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DEYO FOOD STORAGE PLANNER
The Deyo Food Storage Planner program works in Excel for either Macintosh or Windows and is a straightforward, easy-to-use spreadsheet. You will also need the latest version of Unzip to decompress the program. All you need to do is fill in the number of family members and how many weeks you want to store; the worksheet will calculate the quantities needed.
We have also provided the Minimum Shelf Life listed for each item. If you would like the Metric Measures version, click here. For our friends in America, click US Measures. These are copyrighted but freeware programs.
When you open the program, there are 12 columns of helpful data. The first column lists over 375 Food and Household Items with places for you to add 2 additional items in each category without having to make any changes to the sheet. (In Excel, it is very easy to add extra rows should the lines provided not be enough.) With the stroke of a button, you may delete any item not used by your family or leave it blank. Foods are organized by USDA food groups.
You can use the Deyo Food Storage Planner two ways:
METHOD 1
You can use the Select Amount for foods at the beginning of each category and plug in the amount of each food you want to fulfill the amounts suggested. To use this method, multiply the number of Adult Portions (B528) by the suggested amount of pounds or kilograms needed as in lines 5, 16, 29, 38, 59 and so on.
For example, for Metric, if you need 5 Adult Portions of Salt, multiply 5 x 1/2kg = 2.5kg Salt to store for 6 months. If you want to figure amounts for 1 year, multiply the suggested 2.5kg amount by 2 to = 5kgs. For only 3 months storage, divide the suggested amount to select for each category in half. For Salt, for 3 months, the stored amount would be 5 x 1/4 kg or 1-1/4kg.
For Imperial, if you need 5 Adult Portions of Salt, multiply 5 x 1 pound = 5 pounds Salt to store for 6 months. If you want to figure this amount for 1 year, multiply the total by 2 which would be 10 pounds. For only 3 months, divide the suggested amount to select for each category in half. For Salt it would equal 2.5 pounds.
Whatever length of time you wish to store, scroll down to Column "B", Line 528 and plug in the number of weeks. This will automatically convert the formulas to your desired planning time.
METHOD 2
You can use the suggested amounts of Adults Shares found in Column L used to calculate the Target Amount in column C.
To use either method, scroll down to B515 and fill in the number of family members for each lines 515 - 520. The number of Adult Shares needed will automatically be figured for the suggested Target Amount in Column C. As you add to your stored supplies, fill in the amounts in Column D, Quantity On Hand. The worksheet will automatically fill in the amounts still needed in Column E, Amount Needed. If you want to keep track of how much you're spending, drop in the cost per item in Column F, Unit Cost. The worksheet will automatically extend the cost in Column G. This provides good incentive to rotate foods before they expire!
SHELF LIFE
For most products, Column H will list the recommended Minimum Shelf Life. Many food products mark the expiration date right on the package. For those that don't, you can keep track on this sheet when you purchase items by using Columns I, J or K. For products not marked with an expiration date, be sure to write on the product with a permanent marker the date of purchase.
The last column, L, is where you can change the suggested weekly amount for an Adult Share. For example, if your family wants to store more green beans, change the Adult Share in L87 to the quantity desired.
This worksheet's food group information is based on the USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture) recommended amounts. However any quantity can be adjusted up or down to fit personal needs, budget or taste. These are suggestions only.
ADDING ITEMS
Adding extra items to the Deyo Food Planner is very easy in Excel, but for your convenience, each category already has two lines provided where you can insert products.
Suggested quantities are padded a bit to plan for unexpected circumstances. If the budget allows, it is always better to have too much than not enough! Additionally, extra stored items can be used for barter. Rotating these foods into your normal diet means nothing ever goes to waste.
SPECIALTY ITEMS
A few items like mouse and rat traps are not based on the Adult Share formula but on a per week use. Change these amounts to suit. For gender-dependent items like sanitary napkins, etc., you will need to fill in the amounts since this worksheet does not differentiate between male and female except in food requirements.
Deyo Food Planner doesn't cover all items needed except food and water. For additional items to stock, please check both the General Supplies List and First Aid List. These goods, too, may be added to this worksheet to keep track of stocks.
SHELF LIFE
Shelf life can be greatly increased by vacuum or nitrogen packing or other methods of hermetically sealing foods. Storing goodss away from light, at constant low temperatures, in low humidity and leaving packaging unopened from time of purchase to usage, also extends shelf life. Storing foods at a constant 68oF (20oC), or lower, will greatly lengthen shelf life. Many foods can be safely consumed months after their expiration date as long as the container is intact and cans are not rusting or bulging. However, using foods by their expiration date will insure best nutritional quality and taste. Be sure to read the Extending Shelf Life article from Al Durtschi of Walton Feed. He provides excellent information how to get more $$ and "life expectancy" from your food.
When I come back from the grocery store, these items stay in the grocery sacks, until their expiration dates are logged. That way it gets done. To put them in the cupboard or frig only to haul them out again is no incentive to do it. However, seeing a mess in "that corner" is! Besides it only takes a couple minutes and the $$ saved by not letting foods expire makes it worthwhile.
PRINTING THESE SHEETS
When you print out a hard copy, make sure to do so in the Landscape setting. If you want to save your color ink, before printing select the black ink option or save this page as a text file. However, color does make the sheet easier to read.
This information may be used by you freely for noncommercial use only with
my name and email address attached.
hollydeyo@standeyo.com
http://standeyo.com
Contents © 1997-2004 Holly Deyo. All rights reserved.
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