Emergency food calculator
Enter the age of each person (leave the rest blank) to see how many calories your emergency food should cover.
Where the numbers come from
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (Table A2-2) estimate daily calorie needs for everyone aged 2 and over, by age, sex and how active they are, rounded to the nearest 200 calories. "Moderately active" means walking about 1.5 to 3 miles a day as well as everyday activity — a fair guess for clearing up after a storm. The estimates do not include pregnancy or breastfeeding, which need more, and children under 2 need their own food and formula.
Choosing emergency food
- Pick foods that need no fridge, little or no cooking and little water: canned meat, fish, beans, fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit and nuts, cereal and protein bars.
- Store what your household already eats, and rotate it before it expires.
- Keep a manual can opener with the food.
- Salty foods make you thirsty — balance them with your water supply.
More food tools
Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, Appendix 2, Table A2-2 (US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services); food advice from Ready.gov, Food.