How much food should you store for an emergency?

An emergency food store is simply extra food that keeps well and does not need a fridge, freezer or mains power to prepare. It helps if you cannot get to the shops because of illness, bad weather, a power cut or supply problems.

The UK government’s Be Ready checklist suggests non-perishable food for 3 days. That is a good first target. Once you have it, you can build towards a week or more at your own pace.

Start with how many calories you need

The simplest way to plan is by calories. Our food storage calculator does this for you, using these planning figures:

• Adults: 2,000 kcal a day. This is the adult reference intake printed on UK food labels.
• Children under 12: 1,500 kcal a day, as an average across ages.
• Hard physical work: add a quarter (×1.25).

A household of two adults and two children needs about 7,000 kcal a day, or about 21,000 kcal for 3 days.

Calories are only part of the picture, but they stop you underestimating. Many people are surprised at how much food 3 days really is.

What to store

Choose foods that keep for months at room temperature, can be eaten cold or with only hot water, and that your household already likes.

Grains and starches (the bulk of your store)

Oats, crackers, crispbreads, rice cakes, instant noodles, couscous, pasta and rice. Dry pasta and rice need plenty of water and fuel to cook, so balance them with things you can eat straight away.

Protein

Tinned fish, tinned meat, tinned beans and chickpeas, lentils, peanut butter and nuts. For vegetarian or vegan households, beans, lentils and nut butters do most of the work.

Fruit and vegetables

Tinned vegetables, tinned tomatoes, tinned fruit in juice, dried fruit and long-life fruit juice.

Fats and dairy

Cooking oil, UHT milk, long-life plant milk and hard cheese in wax (which keeps for a while without a fridge, but check the label).

Comfort and morale

Biscuits, chocolate, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, stock cubes and spices. Familiar treats matter, especially for children and in a stressful situation.

Things people forget

• A manual tin opener. Many tins still need one.
• A way to heat food. If you have a gas hob it may still work in a power cut, but light it with a match. If you use a camping stove, only use it outdoors: camping stoves and barbecues give off carbon monoxide and must never be used indoors or in a tent.
• Baby food and formula, and any special dietary products.
• Pet food.
• Water to cook with. Pasta, rice and dried foods all need water, so store a little extra.

How much is that in weight?

For 3 days, a household of two adults roughly needs:

Food group	Approximate amount
Dry rice, pasta or oats	about 1.4 kg
Tinned fish or meat	about 1.3 kg
Tinned or dried fruit and vegetables	about 2.6 kg
Oil and UHT milk	about 0.1 litres oil and 1.5 litres milk
Comfort foods	about 0.3 kg

These figures come straight from our calculator, using typical energy densities for each type of food. Your exact list will depend on what you buy, so treat them as a guide.

Best before and use by

UK food labels use two kinds of date:

• Use by is about safety. Do not eat food after its use-by date.
• Best before is about quality. Food is usually safe after this date if it has been stored properly and the packaging is undamaged, but it may not be at its best.

Most foods in an emergency store carry a best-before date. Rotate them so you eat them while they are still at their best.

Rotate, do not forget

The best emergency food store is one you eat from. A simple system:

1. Keep your emergency food together on one shelf or in one box.
2. Put new items at the back and use from the front.
3. Every month or two, move items that are getting close to their date into your normal meals, and replace them.
4. Write the date you bought each item on the packet if it is hard to read.

Store it well

• Keep food somewhere cool, dry and dark. Avoid lofts, garages and sheds that get hot or damp.
• Store dry goods in sealed containers to keep out moisture and pests.
• Check tins before use: do not eat from tins that are swollen, leaking, badly dented or rusty.

Who needs extra advice

Babies and infants, pregnancy, breastfeeding, diabetes, food allergies and other medical diets all need more careful planning. Talk to your GP, midwife, health visitor or dietitian.

Food storage checklist

• Work out your household’s needs with the food calculator
• Store 3 days of no-cook or easy-cook food
• Include a manual tin opener
• Add baby food, special diet products and pet food if needed
• Keep it together and rotate it
• Plan a safe way to heat food and water

Sources and further reading

• Be ready for emergencies (includes the Be Ready checklist) (UK Government)
• Understanding food labelling (GOV.UK)
• Food (Ready.gov (US Government))