Prep3 month food supply list
Three months of food takes real space and needs a system. The list is only half of it. The other half is rotating it so that nothing goes to waste.
Who's at home?
Saved in this browser for the other tools.
Pets aren't counted here, so add their food yourself.
What should it cover?
Use government figures by age and sex
Public Health England's estimated energy needs. Enter how many people in each group. This replaces the household above for calories, and they're averages, so individual needs vary.
| Age | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Age 1765 / 717 kcal | ||
| 2 to 31,088 / 1,004 kcal | ||
| 4 to 61,482 / 1,378 kcal | ||
| 7 to 101,817 / 1,703 kcal | ||
| 11 to 182,500 / 2,000 kcal | ||
| 19 to 642,500 / 2,000 kcal | ||
| 65 to 742,342 / 1,912 kcal | ||
| 75 and over2,294 / 1,840 kcal |
Your shopping list
Beans, fish and meat
- 30 ×Baked beans400 g tin
- 30 ×Tuna in water145 g tin
- 30 ×Chickpeas400 g tin
Vegetables
- 24 ×Chopped tomatoes400 g tin
- 24 ×Sweetcorn198 g tin
- 24 ×Sliced carrots300 g tin
Fruit
- 18 ×Peaches in juice410 g tin
- 18 ×Pineapple in juice432 g tin
Rice, pasta and grains
- 19 ×White rice1 kg bag
- 38 ×Dried pasta500 g bag
- 19 ×Porridge oats1 kg bag
Oil, nuts and peanut butter
- 9 ×Peanut butter340 g jar
- 16 ×Mixed nuts200 g bag
- 3 ×Olive oil500 ml bottle
Milk
- 11 ×Dried skimmed milk340 g tin
- 21 ×UHT whole milk1 L carton
Sugar and treats
- 12 ×Jam340 g jar
- 8 ×Biscuits300 g pack
- 3 ×Granulated sugar1 kg bag
Rice, pasta and lentils need water and a way to cook them, which isn't counted here. Tins of beans, fish and vegetables can be eaten cold if you have to.
Example: a family of 4 for 3 months
Two adults and two children at 7,200 kcal a day is 648,000 kcal. This is the list with cooking.
| Food | Pack | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Baked beans | 400 g tin | 54 |
| Tuna in water | 145 g tin | 54 |
| Chickpeas | 400 g tin | 54 |
| Chopped tomatoes | 400 g tin | 44 |
| Sweetcorn | 198 g tin | 44 |
| Sliced carrots | 300 g tin | 44 |
| Peaches in juice | 410 g tin | 33 |
| Pineapple in juice | 432 g tin | 33 |
| White rice | 1 kg bag | 34 |
| Dried pasta | 500 g bag | 67 |
| Porridge oats | 1 kg bag | 33 |
| Peanut butter | 340 g jar | 17 |
| Mixed nuts | 200 g bag | 29 |
| Olive oil | 500 ml bottle | 7 |
| Dried skimmed milk | 340 g tin | 19 |
| UHT whole milk | 1 L carton | 37 |
| Jam | 340 g jar | 20 |
| Biscuits | 300 g pack | 14 |
| Granulated sugar | 1 kg bag | 6 |
From preppantry.app. Checked 2 November 2026. Independent tool, not official advice.
How it works
Two adults and two children need 7,200 kcal a day at our planning figures, or 648,000 kcal over 90 days.
Rotate it. At this size you can't leave food and forget it. Eat from the store as part of normal meals, replace what you use, and put new food at the back.
How long things keep. USDA's FoodKeeper gives these times for unopened food in a cool room: tinned vegetables, beans and soup 2 to 5 years; tinned fruit and tomatoes 12 to 18 months; white rice 2 years; dried pasta 2 years; porridge oats 12 months; UHT milk 6 to 12 months; oil 6 to 12 months. These are quality guides. There's no UK dataset, so we use the US one alongside UK date rules.
Check the tins. Throw away any that are dented, leaking, bulging or rusted. Follow the date on the pack if it's a use-by.
Check every six months, as Be Ready suggests, and more often for the things that keep the shortest time.
The list has two parts. Tins of beans, fish, vegetables and fruit are set per person, so meals have some variety. Staples such as rice, pasta and peanut butter make up the remaining calories. That mix is our own. It isn't official, and it isn't a diet plan.
Pack sizes are typical ones we chose, and calories come from USDA FoodData Central, so your labels will differ a little. We round up to whole packs, so the list comes to slightly more than the target.
Common questions
What should be on a 3 month food list?
Mostly dry staples such as rice, pasta and oats, plus tins of beans, fish, vegetables and fruit, and some oil and peanut butter. The table on this page shows amounts for a family of 4.
How do I rotate a food stockpile?
Use the oldest first, as part of normal meals, and put new food at the back. Check dates every six months.
How long does tinned food last?
USDA's FoodKeeper gives 2 to 5 years for tinned vegetables, beans and soup, and 12 to 18 months for tinned fruit and tomatoes, as quality guides. Throw away tins that are dented, leaking, bulging or rusted.
Is 3 months of food too much?
It's far more than Be Ready's 3 days. It only makes sense if you have the space and will eat it.
Sources
- Be Ready checklist
- NHS: understanding calories
- Public Health England: government dietary recommendations (energy by age and sex)
- Food Standards Agency: food fact checker (use by and best before)
- USDA FoodData Central (energy per 100 g)
- USDA FoodKeeper data (storage times)
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Checked on 2 November 2026. This is an independent tool and not official advice. See sources and method.