’ve included some non-perishable, protein focused food and drink items geared to support the dietary needs of Bariatric patients. The fantastic news here, is all of the items on the list are family friendly and can shared with everyone in your household.

Here’s a list of items my family and I include in our emergency supply kit:

Food & Water Items

•  Bottled water ( National Hurricane Center experts recommend having 3 day supply of 1 gallon of water per person)
• Additional Fluids (Shelf Stable Almond Milk – although once opened,  you will have to use it right away or store in a cooler), powerade, G2, Vitamin Water Zero, Diet Snapple, etc.
• Diet Lipton Iced Tea – this tastes good at room temperature or cold
• Premier Protein Pre-Made High Protein Shakes
• Whey Protein Powder
• Tea Bags, Instant Coffee
• Dry Coffee Creamer
• Stevia
• PB2 – great to have on hand as it mixes so well with protein powder
• Protein Bars – Quest Protein Bars,
• Atkins High Protein Bars, Power Crunch Bars, Protein Cake Bites
•  Jerky – Epic Brand, etc.
• Crackers Saltine’s (unsalted tops), Dux Whole Wheat Integral Crackers, Rovira Lite Soda Crackers
• Laughing Cow Cheese – when you buy this in the store, it’s sold on a shelf and doesn’t need refrigeration. Simply spread a wedge on crackers or pop it right in your mouth for a quick and easy mini-meal
• Canned Meats -Tuna Pouches 2.5 oz serving size, Salmon, chicken, sardines, canned soups (just be sure to check the sodium content)
• Canned Beans – I normally choose low sodium, beans are a fantastic source of protein and fiber
• Refried Beans – I Love Trader Joe’s Brand
• Fresh Strawberries
• Fresh Blackberries
• Fresh Bananas
• Canned Spray Cheese – not one of my staples, but my family likes this
• Nut Butters
• Nuts – your favorite choices
• Pre-made Jello, Pudding – shelf stable, sugar-free
• Crystal Light & other sugar-free flavor packages
• Steel Cut Oatmeal Packages
• Chicken Broth – unsalted
• Hummus Packages – shelf stable packages
• Bread – 100% whole wheat with no fructose corn syrup is my first choice
• Tortilla – whole wheat
• Fold it wraps

Non-Food Item Necessities

• Medications & Bariatric Vitamins ( remember your B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron and other supplements)
• CPAP Machine & other medical equipment
• First Aid Kit
• Pain Medication – I use Tylenol products, especially Tylenol Arthritis
• Bug Repellent
• Sunscreen
• Manual Can Opener
• Lighter
• Shaker Bottle – to mix your protein shakes. I recommend have a few of these on hand. I use the Jaxx Shaker Bottles that came with my Jaxx Fitpak   
• Jaxx  Shaker Bottle with Collapsible bottom.
• Zip Lock Storage Bags – in assorted sizes