Calculators Food planning

What food should I keep for an outage?

Plan familiar foods around the cooking setup you can actually use.

About 3 minutes You’ll need: people, days, and cooking options

Emergency food storage calculator for household meal planning

Saves on this devicePrivacy & options

Calculations run in this browser; inputs stay out of analytics. A draft saves here after your first change unless you turn saving off. You choose separately whether to save a result to My Household Plan or copy a permitted share link.

Household and duration

Ages 19 and over.

Children who need meals.

1-90 days.

How will you prepare food?

No-cook is the safer starting choice for a power outage unless you have a proven safe cooking setup.

Advanced planning assumptions

These are editable inventory assumptions, not individualized nutrition targets. Use household-specific guidance when you have it.

Editable rough inventory assumption.

Editable rough inventory assumption.

Packaging varies widely; measure known products when possible.

Usable internal volume of the container you plan to use.

Build a food supply your household will use

The output is a planning framework, not a prescribed diet. Choose familiar foods, account for allergies and preparation limits, and pair the result with enough safe water.

  1. Choose the household size and planning period, then decide whether safe cooking will be available.
  2. Select familiar categories that cover energy, protein, fruits and vegetables, snacks, and special needs.
  3. Buy in stages, label dates, use the oldest items first, and replace what the household eats.

Common questions

How much emergency food should I store first?

Start with a short plan your household can afford, eat, and rotate, then extend it. A smaller usable supply is more reliable than a large stockpile of unfamiliar food.

How should I handle allergies or medical diets?

Build the plan around foods that are already safe for each person. For medical nutrition needs, ask the relevant clinician or dietitian how to plan for an outage.

Can I count refrigerated or frozen food?

Treat it as a short-term layer, not the whole plan. Keep appliance doors closed, use a thermometer, and follow current USDA food-safety guidance after an outage.

Plan first. Buy what is missing.

Does your food plan need a manual opener?

If the foods you chose need a can opener, try the one you own first. This documented example is optional buying research, not a recommendation based on your calculator answers.