1 Month Emergency Food Supply for a Family of 4

Supply Plans · Targets follow FEMA and Ready.gov guidance · Prices checked July 2026

Quick answer

A family of 4 needs about 240,000 calories and 120 gallons of water to cover 30 days. The checklist below hits those targets with regular grocery store items for roughly $450 at current prices, and stores in about seven large totes plus the water.

Targets: 2,000 calories and 1 gallon of water per person per day

People

1 2 345 6

Duration

3 days 1 week 2 weeks1 month

Every combination has its own page, so the numbers are always exact and the link you share always shows the right plan.

240,000

Calories to cover

120 gal

Water

≈ $450

Est. cost, July 2026

7 totes

Storage space

The shopping checklist

	Item	Quantity for 4	≈ Calories	Lasts
Grains and staples
	White rice	22 lb	36,300	4 to 5 yrs
	Rolled oats	11 lb	18,700	1 to 2 yrs
	Pasta	13 lb	22,100	2 to 3 yrs
	Crackers	9 boxes	14,400	6 to 9 mo
Proteins
	Canned chicken	26 cans	6,050	2 to 5 yrs
	Canned tuna	18 cans	3,400	2 to 5 yrs
	Canned beans	35 cans	13,550	2 to 5 yrs
	Peanut butter	7 large jars	46,200	1 to 2 yrs
Fruits and vegetables
	Canned vegetables	43 cans	6,450	2 to 5 yrs
	Canned fruit	26 cans	7,800	1 to 2 yrs
	Dried fruit and nuts	9 lb	22,500	6 to 12 mo
Fats, dairy, and extras
	Cooking oil	5 qt	38,500	1 to 2 yrs
	Shelf stable milk	18 qt	10,800	6 to 12 mo
	Honey and sugar	9 lb	15,550	Indefinite
	Salt, spices, coffee, cocoa	1 set	4,300	Varies
Water: 120 gallons total
	Bottled water, 24 packs	15 cases	n/a	2 yrs
	5 gallon jugs	13 jugs	n/a	1 to 2 yrs

Totals land slightly above the 240,000 calorie target on purpose: quantities are rounded up, and appetite goes up in a real emergency. Swap freely inside each category to match what your family actually eats. to take it shopping. No email required.

In the app

Turn this list into your family's number

Add these items once and Provision Planner counts it for you: how many days you are covered, what expires when, and what to restock. About 2 minutes, and the free plan is enough to start.

See how many days you have

Days covered

30 days

Peanut butter, 7 large jars

+5.8 days

Cooking oil, 5 qt

+4.8 days

White rice, 22 lb

+4.5 days

1 month goal reached · 17 items tracked · expiry warnings on

What one month actually looks like

Day 5

AM Oatmeal with dried fruit and honey
Noon Tuna and crackers
PM Rice and beans with canned vegetables

Day 15

AM Peanut butter on crackers, canned fruit
Noon Chicken and rice bowl
PM Pasta with canned vegetables and oil

Day 25

AM Oatmeal with peanut butter
Noon Bean and vegetable stew
PM Chicken, pasta, and canned fruit

Frequently asked questions

Is 2,000 calories per person per day enough?

It is the standard planning baseline, and it is what this page uses: 240,000 calories total for 4 people over one month. Young children need less, teenagers and adults doing physical work need more. If your household skews either way, size up or down one step with the selector above, or let Provision Planner calculate it per person.

Why so much water?

One gallon per person per day is the FEMA minimum for drinking and basic hygiene, which is where the 120 gallons comes from. Plan for more in hot climates, for pregnant or nursing family members, and for pets. Water is the item families most often undershoot.

How do I keep all this from expiring?

Buy foods your family already eats, store the newest purchases at the back, and eat from the front. The Lasts column above shows how long each item keeps. Provision Planner tracks the dates for you and warns you before anything expires.

Go deeper: The 3-Month Food Supply List · Does Bottled Water Expire?

Calorie and water targets follow FEMA and Ready.gov emergency planning guidance. Cost estimate reflects typical U.S. grocery prices for July 2026 from our monthly price check. This is general planning guidance: adjust for allergies, medical needs, and what your household actually eats.