Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats of using nuclear weapons during his invasion of Ukraine have European countries and the United States evaluating their own plans in the event of nuclear war.
Should an all-out war arise between nuclear superpowers, one expert told Newsweek that there is nothing civilians can do to prepare or prevent the ensuing destruction short of urging their elected representatives to not take such an in the first place. However, if a smaller attack occurred—such as one nuclear weapon explosion—there are ways people can prepare.
That includes having a go bag on hand that includes medications, water, important documents, memorabilia that can't be replaced, and food. While people will need to take immediate action to flee the area near a nuclear blast, later they will have to worry about hydration and nutrition.
Irwin Redlener, founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University, said that ideal food items to stockpile would be high-calorie products with lots of carbohydrates and protein, as well as water—enough to last each person three days.
Since water is heavy, Redlener suggested packing less canned goods and more dried foods to lower any excess weight in the go bag. He highlighted items like meals ready to eat (MREs), like dried chicken parmesan, that only need water to rehydrate and contain sufficient calories.
Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of NCDP at Columbia University, stressed the importance of one food group that people may not consider when packing their bags.
"Throw in something you like. It's OK to eat something you like in a disaster if you're going to be eating canned foods," Schlegelmilch told Newsweek. "If you want a bag of Doritos at some point, that's a good investment. Some sort of comfort item in that food kit is going to taste really good after a couple of days of canned food."
Schlegelmilch said people should prioritize foods with a long shelf-life, but also take into account the materials they have on hand to prepare the foods. Canned goods can be consumed straight from the can, but dried goods like rice and beans need to be boiled first. If a person doesn't have the proper equipment to cook without electricity, they should opt for canned foods instead.
Some options people should consider stockpiling are pasta, beans, rice, protein bars, and canned items higher in protein like black beans or beef stew.
Families should pack items they enjoy eating. Schlegelmilch said since his family often cooks Mexican dishes, it's easy for him to keep extra cans of black beans on hand for an emergency.
However, canned foods could cause harm if someone is on a low-sodium diet because of medical issues like hypertension or a heart condition. Those individuals may need to pack more dried foods instead.
Redlener said each family's go bag will consist of different items specific to that family—such as if a baby requires formula, or if certain allergies prevent a person from consuming certain foods.
People also should consider their medical needs and food and water for their pets.
