Food

How much emergency food to store

Keep at least 3 days of food per person that needs no fridge, and build toward 2 weeks for staying at home, as the American Red Cross advises. For weights, Germany's federal food agency lists about 1.4 kg (3 lb) of food per adult per day, at 2,200 kcal.

Fallback72 research deskUpdated 11 Nov 20268 min read

Read8 min read

Updated11 Nov 2026

TopicFood

Official sources12

Why it matters

The short answer

Ready.gov asks for "at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food" and leaves the number open. The Red Cross is more specific: 3 days of food for a bag you take when you leave, 2 weeks for the supply you keep at home.

Neither gives a weight. For that, the most detailed public table comes from Germany, where the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) publishes a 10-day supply for one adult, food group by food group.

Food for one adult, per day

1.4 kg

13.8 kg÷10 days

About 3 lb of food, plus 2 litres of drinks

Germany's BLE table adds up to 13.8 kg of food and 20 litres of drinks for 10 days, sized for 2,200 kcal a day. Cans count at drained weight.

Source: BLE, Vorratstabelle (stockpile table)

4.1 kgone adult, 3 days

19.4 kgone adult, 2 weeks

2,200 kcalper day, the basis

Per person, by food group

The BLE's 10-day amounts, divided by 10 and multiplied out to 3 days and 2 weeks.

Food group	Per day	3 days	2 weeks
Grains, bread, potatoes	330 g (11.6 oz)	1 kg (2.2 lb)	4.6 kg (10.2 lb)
Vegetables, beans, mushrooms	400 g (14.1 oz)	1.2 kg (2.6 lb)	5.6 kg (12.3 lb)
Fruit and nuts	250 g (8.8 oz)	750 g (1.7 lb)	3.5 kg (7.7 lb)
Milk and dairy	250 g (8.8 oz)	750 g (1.7 lb)	3.5 kg (7.7 lb)
Meat, fish, eggs	120 g (4.2 oz)	360 g (0.8 lb)	1.7 kg (3.7 lb)
Fats and oil	33 g (1.2 oz)	100 g (0.2 lb)	460 g (1 lb)
All food	1.4 kg (3 lb)	4.1 kg (9 lb)	19.4 kg (43 lb)
Drinks	2 L (0.5 gal)	6 L (1.6 gal)	28 L (7.4 gal)

Source: BLE Vorratstabelle, one adult at 2,200 kcal a day. The 2 litres are 1.5 L to drink and 0.5 L to cook pasta, rice and potatoes. US guidance stores 1 gallon of water per person per day, which also covers basic hygiene: see how much water to store.

For your whole household

Total food weight at the BLE's adult rate. Treat it as a planning figure and adjust for small children.

People	3 days	2 weeks
1	4.1 kg (9 lb)	19.4 kg (43 lb)
2	8.3 kg (18 lb)	38.7 kg (85 lb)
3	12.4 kg (27 lb)	58.1 kg (128 lb)
4	16.6 kg (37 lb)	77.4 kg (171 lb)
5	20.7 kg (46 lb)	96.8 kg (213 lb)
6	24.9 kg (55 lb)	116.2 kg (256 lb)

1.38 kg per person per day, multiplied out. The BLE's own calculator works it out for 1 to 28 days.

Count meals, then weigh

Weights help you judge shelf space. Meals are what your family will actually eat, and the University of Georgia Extension suggests planning those directly.

Write a list headed "Day 1" to "Day 14" and fill in what each meal is and where it is stored. Next to each day, note the water and equipment it needs. The gaps on that list are your shopping list.

Two things the extension services add for a supply longer than a few days:

One well-balanced meal a day. For 2 weeks, UGA and the University of Arkansas Extension both say to plan at least one, so nutrition matters more than it does for 3 days.
Food your household already eats. Arkansas Extension advises bringing canned and dried foods into normal meals before an emergency, so nobody meets them for the first time in a crisis.

What to buy, group by group

Examples from the BLE table, with additions from Sweden's and Norway's lists. Swap in what your household likes.

