An emergency food list for four people is built from three numbers: 36 meals for three days, 84 meals for a week, and 4 gallons of water per day. Use the checklist below to count what you already own, then fill the gaps. Print it and tick boxes as you go.
Disclosure: We earn a commission if you buy through our links to My Patriot Supply, at no extra cost to you. How we are paid.
How to use this list
Ready.gov asks households to stock "at least a several-day supply" of non-perishable food and water, and it names the kinds of items to choose: food that needs no refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation. It does not give a food quantity per person, so the quantities below are derived arithmetic, and each one says where it is a planning assumption.
The base numbers:
- 4 people x 3 meals a day = 12 meals a day (planning assumption: three meals each).
- 3 days: 12 x 3 = 36 meals.
- 7 days: 12 x 7 = 84 meals.
- 14 days: 12 x 14 = 168 meals.
- Calories at 2,000 per person per day, the FDA general reference: 24,000 for 3 days, 56,000 for 7 days, 112,000 for 14 days.
Why those totals? The reasoning is in the how much food does a family of four need guide. Pick one tier, 3 days or 7 days, and finish that list before moving to the next.
Checklist 1: food staples (Ready.gov's named items)
Split your meal target across these groups. The split is a planning assumption: aim for some of each group so a day's food has protein, a fruit or vegetable, and a grain or cereal.
For a 3-day list (36 meals) and a 7-day list (84 meals), spread across groups:
- Canned meats or fish (protein): enough for at least a third of your meals, 12 meals for the 3-day list or 28 for the 7-day list
- Canned vegetables: a third of your meals as a side, 12 for 3 days or 28 for 7 days
- Canned fruit and canned juices: one serving per person per day, so 12 servings for 3 days or 28 for 7 days
- Peanut butter, with crackers or bread that keeps: for 4 people, 1 jar per 3 days is a planning assumption
- Dry cereal: one bowl per person per day, 12 bowls for 3 days or 28 for 7 days
- Protein or fruit bars: one per person per day, 12 for 3 days or 28 for 7 days
- Dried fruit: one small portion per person per day, 12 for 3 days or 28 for 7 days
- Shelf-stable milk: a portion for each cereal bowl you plan
- Comfort foods, which Ready.gov lists by name: a few items per person
The portions in this list are unit counts, not weights. Check calories on each label, then add them up against the 24,000 or 56,000 targets above. A single can of vegetables is low in calories, so cereal, peanut butter and bars carry most of the total.
Checklist 2: ready-to-eat meals and kits
If you want part of your supply to be freeze-dried meals, use per-person arithmetic. These are one-person products, so you multiply by four.
- 3-day tier: four of My Patriot Supply's 72-hour packs, 4 x 6,320 = 25,280 calories. The company lists the pack at $34.99 each (read 2026-10-14). See the 72-hour emergency food kit guide.
- 7-day tier: one 4-week kit, 56,460 calories ($277.95), which the company says feeds a family of four for 1 week (56,460 / 8,000 = about 7.1 days).
- 14-day tier: two 4-week kits, 2 x 56,460 = 112,920 calories ($555.90 for two).
- Preparation water for all of the above: 3.57 gallons per 72-hour pack, 9.14 gallons per 4-week kit (company figures)
My Patriot Supply states its food lasts up to 25 years when stored properly. The shelf life guide explains what that wording does and does not tell you.
Checklist 3: water
Ready.gov's baseline is at least one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.
- 3 days: 4 people x 1 gallon x 3 days = 12 gallons
- 7 days: 4 x 1 x 7 = 28 gallons
- 14 days: 4 x 1 x 14 = 56 gallons
- Extra water to prepare freeze-dried food (see the figures in Checklist 2)
- A way to purify water: Ready.gov and CDC list boiling for one minute and unscented household bleach as options
Children, nursing mothers and sick people need more, and hot weather can double the amount, according to Ready.gov. The emergency water guide has the full numbers.
Checklist 4: cooking and serving tools
- Manual can opener (Ready.gov names this item): 1, plus a spare as a planning assumption
- Eating utensils, plates or bowls, cups: 4 sets
- A cooking method for hot water: a camp or folding stove with fuel, or a plan for cooking outdoors
- Waterproof matches or a lighter
- A pot with a lid
- Trash bags and wipes for cleanup
- A marker and tape for dating containers
The Family of 4 Starter Pack from My Patriot Supply ($499.99, regular $576.51) bundles a folding stove, Canned Heat+ fuel and waterproof matches with a 4-week kit. The 4-week kit alone is $277.95, so the rest of the bundle is about $222 on top of the food, arithmetic only. Many households put the stove and tools on this list together from items they already own.
Checklist 5: people who need something different
Ready.gov's kit page lists these separately. Quantities are not stated, so write your own with your doctor or pediatrician where it applies.
- Infants: ready-to-feed formula, bottles, diapers, wipes (Ready.gov names these)
- Prescription medications and over-the-counter items, glasses or contact solution
- Pets: several days of food in an airtight, waterproof container and a water bowl (Ready.gov)
- Special diets: choose foods your family will actually eat. See the nutrition note.
Check twice a year
A list only helps if it is current. Put a date on the calendar twice a year and go through this:
- Check dates on cans and pouches, and rotate the oldest forward
- Replace home-bottled water every six months (Ready.gov)
- Look over cans for swelling, leaks, rust or deep dents, which FDA says to discard
- Re-count meals against the 36, 84 or 168 targets, especially after a child's growth spurt
- Store at a cool, dry temperature; cooler is better for the packaging and the contents
Choosing between a kit and a groceries list
A kit puts a stated number of calories in one place with a printed shelf life. A grocery list costs less per meal if you eat what you store and rotate it. Many families use both: pantry staples for the first three days, a kit for a longer tier. The survival food kit buying guide lists what to compare when you do shop for a kit, and the emergency food supply for family of four page answers the question as a whole.
See the 4-Week Emergency Food Supply
FAQ
How many meals do I need to store for four people?
Count 12 meals a day if each person eats three. That gives 36 meals for 3 days, 84 for a week and 168 for two weeks. Three meals a day is a planning assumption, so adjust it to your household.
How much water goes on the list?
Ready.gov's baseline is one gallon per person per day: 12 gallons for four people over 3 days, 28 gallons for a week. Add water to prepare freeze-dried food.
Do I need a stove?
Only if your food needs hot water. The pantry items Ready.gov names need no cooking, so a stove adds convenience rather than necessity.
Should I buy a kit or build from groceries?
Either works. A kit lists its calories and shelf life in one product, while groceries let you choose foods your family already eats. Compare calories, not days on the label.
Sources
- Ready.gov, Food, read 2026-10-14
- Ready.gov, Build a Kit, read 2026-10-14
- Ready.gov, Water, read 2026-10-14
- Ready.gov, Pets, read 2026-10-14
- FDA, Calories on the Nutrition Facts label, read 2026-10-14
- FDA, Food and water safety during power outages and floods, read 2026-10-14
- CDC, Water emergency, read 2026-10-14
- My Patriot Supply, 4-Week Emergency Food Supply, read 2026-10-14
- My Patriot Supply, 72-Hour Food Kit Sample Pack, read 2026-10-14
Update history
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-14 | First published |