The calorie figures on this site are planning arithmetic, not medical advice. A family of four at 2,000 calories each is 8,000 calories a day, which is a useful way to size a supply and a poor way to decide what any one person should eat.
Where the 2,000 figure comes from
FDA says a 2,000-calorie day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice, and that needs may be higher or lower depending on age, sex, height, weight and activity. The partner's kits are built around about 2,000 calories a day per person, so dividing kit calories by 8,000 gives a rough number of days for four people. The exact reference is on FDA's page about calories on the Nutrition Facts label.
Who needs more, and who needs less
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans publishes estimated calories by age, sex and activity in Appendix 2, Table A2-2. Reading from it:
- Young children aged 4 to 8 range from about 1,200 to 2,000 calories a day.
- Teenage boys aged 16 to 18 range from 2,400 to 3,200, and teenage girls from 1,800 to 2,400.
- Adult women aged 19 to 50 range from about 1,800 to 2,400, and adult men from about 2,200 to 3,000.
- Pregnancy adds about 340 calories in the second trimester and 452 in the third; breastfeeding adds 330 in the first six months and 400 after.
A sample household of a 33-year-old man, a 33-year-old woman and children aged 6 and 10 comes to about 7,000 calories a day if sedentary and about 8,000 if moderately active. The table is at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.
When to ask a clinician first
This site cannot advise on infants, pregnancy, breastfeeding, medical diets, diabetes, kidney disease, food allergies or medicines. Ask a doctor, dietitian or pharmacist before you plan the food or water for any of these. Ready.gov says to remember special dietary needs and, for infants, to keep ready-to-feed formula. Check any kit's ingredient list and allergen statement yourself before buying.
Water and food are separate lists
Calories are only half of a supply. Ready.gov's figure is at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation, with more for children, nursing mothers, sick people and hot weather. See emergency water for a family of four. The emergency food list covers the rest of the shelf, and how much food a family of four needs shows the full arithmetic.
Sources
- FDA, Calories on the Nutrition Facts label, read 2026-10-14
- USDA and HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, read 2026-10-14
- Ready.gov, Food, read 2026-10-14
- Ready.gov, Water, read 2026-10-14
Update history
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-14 | First published |