72-Hour Kit Food (Sample Menu)

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You technically could survive without food for three days, but it wouldn’t be smart to try… Hunger leads to fatigue, dizziness, and irritability — ALL BAD THINGS, especially during an emergency.

Packing food for your 72-hour kit isn’t as hard as you think. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, either. Let us help you plan and pack your 72-hour kit food.

SCROLL DOWN IF YOU JUST WANT THE SAMPLE 72-HOUR KIT MENU

72-Hour Kit Food Considerations

Let’s start with the basics…

You want to pack enough food in your 72-hour kit for three days. The items you pack should have a long shelf life, be easy to prepare, and be foods you like to eat.

Here are five other considerations to make when planning food for your 72-hour kit:

1. Choose Foods High in Calories: At a minimum, make sure you pack at least 2,000 calories per day, per person. There’s nothing wrong with packing more — an emergency is not a good time to cut calories.
2. Pay Attention to Food Nutritional Value: Calories are obviously important, but not all calories are equal. If possible, try to balance carbohydrates, protein, and fiber in your 72-hour kit food. If you only pack sugary granola bars, your stomach will hurt.
3. Don’t Carry Heavy Food Items: Canned foods may seem like the obvious choice for your 72-hour kit, but cans are heavy. If possible, try to pack a variety of foods and focus on items that are lightweight. Freeze-dried food is a good option.
4. Avoid Unfamiliar Foods: If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat new foods on a regular basis, don’t expect them to try new foods during an emergency. This includes freeze-dried meals. ReadyWise has a 72-hour meal kit that could work well for an adult who is not too picky, but we wouldn’t recommend it for your kids’ 72-hour kits.
5. Include the Necessary Cookware in Your Pack: You probably won’t want the extra stress of cooking food during an emergency, so try to avoid packing too many foods that require heating and preparation. And, if you do choose foods that need to be cooked, make sure you have the necessary outdoor cooking equipment in your 72-hour kit to do so.

What Foods to Pack in Your 72-Hour Kit

As we already mentioned, try to aim for at least 2,000 calories per person, per day.

Here are some good suggestions:

• Canned Fruits/Fruit Cups
• Dehydrated/Freeze-Dried Fruits and Vegetables
• Squeezable Fruit Pouches
• Peanut Butter To-Go Packs with Crackers
• Trail Mix
• Granola Bars
• Beef Jerky
• Rice Cakes
• Canned Tuna/Chicken
• Canned Beans and Soups
• Canned Ravioli

Here are some things you should not pack:

• Hard Candies: They melt and cause a mess.
• Mint-Flavored Gum: Chewing gum is a great way to suppress your appetite but all your food will end up tasting like mint.
• Fatty Nuts: They have a short shelf life and go rancid quickly.
• Crackers: They can get crushed too easily.
• Too Much Sugar

Remember that no matter what food you pack in your 72-hour kit, it needs to be rotated every six months to a year. You can make it a fun event that you do at the same time every year. You can pull out your 72-hour kits and eat all the food inside and replace it.

Sample 72-Hour Kit Food Menu

Note: Be sure to include your menu in your 72-hour kit so you know what to eat each day. Otherwise, your food might not make it the full 72 hours.

DON’T FORGET WATER

Read: How Much Water Should You Put in a 72-Hour Kit?

If you want to take the easy way out, you could buy a bucket of freeze-dried meals. This has the added bonus that you won’t have to rotate your 72-hour kit food every six months. Some freeze-dried meals have a shelf life of 25+ years. The caveat is freeze-dried meals aren’t familiar and you may have a hard time getting your kids to eat them.

What food do you pack in your 72-hour kit? Give us some suggestions in the comments below!