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Emergency prep

Count calories, not servings. Know how much food your family needs.

A moderately active couple needs about 64,400 calories for two weeks. Enter your household to get your number, then check any food kit against it.
Work out my foodHow to compare kits

Figures checked against the USDA Dietary Guidelines and FEMA.

Your household, your calories

1. Who is in your home (age 2 and up)
  • 2,600 cal/day
  • 2,000 cal/day

Babies under 2 need formula or food chosen with your pediatrician; they are not in this table.

2. How active you will be

Moderately active is walking about 1.5 to 3 miles a day; active is more than 3 (Dietary Guidelines).

3. How many days

Calories to store

64,400

  • Your household: 4,600 calories a day
  • For 14 days

Estimates from the Dietary Guidelines calorie table for a person of average height and healthy weight. Your own needs may be higher or lower.

Check a food kit on real calories

Ignore the "servings" and "days of food" on the box. Add up the calories on the Nutrition Facts panels (calories per serving x servings, for every pouch), then enter the total and the price.

Enter a kit's total calories to see how many days it really lasts your household.

Where the numbers come from

Calories per person come from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, Appendix 2, which lists estimated needs by age, sex and activity level for ages 2 and up. The estimates assume average height and a healthy weight. The newer 2025-2030 Guidelines say calorie needs depend on age, sex, height, weight and activity but print no table, so the 2020-2025 table is the latest one published.

Days: CDC and FEMA use 3 days as a minimum for water and two weeks as the goal, and FEMA suggests a two-week food supply too. Ready.gov says at least a several-day supply.

How to compare food kits honestly

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our recommendations. How we make money.

  1. Ignore "servings", "meals" and "days of food" on the front of the box.
  2. Find the Nutrition Facts for each pouch or can: calories per serving x servings per container.
  3. Add up every item in the kit for its total calories.
  4. Enter that total and the price in the checker above to see how many days it feeds your household and the cost per 1,000 calories.
Why we insist: in May 2023 the National Advertising Division found that many of one seller's "2,000+ calories per day" claims for its long-term food kits had no clear disclosure, and recommended adding one. We do not repeat any brand's days or servings figures, and we list no calorie counts we could not check.

Freeze-dried kits are one option, not a requirement. If you want one, brands to compare include Valley Food Storage (opens in a new tab), ReadyWise (opens in a new tab) and Mountain House (opens in a new tab). Most need water to prepare, so add that to your water storage.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories a day do I need in an emergency?

The Dietary Guidelines estimate adult needs at 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day for women and 2,000 to 3,000 for men, depending on age and activity. A moderately active 40-year-old man needs about 2,600, and a woman about 2,000. Children need less; teenage boys can need more.

How much food do I need for two weeks?

Count calories, not meals. A moderately active couple aged 40 needs about 4,600 calories a day, or 64,400 for 14 days. A family of four with children aged 10 and 7 needs about 112,000. FEMA suggests keeping a two-week supply.

Why not count servings or days of food on the box?

Because a "serving" can be any size and a "day" can mean fewer calories than you need. In 2023 the National Advertising Division, the ad industry's watchdog, found that many of one emergency food seller's "2,000+ calories per day" claims lacked a clear disclosure and recommended adding one. Add up the calories on the Nutrition Facts panels instead.

Do pregnant or breastfeeding women need more emergency food?

Yes. The Dietary Guidelines add about 340 calories a day in the second trimester, 452 in the third, and 330 to 400 while breastfeeding, for a healthy pre-pregnancy weight. Nothing extra is needed in the first trimester. Follow your own provider's advice.

What food is best for an emergency supply?

FEMA suggests foods your family already eats that need no refrigeration, water, special preparation or cooking, and that are high in calories and nutrition. Canned goods and pantry staples count. Rotate them, first in, first out, and keep a manual can opener.

Calorie needs are estimates for healthy people of average size, not medical or dietary advice. Babies, people with medical conditions and special diets need a plan from their own doctor. See our disclaimer.

Sources

  1. USDA and HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, Appendix 2: Estimated Calorie Needs (PDF) — Table A2-2 estimated calorie needs by age, sex and activity; Table A2-3 pregnancy and lactation
  2. USDA and HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 (PDF) — calorie needs depend on age, sex, height, weight and activity
  3. FEMA, Food and Water in an Emergency (PDF) — two-week food supply; foods needing no refrigeration, water or cooking; first in, first out
  4. Ready.gov, Food — at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food
  5. BBB National Programs, NAD decision on My Patriot Supply (May 3, 2023) — many "2,000+ calories per day" claims lacked a clear disclosure

Keep going

Photo: Devon MacKay on Unsplash (Unsplash License).