Building an Emergency Food Supply: Quantities, Foods & Guide 2026

The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) recommends that every household in Germany maintain an emergency supply for at least 10 days. Most people have: none of this. Not every food item is suitable for an emergency supply. Anyone who simply fills their fridge will have a problem after a 24-hour power cut. Anyone who stocks up on packet soups will realise in an emergency: you need boiling water — not electricity.

But it’s not complicated at all. You don’t need to be a prepper or set up a stockpile in the cellar. In this article, I’ll show you exactly what you need, how much of it, and the quickest way to get started — without spending a lot of money.

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Pillar / Area	Critical challenge	Key measure	Wolf’s unvarnished verdict
1. Water supply	Minimum requirements are drastically underestimated.	Store at least 2 litres per person per day for 14 days + keep a water filter to hand.	“You need more than you think — and you need a filter, not just bottles.”
2. Food	Wrong choice of products: many require cooking or water.	Prioritise high-energy dried food with a long shelf life that requires no preparation.	“Don’t buy packet soup without a camping stove. Think in terms of calories, not portions.”
3. Rotation & storage	Stocks are built up and then forgotten.	Introduce a FIFO system, store in a cool, dark place, and mark expiry dates.	“An emergency supply you never touch becomes hazardous waste after 3 years.”

Why you should start now

A power cut, a storm, a supply chain crisis — the reasons for an empty supermarket can arise faster than you think. In Germany, there have been several regional supply shortages in the last five years alone.

In an emergency, it’s too late. The shelves are empty, the cash machines aren’t working, and your neighbours have the same problem as you.

Building an emergency stockpile costs you just a few hours and a few hundred euros — and gives you real peace of mind in return.

The 4 criteria for good emergency food supplies

1. Long shelf life: at least 1 year, preferably 3–5 years
2. High in calories: You need energy, not just volume
3. Little preparation: Ideally ready to eat or requiring only brief heating
4. You’d eat them anyway: No special foods that end up in the bin after the blackout

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Step 1: Calculate your requirements

As a general rule: 2,000–2,500 kcal per person per day for an adult. Plus at least 2 litres of water per person per day (for drinking only — more for cooking and hygiene).

Example of a 72-hour supply (3 days) for 2 people:

• Calories: 2,500 kcal × 2 people × 3 days = 15,000 kcal
• Water: 2 litres × 2 people × 3 days = 12 litres of drinking water

Recommendation: Start with 72 hours, then build up to 10 days.

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Step 2: Choosing the right food

Good emergency food supplies meet these criteria:

• ✅ Long shelf life (at least 1–2 years)
• ✅ High in calories
• ✅ Require little or no water to prepare
• ✅ You would normally eat them anyway (no special items)

Category 1: Carbohydrates (energy source)

Food	Shelf life	kcal/100g	Tip
White rice	5–10 years	360	In an airtight tin: up to 25 years
Pasta	3–5 years	350	Durum wheat pasta keeps longer
Oatmeal	2–3 years	370	Can also be eaten cold with water
Crispbread	1–2 years	330	No preparation required
Hard biscuits / rusks	1–2 years	380	Good for children
Flour (for baking)	1–2 years	340	For longer scenarios

Suggested quantities for 2 people / 72 hours: 500g rice + 500g pasta + 1 packet of crispbread

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Category 2: Protein (satiety and energy)

Food	Shelf life	kcal/100g	Tip
Tinned tuna	3–5 years	130	Ready to eat, no cooking required
Sardines / Mackerel (tinned)	3–5 years	200	High fat content = more energy
Beans (tinned)	3–5 years	90	Can also be eaten cold
Lentils (dried)	5–10 years	350	Requires cooking water
Peanut butter	1–2 years	590	Very high in calories, no cooking required
Tinned sausage / corned beef	2–5 years	250	Ready to eat

Suggested quantities for 2 people / 72 hours: 4 tins of fish + 2 tins of beans + 1 jar of peanut butter

