72-hour emergency food list: what to keep for three days without cooking
The best 72-hour emergency food is food you already eat that needs no fridge and no cooking: tinned fish, beans and fruit, crackers, nut butter, muesli with UHT milk, dried fruit, nuts and cereal bars. Plan three meals and a snack per person per day, and add a manual tin opener.
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Three rules for emergency food
Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection (BBK) sums it up well: food for a reserve should be long-lasting (no refrigeration), ready (edible without cooking) and, where cooking is needed, quick to cook so a camping stove’s gas goes further. The UK’s Be Ready checklist and the Dutch Denk vooruit list say the same thing in different words: tins, dried fruit, nuts, food you would normally eat.
- No fridge. Assume the power is off.
- No cooking. A stove is a bonus, not a requirement.
- Food you like. Stress is not the moment to discover you hate a ration bar.
Shopping list per person for 72 hours
| Food | Quantity per person | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tinned fish or meat (ring-pull) | 3 tins, ≈ 120 g (4.2 oz) each | Protein, ready to eat |
| Ready-to-eat beans, lentils or chickpeas | 2 tins, 400 g (14 oz) | Filling; eat cold with oil and salt |
| Tinned fruit in juice | 2 tins, 400 g (14 oz) | Vitamins and fluid |
| Crackers, crispbread or oatcakes | 1–2 packs, ≈ 250 g (8.8 oz) | Bread substitute that keeps for months |
| Peanut or nut butter | 1 jar, ≈ 350 g (12 oz) | Dense calories, no fridge |
| Muesli or granola | ≈ 300 g (10.6 oz) | Breakfast with UHT milk |
| UHT milk or plant drink | 1 L (34 fl oz) | Keeps unopened for months |
| Nuts and dried fruit | ≈ 300 g (10.6 oz) | Snacks with no prep |
| Cereal or energy bars | 6 bars | Grab-and-go, good for kids |
| Chocolate, biscuits, instant coffee or tea | To taste | Morale matters |
That list gives roughly 2,000–2,500 kcal a day for an adult. Multiply by the number of people in your home, and check special diets: allergies, coeliac disease, diabetes and babies.
A sample three-day menu (no cooking)
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fridge food first: yoghurt, bread, fruit | Leftovers, cheese, salad from the fridge | Freezer food if you have a gas stove; otherwise tuna, beans, crackers | Fresh fruit |
| Day 2 | Muesli with UHT milk | Crackers, peanut butter, tinned fruit | Mackerel or sardines, chickpeas with olive oil | Nuts, a cereal bar |
| Day 3 | Granola, dried fruit | Bean salad from tins, crispbread | Tinned meat or fish, tinned vegetables, chocolate | Dried fruit, biscuits |
Eat in this order: fridge food first, then freezer food, then the long-life reserve. A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours; a full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours, a half-full one for about 24. When in doubt, throw it out.
What to avoid
- Food that needs lots of water, such as dried pasta or rice, unless you also store extra water and have a stove.
- Very salty snacks in large amounts: they increase thirst.
- Anything only one person eats, unless it is for a special diet.
- Glass jars in a grab bag: heavy and breakable. Keep them in the home reserve.
- Tins without ring-pulls unless there is a manual tin opener in the kit.
Do you need special emergency food?
No, but some products are useful for specific jobs. Ration bars and freeze-dried meals keep for years, weigh little and suit a grab-and-go bag or a car kit. Freeze-dried meals do need hot water, so they belong with a stove.
| Product | Best for | Key spec | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency energy bars | Grab bags, cars, offices | Long shelf life, no prep | Check price on Amazon |
| Freeze-dried meals | Long shelf life, hot meals | Add boiling water, ≈ 10 min | Check price on Amazon |
| Ready meal pouches | Variety in the home reserve | Typically eaten hot, some cold | Check price on Amazon |
| Manual tin opener | Every kit | Works without power | Check price on Amazon |
We don’t list prices because they change often. Use the button to see the current price on Amazon.
If you can cook
A small camping stove turns tins into hot meals and boils water for tea, freeze-dried food and baby bottles. Use it outdoors or on a balcony only, never indoors: camping stoves, barbecues and patio heaters produce carbon monoxide. A camping stove with two or three gas cartridges covers three days of simple cooking for a small household. Quick-cooking food (couscous, instant noodles, oat flakes) saves gas.
Keep it fresh: the rotating reserve
The BBK recommends a “living reserve”: buy one or two extra packs each time you shop, use the oldest first, and replace what you use. Your reserve never expires because it is part of everyday cooking. Check dates twice a year when you check the rest of the 72-hour checklist.
Next: make sure the water is covered, using our water calculator table.
Questions people ask
What food should be in a 72-hour kit?
Ready-to-eat, shelf-stable food: tinned fish or meat, tinned beans and vegetables, tinned fruit, crackers or crispbread, peanut butter, muesli or granola, UHT milk, nuts, dried fruit, cereal or energy bars, chocolate. Add a manual tin opener.
How many calories do I need per day in an emergency?
Plan roughly what you eat normally: around 2,000 kcal for most women and 2,500 kcal for most men, less for small children. Short-term, a little less is fine; the priority is water.
Do I need special emergency food or survival rations?
No. Ordinary supermarket food is enough for 72 hours and is cheaper. Ration bars and freeze-dried meals are useful for grab bags and long shelf life, but they are optional.
How long can food stay in the fridge during a power cut?
About 4 hours if you keep the door closed. A full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours, a half-full one for about 24 hours.
What about babies, allergies and pets?
Include ready-to-feed formula and baby food pouches for babies, safe foods for anyone with allergies or diabetes, and at least three days of pet food.
Keep reading
- How much water to store for 72 hours
- /cheap-72-hour-kit-under-100/
- Emergency kit for kids: checklist by age
- /what-to-do-in-a-power-blackout/