1 year food supply for a family of 4

How it works

Two adults and two children need 7,200 kcal a day at our planning figures, or 2,628,000 kcal over a year.

You don't need this to be prepared. Ready.gov asks for a several-day supply. A solid 2 weeks that you'll use is worth more than a year of food you won't get through. We don't sell food, so we've no reason to say otherwise.

Not everything lasts a year. USDA's FoodKeeper gives 6 to 12 months for unopened oil, 6 to 12 months for white flour and 12 months for oatmeal, in a cool room, as quality guides. A year's store has to be eaten and replaced as you go.

This isn't a balanced diet for a year. The list covers calories, with some variety. It isn't planned for vitamins and minerals, and it wouldn't suit anyone with a medical diet. Talk to a dietitian or your doctor before relying on stored food for months.

If you do want to go this far, build it slowly over many months, and only from food your household actually eats.

The list has two parts. Cans 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.