7 Food Items To Stock Up on Now in Case of Tariff-Induced Product Shortages
Written by
Marc Guberti
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Tariffs don’t just result in higher prices. They can also trigger product shortages as corporations look for new trading partners or scrap expansion plans. While some of these supply shocks affect non-essential items, they can ripple into essential resources like food.
Food prices can go up during tariffs and some of your favorites may be harder to find on shelves. Although it’s possible that the impact on food is minimal, it’s best to be prepared. These are some of the food items you may want to accumulate before tariffs potentially create product shortages.
Rice
Rice is an affordable meal that offers plenty of carbohydrates and can keep you full. If you store rice in the freezer, it will be good for up to eight months. However, you can get a longer shelf life if you opt for white rice over brown rice. While brown rice can last three to six months, white rice may last up to five years.
If you want to prepare for an apocalypse, you can store white rice in airtight containers. With this arrangement, the white rice can last for up to 30 years.
Beans
Beans are another affordable food that leaves you full and offers sufficient nutrients. You can store beans for more than a year, but you can extend it to 10 years if you store your beans in an airtight container. Beans contain protein, fiber and a bunch of healthy vitamins.
Canned Goods
The canned goods food category covers a lot of ground. Canned soups, fruit, vegetables and chicken are some of the examples of canned food. Some canned goods last for more than a year as long as the can is not damaged.
You should store canned food in an area that is between 50 to 70 degrees. Avoid putting canned goods in a freezer or another place with extreme temperature changes. The cabinet may be your best option for storing canned goods.
Meat
Meat is an excellent protein source that’s good to stock up on in any economy, especially with tariffs. If you put meat in a freezer, it can be stored for three to four months in most cases. Red meat gives you the most flexibility. It’s best to eat red meat within one year, but it can remain safe indefinitely if you store it in a freezer. Ground meat doesn’t last as long, with a shelf life ranging from three to four months.
Nuts
Nuts have a lot of nutrients and are easy to store. These food items can last for six to nine months if they are shelled nuts. Unshelled nuts only last for four to six months. If you want to extend the shelf life of nuts, you can put them in the freezer.
Coffee
Making your own coffee will save you a lot of money compared to buying it at a local Starbucks. An unopened bag of whole bean coffee can last up to a year, but an opened bag only lasts for a few weeks. You might save thousands of dollars each year by making coffee at home instead of buying it at Starbucks, but the total savings depend on how often you drink coffee.
Chocolate
Most people have a sugar tooth and chocolate delivers on this craving. It turns out chocolate has a great shelf life. Milk and white chocolate can last six to ten months, but dark chocolate can last up to two years. Keep chocolate away from temperature fluctuations to maximize its shelf life.
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