Emergency Food Storage Calculator – How Much Food Do You Need?
Emergency organizations like the Red Cross and FEMA recommend having at least a two-week supply of food at home in case an emergency strikes.
However, recent disasters have shown us that emergencies can last much longer than this.
Aim to build a three-month supply of food and then build up to a year’s worth – if not more.
While everyone has different tastes, and preferences, this calculator will help you figure out your family’s food needs, determine how to store it, and stay organized.
How To Use The Food Storage Calculator
To use the calculator, enter the number of months you want to prepare for, press the next button and then enter the number of family members on the final screen you will get your results with the total number of calories required and then a breakdown of each food type (*note numbers have been rounded up where necessary, better to have too much rather than too little!)
How Many Calories Per Day?
The World Health Organization recommends stockpiling 2,100 calories of food per day for emergency preparedness. This is how much an average adult doing light activity would require.
If the emergency involves you sitting around your home not doing very much, you might not need this much food (though you might end up eating much more due to boredom snacking). By contrast, you might need many more calories if you have to do strenuous physical activity. The body will also use more calories per day to stay warm in cold weather.
Below are general guidelines to help you with planning your food supply. Note that guidelines vary between health organizations. There’s also issues like the fact that kids are often picky eaters and some food may be wasted. To play it safe, use a higher calorie amount per day when planning your food supply.
| Age\Group | Calories |
|---|---|
| Adults and children 11+ | 2100 |
| 2-5 Years | 1400 |
| 6-8 Years | 1600 |
| 9-10 Years | 1800 |
| Highly active adult | 3000 |
| Active teen boy | 3200 |
Emergency Food Planning Workbook
The instant download includes:
Food Planning Workbook: Covers everything you need to know about storing food for emergencies.- Inventory Spreadsheets: You’ll get professional spreadsheets with the info you need for creating your two-week and long-term food supply pre-entered into the tables. (Requires Microsoft Excel or similar)
- Printable Inventory Sheets: If you don’t want to use the Excel spreadsheets, you can print these and track your food storage by hand.
- Example Inventories: Get an idea of what your food supply should look like with two sample inventories.
- Bonus Printables: You’ll also get 5 bonus printables with important food info you might need during an emergency.
An Inventory Planner Which Works for Everyone
Months of work work went into these inventory spreadsheets as we wanted to make a tool which works for anyone, regardless of dietary needs, budget or personal preferences. The information is based on recommendations for caloric needs and nutrition.
All you need to do is enter your number of family members. The inventory sheet does all the math for you, including calculating calorie needs and serving amounts for each food group.
Follow these guidelines and you’ll have balanced and healthy meals on hand for emergencies.
Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Plan Your Emergency Food Supply
The Workbook covers everything you need to know to plan your emergency food supply. It covers topics such as:
- Which foods to stockpile
- Storage methods
- Food shelf life
- Preventing pantry pests
- How to use Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers
- Emergency meal ideas
A little bit of effort goes a long way towards preparedness.
Emergency Food Binder