When Disaster Strikes...Are YOU Ready?

What Should Your Emergency Pantry Look Like?

Suggested by the Canned Food Alliance
The last thing people probably think about in an emergency situation is consuming the proper quantities and varieties of
food to meet the daily recommended amounts. The Canned Food Alliance suggests stocking your emergency pantry with
a variety of nutrient-rich foods and recommends keeping the following amounts of food and water per person, per day.
Food Group What Counts
Recommended
Amounts
(Per person for 2,000 calories a day)
Pantry Options
(Per person, per day)
Meats & Beans
Canned meat, chicken, turkey, seafood
and other protein-rich foods, such as
beans (legumes), nuts and peanut butter
Enough to provide
5 1/2 ounces per day
1 can (5 ounces) meat, fish, chicken or turkey
1 can (15 ounces) beans (provides about 1 3/4 cups beans to equal about 7 ounces meat)
Keep peanut butter and nuts on hand: 1 Tbsp. peanut butter or 1/2 ounce nuts is
equivalent to 1 ounce meat
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Vegetables Canned vegetables and vegetable juices
Enough to provide about
2 1/2 cups per day
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) (provides about 1 1/3 cups)
1 can (8 ounces) (provides about 1 cup)
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Fruits Canned fruits and fruit juices
Enough to provide
about 2 cups per day
1 can (8 ounces) (provides about 1 cup)
Keep dried fruit on hand: 1/4 cup dried fruit is the equivalent of 1/2 cup canned fruit
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Milk Canned, boxed or dried milk and shelfstable,
processed cheese
Enough to provide 3 cups
of fluid milk equivalent per day
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk (provides about 3 cups fluid milk)
1 box (1 quart) shelf-stable milk
Keep dry milk and shelf-stable, processed cheese on hand: 2 ounces processed cheese or
1/3 cup dry milk is equivalent to 8 ounces of milk
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Grains
Ready-to-eat cereal, crackers, pretzels,
instant oatmeal or other non-perishable
grain products (granola, granola bars)
that don’t require cooking
Enough to provide 6 ounces
of grain equivalent per day
• 1 ounce is 1 cup ready-to-eat breakfast flakes or 5 whole-wheat crackers or 7 saltines
Water Enough for 1 gallon per day
In hot weather or when vigorous activity is required (perhaps during storm clean up),
people may perspire more and may need to plan to have additional fluids on hand.
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Remember to have other non-perishable items on hand such as canned chili, soup and spaghetti, trail mix, instant pudding, mustard, catsup, vinaigrette-type salad dressing, cookies and
perhaps candy. Plan ahead to keep any unused canned products in a well-chilled cooler. Plan for food and water for infants, those with special health needs and don’t forget your pets.
NOTE: Suggested amounts reflect the amount of food in common sizes of canned products, and help people consume amounts close to the USDA’s MyPyramid recommendations.