A food supply isn’t a statement about trust in government or society. It’s the same as home insurance: you hope you never need it, and you’re glad it’s there when you do.
The most common mistake when building one: no concrete quantities. People buy “a bit extra” but never know whether it covers three days or three weeks. This article answers that with numbers. If you’re just getting started with preparedness, Preparedness for Beginners is a good starting point – a food supply is Step 1 of 5.
# The Three Time Horizons
| Time horizon | Scenario | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| 72 hours | Storm, power outage, short-term supply disruption | One afternoon, ~€30–50 |
| 14 days | Prolonged blackout, pandemic start, quarantine | One weekend, ~€80–150 |
| 3 months | Serious supply crisis, job loss, extended self-isolation | Several weeks to build, ~€300–500 |
Start with 72 hours. Then 14 days. Three months is a long-term goal, not a starting point.
# How Much Does a Person Need?
The basis for all quantity calculations: calories per day, by age and sex.
| Person | Calories/day (baseline, low activity) |
|---|---|
| Adult man | ~2,200 kcal |
| Adult woman | ~1,800 kcal |
| Child under 6 | ~1,200 kcal |
| Child 6–12 years | ~1,600 kcal |
| Teenager | ~2,200 kcal |
In an emergency, caloric needs drop slightly (less movement), but cold, stress and physical work increase them. 2,000 kcal per adult is a realistic planning value.
# Macros: What the Body Actually Needs
A simple distribution for 2,000 kcal/day:
| Macro | Amount/day | Best storage sources |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | ~250 g | Pasta, rice, oats, flour |
| Protein | ~60–75 g | Pulses, tinned tuna, sardines, dried meat |
| Fat | ~70–85 g | Coconut oil, nuts, peanut butter, olive oil |
Complete vitamin and mineral coverage isn’t critical for short-term emergency nutrition (up to 2 weeks). From 4 weeks onwards, multivitamins are a worthwhile supplement.
# Quantity Overview: Supply for One Adult
# 72 Hours (3 Days)
| Category | Amount | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Grains/starch | 600 g | Pasta, rice, couscous, oats |
| Protein | 3–4 tins | Tuna, lentils, beans, sardines |
| Fat/energy | 200 g | Nuts, peanut butter |
| Oil | 100 ml | Coconut oil, olive oil |
| Comfort | as needed | Chocolate, coffee/tea, crispbread |
Total calories: ~6,000 kcal ✓
# 14 Days
| Category | Amount | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1.5 kg | ~5,250 kcal |
| Pasta | 1.5 kg | ~5,250 kcal |
| Oats | 500 g | ~1,750 kcal |
| Lentils/chickpeas (dried) | 1 kg | ~3,500 kcal |
| Tins (veg, fish, meat) | 12–15 | ~3,000 kcal |
| Nuts/peanut butter | 500 g | ~3,000 kcal |
| Coconut oil | 500 ml | ~4,000 kcal |
| Flour/baking supplies | 500 g | ~1,750 kcal |
| Total | ~27,500 kcal ✓ |
Target: 14 × 2,000 kcal = 28,000 kcal. The small gap is filled by extras (honey, biscuits, chocolate).
# 3 Months (90 Days)
Quantities for one adult:
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Rice | 8 kg |
| Pasta | 7 kg |
| Oats / muesli | 4 kg |
| Flour | 4 kg |
| Lentils, beans, chickpeas (dried) | 6 kg |
| Tins (vegetables, fish, meat) | 60–70 |
| Nuts and seeds | 3 kg |
| Coconut oil | 3 L |
| Peanut butter | 2 kg |
| Sugar / honey | 3 kg |
| Salt | 1.5 kg |
| Coffee / tea | 500 g |
For a family of four (2 adults + 2 children 6–12): multiply quantities by ~3.6 (2 × 1.0 + 2 × 0.8).
# The Best Foods for Storage
Not all shelf-stable foods are equally suitable. Criteria: long best-before date, high calorie density, versatile, little or no cooking needed.
Clear recommendations:
- Rice – decades of shelf life when stored airtight. Calorie-dense, filling, universal. Downside: needs a lot of water to cook.
- Pasta – 3–5 year best-before, no problems. Cooks faster than rice, needs less water.
- Oats – 2–3 year best-before, can be soaked cold (saves cooking and fuel).
- Red lentils – cook in 15–20 minutes without soaking. High protein, ~350 kcal/100g dry.
- Tinned chickpeas – no cooking time, edible directly, complete protein source.
- Tinned tuna and sardines – complete protein, omega-3, 5+ year best-before. Edible straight from the tin.
- Peanut butter – ~600 kcal/100g, ~18 months best-before, no cooking needed. One of the most calorie-dense foods per pound spent.
- Nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews) – calorie-dense, fat-soluble vitamins, 12–18 months best-before.
- Dried fruits (dates, raisins, figs, prunes, apricots) – long shelf life (12–24 months), quick energy, natural sugars. Dates and figs also provide fibre and potassium. Good as a no-prep snack and as a natural sweetener in porridge or grain dishes.
- Muesli and protein bars – ready to eat, calorie-dense, long shelf life (6–18 months). Ideal on the go or as a quick energy hit without cooking. Quality varies widely – prefer bars made from real ingredients (nuts, oats, dried fruit) over ones that are mostly sugar.
- Coconut oil – the most calorie-dense food (~900 kcal/100ml), 1–2 year best-before. Critical macro buffer.
- Honey – essentially unlimited shelf life if stored dry. Sugar substitute, mildly antibacterial.
- Salt – unlimited shelf life, essential for taste and preservation.
Less suitable:
- High-fat wholegrain products (nut flours, wholegrain crackers) – go rancid quickly
- Home-vacuum-packed dry goods without oxygen absorbers – shorter shelf life than expected
- Instant products with many additives – best-before often only 1–2 years
# The Rotation Principle: FIFO
The most common storage mistake: supplies quietly expire in the cupboard because nobody touches them. The solution is FIFO – First In, First Out.
The principle: New at the back, old at the front. What goes in first, comes out first.
In practice:
- Label every packet with the purchase date (permanent marker) when you buy it.
- When restocking: new packets at the back, older ones to the front.
- Once a year, do a quick check: what’s expiring soon? Use it, donate it, or cook with it.
Key principle: Your supply should consist of foods you actually eat every day. If you never cook lentils, you won’t want to eat them in an emergency either. A supply that mirrors your everyday consumption rotates by itself.
# Storage: Conditions and Locations
Ideal conditions for dry goods:
- Temperature: 10–20°C, as stable as possible. No heat above 25°C (accelerates degradation) and no frost (tins can burst).
- Darkness: Light (especially UV) accelerates the breakdown of fats and vitamins.
- Dryness: Humidity below 60%. Mould needs moisture.
- No strong smells nearby: Food absorbs foreign odours (detergent, paint).
# By Living Situation
Shared flat / single room without your own kitchen: Limited space, no control over communal areas. Solution: under the bed in flat, airtight plastic boxes (ideal: 6-litre stackable containers), a shelf in your own room, using the top of wardrobes. 72 hours fits easily in two shoebox-sized containers.
Flat without a storage cupboard: Hallway shelving unit, kitchen base cabinets (watch out for mice – metal tins or robust plastic containers), under the bed, wardrobe in the bedroom. Priority: cool, dark corners – no radiators nearby, away from kitchen steam.
Flat with a storage cupboard: Ideal. Usually cooler than the living room, no direct sunlight. Keep well ventilated. A simple shelf unit (IKEA IVAR or similar) in the storage cupboard is the best investment after the supplies themselves.
House with a cellar: The ideal location. Consistently cool (12–16°C), dark, and manageable. Important: watch out for damp – a damp cellar quickly ruins cardboard packaging. Store food on pallets or in closed containers, never directly on the floor.
# Emergency Rations: Ready-Made Packs for the Reserve
Alongside your everyday rotation stock, there’s a second category: pre-packaged supplies with extremely long shelf lives, intended purely for emergencies – not for rotation.
What they offer: Best-before dates of 5 to over 25 years, compact packaging, calorie-optimised, often freeze-dried or in oxygen-free packaging.
Sensible use: as a supplement, not a replacement. A 7-day emergency pack in the cellar as an absolute last resort, with the rest of the supply rotating normally.
What to look for:
- Calories per day: at least 1,500 kcal, ideally 2,000 kcal for an adult.
- Preparation requirements: many freeze-dried products need hot water – without power, that means cooking.
- Water consumption: freeze-dried food needs additional water for preparation.
- Taste: try a test portion before buying a large quantity if possible.
Two tried-and-tested options:
Option 1: NRG-5 emergency bars – no cooking, no water, 5-year shelf life. The classic for the 72h bag and as a compact base reserve.
NRG-5 Notfallriegel 9× 500 kcal (4.500 kcal)
Option 2: Tactical Foodpack – freeze-dried full meals with 8+ year shelf life and genuinely good flavour. Just add boiling water.
Tactical Foodpack Sixpack Oscar – 6 Mahlzeiten
For longer-term planning (3 months+): suppliers like Survivalfood or Emergency Food Center offer multi-day complete packages with 15–25 year shelf lives.
# Cooking Without Power
Supplies are no use if you can’t cook rice and pasta. Three realistic options – from compact to full-power:
Option 1: SOTO Amicus – compact for bag and home
The lightest full-featured gas stove with screw thread (81 g). Fits in any emergency bag and works equally well on the kitchen table during a blackout. Requires screw-thread cartridges (e.g. Primus Power Gas).
