3 Month Emergency Food Supply for One Person
Supply Plans · Targets follow FEMA and Ready.gov guidance · Prices checked July 2026
Quick answer
One person needs about 180,000 calories to cover three months, plus 14 gallons of stored water, which is the two week target rather than the 90 gallons three months would otherwise call for. The checklist below hits those targets with regular grocery store items for roughly $340 at current prices, and stores in about five large totes.
Targets: 2,000 calories per person per day, and 1 gallon of water per person per day for two weeks
Every combination has its own page, so the numbers are always exact and the link you share always shows the right plan.
180,000
Calories to cover
14 gal
Water
≈ $340
Est. cost, July 2026
5 totes
Storage space
The shopping checklist
| Item | Quantity for 1 | ≈ Calories | Lasts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grains and staples | ||||
| White rice | 17 lb | 28,050 | 4 to 5 yrs | |
| Rolled oats | 9 lb | 15,300 | 1 to 2 yrs | |
| Pasta | 10 lb | 17,000 | 2 to 3 yrs | |
| Crackers | 7 boxes | 11,200 | 6 to 9 mo | |
| Proteins | ||||
| Canned chicken | 20 cans | 4,650 | 2 to 5 yrs | |
| Canned tuna | 13 cans | 2,450 | 2 to 5 yrs | |
| Canned beans | 26 cans | 10,100 | 2 to 5 yrs | |
| Peanut butter | 5 large jars | 33,000 | 1 to 2 yrs | |
| Fruits and vegetables | ||||
| Canned vegetables | 33 cans | 4,950 | 2 to 5 yrs | |
| Canned fruit | 20 cans | 6,000 | 1 to 2 yrs | |
| Dried fruit and nuts | 7 lb | 17,500 | 6 to 12 mo | |
| Fats, dairy, and extras | ||||
| Cooking oil | 4 qt | 30,800 | 1 to 2 yrs | |
| Shelf stable milk | 13 qt | 7,800 | 6 to 12 mo | |
| Honey and sugar | 7 lb | 12,100 | Indefinite | |
| Salt, spices, coffee, cocoa | 1 set | 3,200 | Varies | |
| Water: 14 gallons stored, the two week target | ||||
| Bottled water, 24 packs | 2 cases | n/a | 2 yrs | |
| 5 gallon jugs | 2 jugs | n/a | 1 to 2 yrs | |
Totals land slightly above the 180,000 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 haveDays covered
90 days
Peanut butter, 5 large jars
+16.5 days
Cooking oil, 4 qt
+15.4 days
White rice, 17 lb
+14.0 days
3 months goal reached · 17 items tracked · expiry warnings on
What three months actually looks like
Day 10
AM Oatmeal with dried fruit and honey
Noon Tuna and crackers
PM Rice and beans with canned vegetables
Day 45
AM Peanut butter on crackers, canned fruit
Noon Chicken and rice bowl
PM Pasta with canned vegetables and oil
Day 80
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: 180,000 calories total for one person over three months. 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 only 14 gallons of water for three months?
Because a gallon per person per day over three months comes to 90 gallons, and that is 2 fifty-five gallon drums. Almost nobody has the floor for it, and stored water needs rotating anyway. So the honest target is two weeks stored, which is 14 gallons, plus a way to keep making more: a filter rated for pathogens, unscented bleach for chemical treatment, and a known source you can reach on foot. A plan this long is really a plan for a situation where the taps come back or you move.
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.
Related plans
Go deeper: The 3-Month Food Supply List · Long-Term Food Storage for Beginners
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.