The use of food in an emergency kit is to keep you nourished when normal meals are unavailable during a disaster, power outage, evacuation, or other crisis. Emergency food should be non-perishable, easy to store, and require little or no cooking or refrigeration.

Why it matters

Food in an emergency kit helps you:

  • Maintain energy and strength when access to stores or kitchens is disrupted.
  • Cover at least the first 3 days of an emergency, which is the minimum many preparedness guides recommend.
  • Support special needs, including infants, pets, and people on restricted diets.

Good food choices

Common emergency-kit foods include:

  • Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables.
  • Protein or granola bars.
  • Dry cereal, crackers, rice cakes, and dried fruit.
  • Peanut butter and nuts.
  • Shelf-stable milk, juices, and comfort foods.

Practical tip

Choose foods with a long shelf life , store them in a cool, dry place, and keep a manual can opener with the kit.

If you want, I can also give you a simple emergency food kit checklist.