90-Day Resilient Food Supply

This guide is based on a suggested food supply for one adult for approximately 90 days. It is intended as a starting point rather than a precise nutritional prescription. Actual requirements will vary depending on age, activity levels, dietary needs, portion sizes and whether the food is being used as a complete diet or alongside other fresh and frozen foods.

For a household, simply scale the quantities according to the number of people, while allowing for differences in appetite and dietary requirements. For example, a household of two adults would need considerably more than the quantities listed here, while a household with children may need to adjust the amounts differently.

The list is designed around a mixture of tinned foods, dried staples and everyday ingredients that can be combined into simple meals. It is better to build a supply of foods your household already knows and enjoys than to buy large quantities of unfamiliar emergency foods.

Important: The quantities below should be treated as a practical stockpiling guide, not a guarantee that they provide all the calories, protein, vitamins and minerals one person would require for 90 days. If you intend to rely on stored food as your main source of nutrition for an extended period, the quantities should be checked against your household's actual nutritional requirements.

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Tinned Goods

 

Tinned Meat and Protein

• Tinned chicken or turkey — 15 cans

• Tinned beef, stew or chunks — 12 cans

• Tinned tuna or other fish — 12 cans

• Tinned ham or other pork products — 8 cans

• Tinned chilli con carne — 12 cans

 

Tinned Vegetables

• Tinned carrots — 12 cans

• Tinned green beans — 12 cans

• Tinned sweetcorn — 12 cans

• Tinned peas — 12 cans

• Tinned mixed vegetables — 12 cans

• Tinned spinach or kale — 6 cans​

 

Tinned Tomatoes, Sauces and Coconut Milk

• Tinned whole tomatoes — 18 cans

• Tinned tomato purée/paste — 6 cans

• Tinned tomato sauce — 12 cans

• Tinned coconut milk — 8 cans

 

Tinned Fruit

• Tinned peaches — 8 cans

• Tinned pineapple — 8 cans

• Tinned pears — 8 cans

 

Tinned Soups and Ready Meals

• Tinned soup — 24 cans

• Tinned stews — 8 cans

• Tinned pasta meals such as spaghetti or ravioli — 18 cans

 

 

Dried Goods and Staples

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Dried foods provide the foundation for many of the meals in this plan and are generally straightforward to store.

 

Grains and Carbohydrates

• Rice — 10 kg

• Pasta — 7 kg

• Flour — 4 kg

• Rolled oats — 2 kg

 

Dried Beans and Pulses

• Dried lentils — 4 kg

• Dried split peas — 3 kg

• Dried chickpeas — 3 kg

• Dried red beans — 2 kg

 

Dairy and Egg Alternatives

• Powdered milk — 2 kg

• Powdered eggs — 700 g

 

Snacks, Fruit and Sweeteners

• Dried fruit such as raisins or apricots — 2 kg

• Peanut butter — 700 g

• Sugar — 1.5 kg

• Honey or jam — 700 g

• Crackers — 4 boxes, approximately 500 g each

• Instant dried soup — 6 packets

 

Spices and Condiments

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These are easy to overlook, but they make a big difference when you're relying on stored food for an extended period.

• Salt — 500 g

• Black pepper — 100 g

• Garlic powder — 100 g

• Onion powder — 100 g

• Chilli powder or paprika — 100 g

• Soy sauce — 250 ml

• Bouillon cubes or instant stock — 6 packs

 

Oils and Fats

• Vegetable or olive oil — 2 litres

• Butter powder or ghee — 700 g

 

Drinks

• Tea or coffee — 300 g

 

Water

• Stored drinking and cooking water — 225 litres

Water requirements will vary considerably depending on household size, climate, cooking methods and whether additional water is available. Water for hygiene and other household uses is a separate consideration.

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Simple 90-Day Meal Plan

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The purpose of the meal plan is to show how the stored ingredients can be combined into ordinary meals. You don't necessarily need to follow the same meals every day, and quantities should be adjusted to suit the people you're feeding.

 

Breakfast

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Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Dried Fruit

A simple breakfast can be made using rolled oats, powdered milk, peanut butter and dried fruit. Cook the oats with water, stir in the powdered milk and peanut butter, then add dried fruit.

Main ingredients:

• Rolled oats

• Powdered milk

• Peanut butter

• Dried fruit

 

Oatmeal with Honey or Jam

For some variety, the oats can be prepared with powdered milk and finished with honey or jam.

Main ingredients:

• Rolled oats

• Powdered milk

• Honey or jam

 

Flatbreads or Pancakes

Flour, powdered eggs, water and a little oil or ghee can be used to make simple flatbreads or pancakes.

Main ingredients:

• Flour

• Powdered eggs

• Water

• Vegetable oil or ghee

 

Lunch

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Soup with Crackers

Tinned soup served with crackers is one of the simplest meals in the store and requires relatively little preparation.

Main ingredients:

• Tinned soup

• Crackers

 

Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Meat

Cook the pasta and combine it with tomato sauce and tinned chicken, beef or fish. Herbs and spices can be added to suit your taste.

Main ingredients:

• Pasta

• Tinned tomato sauce

• Tinned meat or fish

• Oil or ghee

• Herbs and spices

 

Rice and Beans

Rice combined with beans makes another straightforward meal. Add stock, spices or a little sauce to give it more flavour.

Main ingredients:

• Rice

• Beans

• Oil or ghee

• Salt and spices

 

Dinner

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Chilli Con Carne with Rice

Heat the tinned chilli con carne and serve it over cooked rice. A little extra seasoning can be added if required.

Main ingredients:

• Tinned chilli con carne

• Rice

• Oil or ghee

• Salt and spices

 

Lentil and Vegetable Stew

Dried lentils can be cooked until tender before adding tinned vegetables. Tinned meat can also be added if required.

Main ingredients:

• Dried lentils

• Tinned mixed vegetables

• Tinned meat, optional

• Stock and spices

 

Pasta with Tomato and Vegetables

Pasta, tomato sauce and tinned vegetables can be combined into another simple meal. Different vegetables, herbs and spices can be used to create some variety.

Main ingredients:

• Pasta

• Tinned tomato sauce

• Tinned vegetables

• Herbs and spices

 

Making the Food Supply More Practical

A food store works best when it is based around meals you would actually eat rather than simply collecting large quantities of tins. The ingredients above give you several basic combinations, but there is plenty of room to substitute foods according to personal preference.

It is also worth using the food as part of your normal household cooking. Rotate older tins and packets into everyday meals and replace them when you shop. This reduces waste and means that your stored food doesn't become a forgotten collection at the back of a cupboard.

If you grow some of your own food, that can become another part of the system. Fresh vegetables, herbs and potatoes can supplement the stored supplies during the growing season, while some crops can be stored or preserved for later. I've shared quite a bit of my own gardening experience on YouTube for exactly this reason — growing food is useful, but learning how to harvest, store and make use of it is just as important.

The aim isn't to create a perfect 90-day menu or to have every meal planned months in advance. It's to have enough familiar ingredients that you can put together simple meals if shopping becomes difficult for a period of time.

Start with what your household already eats, build the supply gradually and adjust it as you learn what works for you.

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