72-Hour Emergency Food Supply for a Family: What to Actually Buy

When the power goes out or a storm closes the roads, you do not need fancy food. You need food your family already likes. It should need no fridge and little or no cooking. You also need a simple plan for the days after. This guide walks you through that plan, step by step.

We start with food from your own grocery store. Then we cover power-outage food safety. Last, we show how ready-made buckets like Mountain House can add extra calories once your basics are set.

Safety steps below follow published CDC/EPA/USDA guidance, which we've checked against the original sources. We're not medical professionals, so use your own judgment and ask a qualified professional about your family's situation.

How much do you need?

The American Red Cross says to store 1 gallon of water per person, per day. Keep a 3-day supply for a "go" bag. Keep a 2-week supply at home. Food should be non-perishable and easy to prepare, in the same amounts.

Plan the same number of days of food. Ready.gov says to store "at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food."

Step by step

1. Shop your own grocery store first. You do not need special "survival food" to start. Ready.gov says to stock canned foods and dry mixes that need no fridge, no cooking, and no water. Pick foods your family will really eat. A 10-year-old could shop this list:
   • ☐ Canned meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables (plus a manual can opener)
   • ☐ Peanut butter and jelly
   • ☐ Protein or fruit bars, dry cereal, or granola
   • ☐ Dried fruit
   • ☐ Canned juice and shelf-stable (boxed) milk
   • ☐ Comfort snacks, like cookies or chocolate
   • ☐ Bowls, cups, and spoons you can wash or throw away
   Skip very salty foods. They make you thirsty, and Red Cross guidance warns against eating salty foods when water may be limited.
2. Try a sample 3-day menu. Here is one way to feed a family of four for three days without cooking:

   Meal	No-cook idea
   Breakfast	Dry cereal with boxed milk, or a granola bar and dried fruit
   Lunch	Peanut butter and jelly, canned fruit, juice box
   Dinner	Canned chicken or tuna, canned vegetables, crackers
   Snack	A protein bar, dried fruit, or a small treat for morale

   Repeat with different canned flavors so days two and three do not feel identical.
3. Grow your 3-day kit into a 2-week home supply. Once your go bag is done, buy a little extra of what you already eat each week. Red Cross guidance says to check expiration dates. Use the rule "first-in, first-out." Put new cans in the back. Move older cans to the front, so you use them before they expire.
4. Know your power-outage numbers. If the power goes out, keep the fridge and freezer doors shut. FoodSafety.gov says a closed fridge keeps food safe for up to 4 hours. A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours; a half-full freezer, about 24 hours. Eat fridge food first, then freezer food, then your shelf-stable cans and boxes last.
5. Add ready-made emergency food once your basics are set. A bucket of freeze-dried or dehydrated meals is a good backup layer. Brands like Mountain House, ReadyWise, and Augason Farms sell these. A bucket is not a replacement for the grocery-store food above. These meals need water (often hot water) to prepare, so they lean on your water plan too.

Stay safe

• Do throw out refrigerated meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or leftovers if they sat above 40°F for more than 2 hours. Also toss them if the power was out more than 4 hours.
• Do use a thermometer, and keep fridge and freezer food at 40°F or below.
• Do refreeze food that still has ice crystals or reads 40°F or below.
• Don't taste food to check if it is safe. If you are not sure, throw it out. FoodSafety.gov calls this rule "When in Doubt, Throw it Out!"
• Don't ever burn charcoal indoors. The CDC says burning charcoal gives off carbon monoxide, a gas you cannot see or smell.
• Don't use a portable gas camp stove indoors.
• Don't ever run a generator inside a home or garage, even with the doors and windows open. The CDC says to run it outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents.
• Don't eat food that touched flood water. Throw it away.
• Do remember that canned food can be eaten straight from the can, cold, with no cooking at all.

Gear we trust, and why

Want more options? See every food pick on our food gear page, plan a full month with our 30-day emergency food supply plan, or browse all Gear Reviews. Food needs water and power too: see our backup power guide for keeping a fridge or cooler plan running.

Once your no-cook basics are covered, a bucket of ready-made meals adds extra calories and variety without much shelf space. Here is exactly what each one is, straight from the maker.