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Category 3: Fats (energy density)

Food	Shelf life	Tip
Olive oil / rapeseed oil	1–2 years	For cooking and as a calorie-rich food
Coconut oil	2 years	Stable when heated
Ghee (clarified butter)	1–2 years unchilled	Can be stored without refrigeration

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Cooking without electricity

For rice and pasta, you need a heat source. During a power cut, you can use:

• Camping stove / gas stove → The best gas stoves for a power cut
• Wood-burning stove / Fireplace
• Outdoor barbecue

Read more: Cooking during a power cut: How to prepare meals without electricity →

Ready to eat (no cooking required)

These foods are particularly valuable because you can eat them without water or a heat source:

• 🍫 Chocolate — energy + morale (underestimated!)
• 🥜 Nuts and dried fruit — very high in calories
• 🍯 Honey — keeps forever, ready to eat, antibacterial
• 🥫 Tinned cold cuts
• 🍪 Energy bars (e.g. muesli bars)

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What you should NOT stock

• ❌ Fresh fruit and vegetables (goes off immediately)
• ❌ Frozen food (useless after 24 hours)
• ❌ Bread (goes mouldy after 3–5 days)
• ❌ Milk (only UHT milk is suitable)
• ❌ Food you don’t normally eat (important for motivation when under stress)

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Step 3: Stock up on water

Water is more important than food. You can survive for weeks without food — but only days without water.

Option A: Buy
bottled water The simplest solution. 6×1.5-litre bottles per person for 3 days.

Option B: Fill
your own containers Fill food-safe water canisters (10–20 litres) with fresh tap water. Replace every 6–12 months.

Option C: Water filter as a backup
When your supply runs out, you can use a water filter to treat water from streams, lakes or rainwater.
👉 The best water filters for a blackout →

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Step 4: Add emergency equipment

Food and water alone are not enough. These essentials are also required:

• 🕯️ Candles + lighter / matches
• 🔦 Torch + spare batteries
• 📻 Hand-crank radio (news without electricity)
• 💊 First-aid kit
• 💶 Cash (ATMs won’t work)
• 🔋 Power bank (to charge your mobile phone)
• ⛽ Camping stove + gas cartridge (cooking food without electricity)

If you want to have all of this to hand in a compact rucksack, I recommend my detailed article:
👉 The perfect emergency rucksack: What really belongs in it →

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Step 5: Store correctly

An emergency supply is useless if it’s gone off after a year. Proper storage is simple:

• Store in a cool, dark place (cellar, storeroom) — not above 20°C
• Keep dry — moisture quickly renders food unusable
• Rotation: Older items at the front, new ones at the back — ‘First In, First Out’
• Check the best-before date — go through your stock once a year
• Store food in airtight containers or original packaging

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Step 6: Test your supplies

Simulate a “blackout weekend” once a year: live off your supplies for 48 hours, no supermarket, no delivery service. This will immediately show you what’s missing.

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Your shopping list to get started (72 hours, 2 people)

Product	Quantity	Approx. cost
Mineral water (1.5l bottles)	8 bottles	~€8
Rice	1 kg	~€2
Pasta	1 kg	~€2
Tins of tuna	6 tins	~€6
Tins of beans/lentils	4 tins	~€4
Crispbread	2 packs	~€4
Mixed nuts	500g	~€5
Nut butter	1 jar	~€4
Chocolate	3 bars	~€3
Candles + lighter	1 set	~€5
Total		~€43

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Conclusion: Start today — not ‘sometime’

You don’t have to be perfectly prepared. You just need to be better prepared than you were yesterday.

Next time you go to the supermarket, just buy 5 tins more than you planned. Put 6 bottles of water in the cellar. Put a torch in the drawer.

If you want a proper emergency rucksack with everything you need at your fingertips, you can find my full comparison here:
👉 Buy an emergency rucksack: These models are truly blackout-ready →