Include Vitamins in Your Preparedness Plan

Vitamins and minerals have many unique roles to help to maintain our health. For instance Vitamin D and calcium work together. Vitamin D helps our body absorb the calcium it needs to form strong bones. Since the body cannot produce calcium; therefore, it must be absorbed through our food or through supplements like Vitamin D. The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. You can usually get all your vitamins from the foods you eat.

But what if there are financial challenges ahead?

Our family is not planning for TEOTWASKI specifically, but for the very real possibility of economic hardship due to job loss. We grow and preserve food and maintain an emergency fund.

We also have at minimum a three month supply of basic necessities, which include vitamins and minerals.

You may also want to include vitamins as part of your preparedness plan. It really does make sense, especially when you can purchase them on sale and stock up for later. Vitamins are one of the items that are frequently being offered on sale or with coupons, so keep your eyes open for deals.

Different Forms

Vitamins come in different forms. Pills, capsules, liquid, chewable, and powdered packets (like Emergen-C). They are convenient to use and most will have an expiration date of 12-18 months from manufacture.

No manufacturer will tell you that their product will last beyond the expiration date, but you can take your own steps to extend that time.

Proper Storage Conditions Can Extend the Shelf Life

It is important to keep all medications, including vitamins and minerals away from humid conditions. That means that the bathroom and in the medicine cabinet are the worst place to store them. The refrigerator is not the best place either, unless your vitamins specifically say to store them there.

Store Vitamins in the Pantry

For optimum storage you should consider storing vitamins in places like the pantry or a bedroom. Above all, the area should be cool, dry and dark.   If you will use your supply within 6 months, no other packaging is needed. If you are storing for an extended period, transferring them to mason jars with oxygen absorbers, will extend the shelf life.

Store Vitamins in the Freezer

You may want to buy economy size containers of vitamins . This will allow you to store enough product to last for 12 months. Divide them into 30 day supplies and transfer the pills to FoodSaver bags, removing the oxygen. Label and store them in the freezer. It’s drier than the fridge and the FoodSaver will keep away moisture. Take out one package at a time.

       This is how we purchase ours.

The bottom line is this – you can extend your vitamin storage up to 18 months by using these tips: Keep them cool, keep them dry and keep them away from light. Use your FoodSaver to protect them from oxygen and storage in the freezer is an option if they are properly packaged.

Other How Do I Store That posts – Nuts – Fats & Oils – Powdered Milk – Fresh Milk. There are affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting PreparednessMama.