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Quick answer: plan on about 2,000 calories of food and 1 gallon of water per adult, per day. For a family of four (two adults, two young kids), a 2-week emergency supply is roughly 98,000 calories and 56 gallons of water. Use the calculator below for your exact family and time frame.
Calculate your family’s emergency food and water
How the calculator works
- Adults: 2,000 calories a day, the benchmark the FDA uses for Daily Values on food labels. Choose “physically active” (2,500) if you expect hard work like clearing debris or walking long distances.
- Children and teens: mid-range estimates for moderately active kids from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: about 1,200 calories (ages 2 to 3), 1,500 (4 to 8), 1,900 (9 to 13) and 2,400 (14 to 18).
- Water: 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and basic hygiene, the guideline from Ready.gov. Store more for hot climates, pregnant or nursing women, people who are sick, and pets.
- Kits: calorie totals come from My Patriot Supply’s product pages (for example, 181,960 calories in the 3-Month Emergency Food Supply). The calculator suggests the fewest kits that cover your total without overshooting by more than about 20%. The smallest kit is 1 week, so short plans like 72 hours will show extra.
Quick reference: food and water by time frame
One adult (2,000 calories and 1 gallon of water a day):
| Time frame | Calories | Water (gallons) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days (72 hours) | 6,000 | 3 |
| 2 weeks | 28,000 | 14 |
| 30 days | 60,000 | 30 |
| 3 months | 180,000 | 90 |
| 1 year | 730,000 | 365 |
Family of four (two adults plus two kids ages 4 to 8, 7,000 calories and 4 gallons of water a day):
| Time frame | Calories | Water (gallons) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days (72 hours) | 21,000 | 12 |
| 2 weeks | 98,000 | 56 |
| 30 days | 210,000 | 120 |
| 3 months | 630,000 | 360 |
| 1 year | 2,555,000 | 1,460 |
How much should you store?
Ready.gov recommends at least a few days of food and water for every household, and several weeks if you can. A 2-week supply is a practical goal for most families: it covers long power outages and winter storms. Longer supplies (3 months to a year) protect against job loss, supply shortages and long-term disasters. Our guides go deeper: 72 hour emergency kit checklist, 3-month emergency food supply and power outage emergency kit.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does a person need per day in an emergency?
Plan on about 2,000 calories per adult per day, the FDA’s Daily Value benchmark. Active adults doing hard physical work may need 2,500 or more. Children need less: roughly 1,200 to 2,400 calories depending on age, based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
How much water should I store per person?
Ready.gov recommends 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and basic hygiene. A family of four needs 56 gallons for 2 weeks. Store extra for hot weather, nursing mothers, sick family members and pets.
How much food do I need for a family of 4 for 2 weeks?
About 98,000 calories if the family is two adults and two kids ages 4 to 8 (7,000 calories a day for 14 days). That is a little less than two 4-Week Emergency Food Supply kits from My Patriot Supply, at 56,460 calories each.
Is this calculator accurate for babies?
No. Babies under 2 need formula, breast milk or baby food, not adult emergency food. Store at least a 2-week supply of formula and clean water to mix it, and talk to your pediatrician about what to keep on hand.