To Keep Up Your Health after a Disaster, Stock Up Ahead of Time and Test Run Simple Dishes

By Rie Hayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:58 JST, March 17, 2025

After a disaster, especially in the immediate wake of a disaster, people tend to consume foods high in carbohydrates, such as rice and bread. If they continue to eat imbalanced meals, they become more susceptible to illness. On the other hand, those who have delicious, nutritious meals are more likely to have the energy to work toward rebuilding. When you’re assembling your emergency food store, it’s important to also consider the nutritional side of your preparations.

Akiko Kubo, an associate professor of the Faculty of Nutrition at Kagawa Nutrition University, oversaw the health of disaster victims as a registered dietitian after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. One month after the earthquake, she surveyed the food served at evacuation centers and found that people were not getting as much vitamin B1 and calcium as they needed. Many of the evacuees complained of mouth ulcers and constipation.

“It’s easy to get sick after a disaster due to stress, so it’s important to prepare nutritionally balanced meals,” she said.

According to Kubo, you should be sure that you stockpile foods for both main and side dishes at home. The dishes will need to provide you with protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

For main dishes, stock up on canned fish and meat, since these will give you the protein you need. Recently, it has become easier to find these foods in pouch form as well.

For vitamins and dietary fiber, you’ll want to have dried foods, such as dried daikon radish and cut wakame seaweed, that can serve as side dishes. And be sure to always keep a stock of potatoes, onions and carrots. Frozen foods such as broccoli and mixed vegetables will also come in handy.

Kubo recommends creating a “rolling stock” of food by purchasing more than you need and consuming your oldest stock first, keeping in mind what you will need for your staple food, main dishes and side dishes during a disaster.

“If you can eat familiar foods, you’ll have peace of mind even during a disaster,” Kubo said.

If the power goes out, food in the refrigerator should be eaten first. Eggs, meat and fish will spoil quickly without refrigeration. Once you consume these foods, move on to those in your freezer.

Miyuki Shimamoto, a cooking expert who has been certified for disaster preparation, recommends hot pot dishes or miso soup with meat and vegetables. Cut vegetables into thin strips to shorten their cooking time.

She also recommends that people prepare a camp stove and gas canister so that they can cook without electricity or gas.

“A hot meal is comforting. Hot pots and soups provide well-balanced nutrition,” she said.

To prepare for a severed water supply, set aside three liters of water per person for each day you want to have backup water. Plastic bags and disinfectant sprays are also helpful. If you wrap your plate in plastic wrap or cover it with a plastic bag, you won’t have to do dishes after you eat.

Once you polish off the food in your refrigerator, start eating canned food that can be stored at room temperature. Pouched foods tend to contain a lot of salt, so make good use of canned tomatoes, which contain potassium, a mineral that can help reduce swelling. And it would be a good idea to try making easy-to-prepare dishes on a regular basis.

You may not have much of an appetite after a disaster. So stock up on your favorite seasonings, such as ponzu vinegar, sesame oil and mayonnaise, to help improve your appetite. You can also supplement your nutritional needs with vegetable juice, instant soup and milk that can be stored at room temperature.

“You might find it hard to have to suddenly start thinking about nutrition when you have few ingredients and you need to cook,” says Shimamoto. “Try to accustom yourself to cooking canned foods and other disaster-friendly food on a regular basis.”