John Myers
Not only since the pandemic did we know: A cleverly put together emergency supply of food belongs in every household. We explain what you need to look out for when stockpiling, which foods should not be missing – and what quantities you should have in stock per person.
Emergency supplies – you should know that
Storms, power outages, quarantine: there are various reasons why an emergency supply of food makes sense. The corona pandemic has made many people aware of the need for emergency supplies. But you can also benefit from cleverly invested supplies in less dramatic situations. Unexpected visitors, after-hours cravings, or a sick child at home: all occasions when cooking from stock is a good solution. We provide you with suggestions and lists for the emergency supply.
Food supply in an emergency: rules of thumb
Eating and drinking habits are something very individual. However, the Federal Ministry for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK) gives a few rules of thumb that will help you to create a suitable emergency food supply for you and your family. The recommendations of the BBK:
Provide food and drink for 10 days for each member of your household. That should be enough until government help arrives in an emergency or until the precarious situation is over. Don’t forget pets!
Calculate two liters of liquid per person per day – and do not rely on being able to fall back on tap water.
Estimate a requirement of 2200 calories per adult per day.
Only stock what you and your family like and can tolerate.
When planning, let the principle of “living stock” prevail: Consume and renew the individual products in your emergency stock again and again (new food goes behind the older ones on the shelf). This is how you avoid expired best-before dates.
Store food in a cool, dry, and dark place – and make sure the packaging is airtight.
Emergency food supply list
Long shelf life is the magic word when it comes to food storage for emergencies: canned goods and durable goods form the basis of food inventory lists. Frozen food is certainly suitable as an emergency food supply in situations such as a home quarantine or when snow and black ice keep you stuck at home. In the event of a power failure, however, it is quickly defrosted – and spoiled as a result. Frozen goods should therefore not be the basis of your emergency supply, but only supplement it. So what exactly do you buy for emergencies? This list gives you an orientation of which food groups and in which quantities you should have stock for ten days per person:
- 20 liters of beverages (of which 1.5 liters are intended for drinking and 500 ml for cooking each day)
- 3.5 kg grain products such as dry bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes
- 4 kg of vegetables and legumes as preserves or in jars. If there are dried legumes in the pack, consider the extra water in the preparation.
- 2.5 kg of fruit (canned or in jars) and nuts
- 2.6 kg long-life milk products (e.g. UHT milk, oat milk, UHT cream, processed cheese, milk powder)
- 1.5 kg of canned fish and meat and eggs (note the limited shelf life!) or whole egg powder. For vegetarians or vegans, increase the supply of the other food groups accordingly.
- 0.36 kg fats and oils
- Jam, honey, chocolate, spices, instant broth, flour (read important information about the best-before date for flour here), dry yeast, sugar, hard biscuits, pretzel sticks, and ready-made meals such as packet soups or canned lentil stew, ravioli, and the like.
Extra tip: If you want to be on the safe side in the event of a power outage, keep a gas stove and about 1 kg of gas per person in the house so that you can still cook in an emergency. This amount is also sufficient for ten days.
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