How to Calculate a Three Month Food Supply - Food Storage Made Easy (2024)

FAQs

How to build a 3 month food supply? ›

Make a list of foods you eat on a regular basis, and determine how much you would go through in three months. Use and rotate these foods in all your daily cooking. Constantly replenish the stocks of these foods as they go on sale again. Don't forget to include non-food items in this step as well.

Start with a small goal and build up. Don't try to stock up a whole year's worth of food, instead, start with two weeks, then 1 month, 6 months, etc. Start with items that have a long year shelf life (or more), are inexpensive, and are easy to store such as beans and rice.

You will need 3,600 - 4,500 calories for 3 days; 16,800 - 21,000 calories for 2 weeks; 33,600 - 42,000 calories per month; and 403,200 - 504,000 calories per year.

According to the USDA guidelines, you might spend $979 a month on a thrifty plan, $1,028 on a low-cost plan, $1,252 on a moderate-cost plan and $1,604 on a liberal plan. The USDA guidelines can provide a starting point for a food budget, but they don't consider all the variables that can affect cost.

Per capita food availability is calculated by dividing the annual total food supply during a specific time period by the U.S. total resident population plus Armed Forces overseas in a given year: Total annual food supply of a commodity / U.S. population for that year = per capita availability.

The following steps outline how to calculate the Shelf Life. First, determine the manufactured date. Next, determine the expiration date. Next, gather the formula from above = SL = ED – MD.

What is rule of 10 in shelf life? ›

A tool used in accelerated studies is “the rule of ten,” or Q10, which is the factor by which the rate of spoil-age increases when the temperature is raised by 10C. Q10 allows for the prediction of a product's shelf life under real-life conditions based on the results of testing conducted at high temperatures.

Keep high-risk food at 5 °C or below or above 60 °C to avoid the temperature danger zone and food poisoning. Store raw foods below cooked foods. Store food in suitable, covered containers. Avoid refreezing thawed foods.

If food is properly frozen it will stay safe to eat indefinitely, although after a time the taste and texture may suffer.

All Americans should have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in their homes, with at least one gallon of water per person per day. If you have the space, experts recommend a week's supply of food and water. Choose foods that don't require refrigeration and are not high in salt.