Mountain House Essential Assortment Bucket

This bucket holds 12 pouches and 22 total servings. It is gluten-free. Inside: 4 Beef Stew, 2 Breakfast Skillet, 2 Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, and 4 Rice & Chicken. Mountain House backs it with a 30-year taste guarantee. You just add water. The maker says it takes about 17 cups of water to prepare every meal in the bucket. Plan that into your water total. Calories run about 350 to 520 per pouch, so check the label rather than trusting "servings" alone. View Product (paid link)

ReadyWise 1 Month Emergency Food Supply (2 buckets) — 326 Servings

The linked Amazon listing is ASIN B08KSKC8NM with the "1 Month" option selected. A 2-bucket set with 326 total servings in 41 pouches and about 62,540 calories by the maker's current count, with a claimed shelf life of up to 25 years. Most pouches just add water, but the pancake mix needs cooking. Honest downside: it is sized for one person for a month, so a family uses it as a pantry add-on. The maker also says to allow about 21 gallons of water to prepare the whole bundle. We have not tested it. Treat "1 Month" as the product name, not a verified month of food for your household. Check the current package contents, calories, allergens, and preparation-water requirements before buying. View Product (paid link)

Augason Farms 30-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit

Temporarily out of stock on Amazon as of October 13, 2026. This kit holds 194 servings across 23 pouches in one pail. It gives about 1,290 calories and 36 grams of protein per day. It claims a shelf life of up to 25 years. It covers 11 meal types, including pancakes, fettuccine alfredo, rice dishes, soups, oatmeal, and a milk-alternative drink. The honest catch: you prepare it by adding water and heating it on a stove. It is not just hot water in a pouch. You need a safe outdoor heat source (see Stay Safe above). At about 1,290 calories a day, it runs below what most adults need. Plan extra snacks alongside it. No restock date is confirmed; do not count this kit toward food you need now. Check the listing for updates. View listing for availability updates (paid link)

Kids, older adults, pets, and special needs

Red Cross guidance says special diets, allergies, babies, toddlers, and older adults all need extra thought. Canned dietetic foods, juices, and soups may be helpful for ill or older family members. Nursing mothers may need liquid (ready-to-feed) formula on hand in case they cannot nurse.

For babies, use ready-to-feed formula if you can. If you must mix powdered formula and your tap water may be unsafe, use bottled water. If you must use tap water, boil it, then let it cool to room temperature before mixing. For babies younger than 2 months, born early, or with a weak immune system, the CDC says to boil the water, then wait about 5 minutes before mixing so the water is still very hot. After mixing, let the formula cool before feeding. Always test a few drops on your wrist first. It should feel warm, not hot. The FDA adds a rule for tap water that may not be clean. Boil it for 1 minute (3 minutes above 6,500 feet). Let it cool 5 minutes before mixing. Our water guide has more on making water safe.

Do not forget your pets. Red Cross guidance reminds families to pack non-perishable pet food too.

Keep it fresh

• Check dates and use first-in, first-out: new cans go in the back, older ones move to the front.
• Red Cross guidance suggests using powdered milk, dried fruit, dry crackers, and potatoes within six months.
• Use canned soups, canned fruit, and canned vegetables within one year. The same goes for cereal, peanut butter, jelly, and vitamins. Or follow the date on the label.
• Throw out any can that is swollen, dented, or corroded, even if the food inside looks fine.
• Ready-made buckets carry their own "best by" claims (up to 25–30 years). Write the date you bought it on the lid and check it once a year.

Printable checklist

• ☐ Water: 1 gallon per person, per day (3 days for a go bag, 2 weeks at home)
• ☐ 3 days of no-cook food per person, foods your family already eats
• ☐ Manual can opener and eating utensils
• ☐ Formula, baby food, or other items for infants, if needed
• ☐ A 7-day supply of any medicines your family takes
• ☐ Comfort snacks for kids
• ☐ Pet food and water
• ☐ Appliance thermometer for the fridge and freezer
• ☐ A safe outdoor spot for a generator or camp stove (20+ feet from doors, windows, and vents)
• ☐ One ready-made emergency food bucket, taste-tested at home first
• ☐ A date written on every container, checked at least once a year

Where this advice comes from

• American Red Cross: Survival Kit Supplies
• American Red Cross / FEMA: Food and Water in an Emergency
• Ready.gov: Food
• Ready.gov: Build a Kit
• FoodSafety.gov (USDA FSIS): Food Safety During Power Outage
• CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics
• CDC: Infant Formula Preparation and Storage
• FDA: Handling Infant Formula Safely
• USDA / HHS: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
• Product details: each maker's own product page (Mountain House Essential Assortment Bucket, ReadyWise 1 Month Emergency Food Supply, Augason Farms 30-Day 1-Person Emergency Food Supply Kit)

Last checked against these sources: September 28, 2026.