Grains

Crispbread and rusks
Oats or other flakes
Pasta and rice
Packaged wholegrain bread

Vegetables and legumes

Canned green beans, peas and carrots
Canned corn, beets, mushrooms
Sauerkraut, pickles
Lentils, chickpeas, beans

Fruit and nuts

Canned cherries, pears, mandarins, pineapple
Raisins and prunes
Hazelnuts
Some fresh fruit, such as apples or oranges

Milk and dairy

UHT milk
Hard cheese
Milk powder (Sweden's list)

Protein

Canned tuna, sardines, herring
Corned beef, canned sausages
Dried sausage such as salami
Eggs, while they last

Fats and quick energy

Cooking oil, butter or margarine
Peanut butter, nuts and seeds
Jam, honey, chocolate
Protein or energy bars

Krisinformation.se: source

What governments ask for

The window varies more than the food does.

Country	How long	What they say about food
United States (Ready.gov, Red Cross)	Several days; Red Cross: 2 weeks at home	Non-perishable, no refrigeration, cooking or water needed
United Kingdom (Be Ready)	3 days	Long shelf life, no fridge or cooking, food you'd usually eat
Canada (Get Prepared)	At least 72 hours	Food that won't spoil; replace it once a year
Germany (BBK, BLE)	10 days where possible; 3 days already helps	Weighed table per adult, 2,200 kcal a day
Switzerland (BWL)	About 1 week	Rice, pasta, oil, ready meals, UHT milk, hard cheese, cans
Norway (DSB), Sweden (MCF)	1 week; Sweden: at least 1 week	Food that keeps at room temperature, some needing no cooking

Each row from that government's own page, opened on 11 Nov 2026. Links in the sources below.

Rotate it so it stays good

A supply you eat from and refill never goes out of date.

01Keep a stock list

List every item with the amount, the date bought and its best-before date.
Post it near the cupboard and cross items off as you use them.
Where a package has no date, write the purchase date on it.

Source: BLE and University of Georgia Extension

02New at the back, old at the front

Put new stock behind or under the old.
Cook from the front in normal weeks and replace what you take.
Rotate staples once or twice a year (UGA). For best quality, eat canned food within a year.

Source: University of Georgia Extension

03Check on a fixed date

The UK's Be Ready list suggests a reminder every six months to check expiry dates.
Throw out cans that bulge at the top or bottom, leak or rust, and any with dents on a seam or rim.
Update the list when your household changes: a baby, a new diet, a pet.

Source: Be Ready (UK Government)

Power out? Eat in this order

The stored supply is the last thing you open. UGA Extension's order:

Perishable food from the fridge.
Food from the freezer, opening the door as little as possible. Switzerland's BWL counts the freezer as part of the supply, as long as thawed food isn't refrozen.
Then the non-perishable stock.

Babies, special diets and pets

Babies and small children

The UK list prefers ready-to-feed formula, since you may not be able to boil water to make up powder safely. Sweden adds porridge and baby-food jars.

Allergies and diabetes

Arkansas Extension: stock food that meets each person's needs, such as nut-free food for a peanut allergy. Write the names and needs at the top of your meal list.

Pets

Germany's checklist and Sweden's both include pet food. Sweden suggests dry food and cans that keep at room temperature.

Questions people ask

How much food do I need per person per day?

Germany's BLE table works out to about 1.4 kg (3 lb) per adult per day, planned around 2,200 kcal. US guidance gives days, not weights.

How much food does a family of four need for two weeks?

About 77 kg (171 lb) at the BLE's adult rate, or 168 meals at three a day.

Do I need special survival food?

No. Norway's DSB says to keep a little extra of what you already eat. UGA notes freeze-dried food is light and compact but needs extra water to prepare.

How long does canned food last?

UGA Extension says commercially canned food can last two years or longer, and recommends eating it within a year for the best quality.

Does frozen food count?

Switzerland's BWL counts it. Germany's table leaves it out because a power cut can come with the emergency. Eat it first, before the shelf stock.

Next step

72-hour checklist

Tick off your kit, then print it.

72-hour checklist The app