Calculate emergency food supply needs for quarantine, lockdown, or natural disaster. Covers calories, water, and shelf-stable staples for 1–30 days.
Whether it's a quarantine, a winter storm, or general emergency preparedness, knowing how much food to stockpile is essential. The USDA recommends a minimum 3-day supply; FEMA suggests 2 weeks for serious preparedness. This calculator computes exact amounts for your household.
Enter the number of adults, children, and days of supply. The calculator estimates daily calorie needs by age and activity level, then converts that into practical quantities of shelf-stable staples: rice, pasta, canned goods, peanut butter, powdered milk, and water.
It also accounts for nutritional balance — carbohydrates for energy, protein for maintenance, fats for calorie density, and essential vitamins. A quarantine closet stocked with only ramen is a recipe for nutritional deficiency. This calculator builds a balanced supply list that covers calories and nutrition. Check the example with realistic values before reporting. Use the steps shown to verify rounding and units. Cross-check this output using a known reference case. Use the example pattern when troubleshooting unexpected results.
Emergency food math is complex — you need to account for calories, nutritional balance, water, household size, and duration. This calculator builds a complete, practical stockpile list. Keep these notes focused on your current workflow. Tie the context to real calculations your team runs. Use this clarification to avoid ambiguous interpretation. Align the note with how outputs are reviewed.
Calories: adult male ≈ 2,200/day (sedentary), adult female ≈ 1,800/day, child (4–13) ≈ 1,600/day. Water: 1 gallon (3.78L) per person per day (drinking + cooking + hygiene). Macro split: 50% carbs, 25% protein, 25% fat for balanced emergency nutrition.
Result: 105,840 total calories needed, 56 gallons of water, 25 lbs rice, 12 cans proteins
2 adults × 2,000 cal/day + 2 children × 1,600 cal/day = 7,200 cal/day. 14 days × 7,200 = 100,800 cal. Add 5% buffer = 105,840 cal. Water: 4 people × 14 days × 1 gal = 56 gallons.
You can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Water is the priority. A family of 4 needs 56 gallons for a 14-day supply. Start with water, then add calorie-dense, shelf-stable foods.
Don't just stockpile carbs. A balanced emergency diet looks like: 40–50% carbs (rice, pasta, oats, crackers), 20–25% protein (canned tuna, chicken, beans, peanut butter), 20–25% fats (oils, nuts, shelf-stable cheese), plus vitamins and comfort items.
A 2-week supply for a family of 4 costs approximately $100–200 at grocery store prices. Buying in bulk reduces this to $75–150. Compare that to the $500+ you'd spend panic-buying when a crisis is already announced. Preparation is always cheaper than reaction.
Sedentary adult male: 2,000–2,200. Sedentary adult female: 1,600–1,800. Child 4–8: 1,200–1,400. Child 9–13: 1,600–2,000. These are lower than normal because quarantine means minimal physical activity.
1 gallon (3.78L) per person per day minimum. This covers drinking (0.5 gal) and cooking (0.5 gal). For full hygiene needs, 2 gallons is better.
White rice (20–30 years), dried beans (10+ years), canned goods (2–5 years), honey (indefinite), salt (indefinite), powdered milk (20 years), peanut butter (2 years). Rotate stock using FIFO.
Yes. A basic multivitamin and Vitamin C supplement help prevent deficiencies if fresh produce is unavailable for extended periods. Vitamin D is also critical if you can't get sunlight.
Formula, baby cereal, and pureed foods have shorter shelf lives (6–12 months). Stock extra and rotate frequently. Breastfeeding mothers need an additional 500 cal/day.
Cool, dark, dry location. Sealed containers or food-grade buckets. Add oxygen absorbers to bulk grains. Rotate stock every 6–12 months. Keep a written inventory with expiration dates.