SOTO Amicus Gaskocher
Primus Power Gas 450g Kartusche~9 €View →
Cartridge calculation: One 450 g cartridge provides ~3–4 hours of cooking time. For 14 days (30 minutes of cooking daily), you’ll need 2–3 cartridges. Important: Store cartridges in a cool, ventilated space.
Option 2: Campingaz Camp’Bistro 3 – the home solution
Higher power output, stable base, includes carrying case – ideal as a dedicated backup stove at home. Uses Campingaz bayonet cartridges (not screw thread).
Campingaz Camp'Bistro 3 Gaskocher mit Koffer
CAMPLORA Gaskartuschen 16× 227g (MSF-1a)~20 €View →
Option 3: Esbit solid fuel stove
The ultra-minimal backup for the bag or as a last resort. No gas, no cartridge – just solid fuel tablets that keep for 10+ years.
Esbit Taschenkocher Standard inkl. 6×14g Tabs
Downside: only suitable for small volumes (up to ~500 ml), slower than gas, strong smell.
Other important notes for cooking without power:
- Cook outdoors or with good ventilation (CO poisoning risk from gas appliances in enclosed spaces)
- Use a pot with a fitting lid → significantly shortens cooking time
- Haybox cooking: bring water to the boil, wrap the pot tightly (sleeping bag, blankets), let pasta/rice continue cooking in the residual heat – saves up to 70% of fuel
# Other Worthwhile Additions
Multivitamins – with months of supplies based on dry goods and tins, fresh vitamins are missing. Basic multivitamin tablets (e.g. a 200-tablet pack) for ~€10 close this gap.
Spices and sauces – long shelf life, make the difference between tolerable and enjoyable emergency eating. Salt, pepper, chilli, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, soy sauce, hot sauce.
Baking ingredients – with a charcoal grill or camp stove: bread is possible with flour, yeast, salt and water. Dried yeast keeps 2–3 years. Baking powder (for flatbread without waiting) keeps even longer.
Comfort food – underestimated. Chocolate, biscuits, crisps, favourite tea – in an emergency, morale matters as much as calories. The supply needs to be not just functional, but liveable.
Special requirements:
- Infant formula (if there are babies in the household)
- Dietary products (gluten-free, lactose-free, etc.)
- Pet food
- Baby food and snacks for toddlers
# Quick Start: How to Begin Today
The fastest route to a first supply – on your next shopping trip:
- +2 packets of pasta or rice (500g each)
- +4 tins (tuna, lentils, tomatoes, beans)
- +1 jar of peanut butter
- +1 bag of nuts
That covers ~3 days for one person. Same again next time. After four shops you’ll have two weeks of supplies built up without ever making a special trip.
How long do pasta and rice actually keep?
White rice stored airtight in a cool place (below 15°C): 10–30 years. Pasta in original packaging: 3–5 years according to the label, but significantly longer if dry. The best-before date isn’t an expiry date – it’s a quality indicator. Well-stored rice is still safe to eat after 10 years, but loses flavour.
Do I need a vacuum sealer?
No. Original packaging and additional airtight plastic containers are enough for most time horizons. Vacuum sealing extends shelf life further – but for a 3-month supply it’s not essential; it becomes relevant only for multi-year storage.
What about water for cooking?
Everything you cook also needs water. Pasta: ~1 litre per 100g. Rice: ~300ml per 100g. Lentils: ~500ml per 100g soaked. This needs to be planned in addition to your drinking water supply – ideally in separate containers. More on this: → How to Build a Water Supply
Are tins really shelf-stable for that long?
Industrially sealed tins stored correctly (cool, dark, no mechanical damage) are often safe 5–10 years past their best-before date. Exception: swollen or heavily rusted tins – discard immediately (botulism risk). Dents on the side or lid: OK. Dents at the seam or a bulging lid: dispose of immediately.
How do I plan supplies for children under 3?
Toddlers under 3 need specific foods (formula, purees, finger food depending on age). These have shorter best-before dates and need to be stocked separately. For infants: stock powdered formula with a longer shelf life (6–12 months) and rotate regularly.
Isn't a 3-month supply excessive?
That depends on the scenario. Three months covers: supply chain crises, extended illness (can’t shop), job loss (bridging until support kicks in), a severe regional natural disaster. In most developed countries that’s the worst-case scenario – but 14 days should be the target for every household.
How does the food supply fit into my overall preparedness?
A food supply is one part of a broader plan. The full picture includes water storage, a communication plan, a packed emergency bag, and knowing what to do during an evacuation. All of this is covered in the Home Emergency Plan guide – one afternoon, one page, for the whole household.
