Best Emergency Food

Best Emergency Food Supply Companies

If you thought survival food kits were only for extreme adventurists and doomsday preppers, you might be surprised to learn that emergency food supply kits are increasing in popularity among the general population. That’s probably because they can provide peace of mind for anyone who lives anywhere where natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts and wildfires are a possibility. Those who experience frequent or lengthy power outages, or who live in food deserts can also benefit from having a stash of easy-to-prepare, nutrient-dense foods with shockingly long shelf lives on hand.

But knowing which of these kits is best for your needs depends upon many factors. Do you need one for just you or for your family as well? Are you OK with foods that require hot water for preparation, or would you prefer to not have to rely on hot water or a heat source? Do you prefer canned food or freeze dried options? There’s a lot to consider when shopping for the best emergency food supply kit. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. In this overview, we’ll explore various aspects of emergency food supply kits, including all the different meal types, their serving sizes, shelf-life and taste—to help you decide what is the best emergency food supply kit for you.

Best Food for Emergency Supply

The best types of emergency foods meet the following criteria: They have a long shelf life, they don’t require refrigeration or much preparation, and they provide a lot of calories and nutrition in every serving. There are some foods that naturally meet these criteria—foods like canned beans and soups, dried pasta, nuts and nut butters, and tuna fish check some or all of those boxes. But they aren’t your only options. Emergency food supply companies offer a variety of different types of foods so you can stay satisfied and strong in times of crisis or food shortage.

Here are some of the most common types of foods included in emergency supply kits, and the best options for each:

Ready-to-Eat Meal Packs

Forgive the pun, but the “meat and potatoes” of most emergency food supply kits are MREs, or “Meals Ready to Eat.” These are complete meals that often come in individual pouches, which require little to no preparation. Soups, stews and chilis, pasta and rice and bean dishes, oatmeal and pancakes are some common MREs sold by emergency food supply providers. Often, these meals come in large buckets and can be purchased in bulk according to your needs—most companies offer a selection of short- and long-term options. The survival company 4Patriots, for example, sells a variety of kits featuring various quantities of non-perishable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to cover customers anywhere from 72 hours all the way up to one full year. The meals are easy to prepare—at most, you’ll need to boil some of them before they’re served, but that can be done on a campfire if an oven is not accessible. And they taste surprisingly delicious. Some example meals include America’s Finest Mac and Cheese, Cozy Potato Soup, Cowboy Rice and Beans, Black Bean Burger Mix, Dinner Bell Broccoli Bake and Buttermilk Pancake Mix.

Some companies even offer emergency meal kits designed to accommodate special dietary needs. Ready Wise, for example, offers organic and gluten-free MREs, and Legacy Food Storage offers a wide variety of vegetarian-friendly dishes.

Canned Food

Canned beans, soups, pastas, veggies and fruits make excellent emergency food since they typically have extremely long shelf lives and don’t require much preparation. Canned meats are another great option since they are easy to prepare but also provide a good amount of calories, protein and nutrition. One of the best canned food providers is Survival Frog, which sells BPA-free cans of high quality, all-natural USA meats with no added fillers, preservatives, growth hormones or chemicals. All of their survival canned food is gluten-and dairy-free, and they’re made with two simple ingredients, meat and sea salt. They offer a wide variety of proteins, including beef, ground beef hamburger, chicken, turkey and pork, and they’re made to last—all of which have a 25-year shelf life. Another great option for canned food is Red Fora—the company sells a variety of high quality canned proteins made by their partner, Mountain House, which come with a 30-Year Taste Guarantee. 

Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Food

Freeze dried and dehydrated fruits and veggies are an important addition to any emergency food supply. Not only can they add a lot of flavor, they can also help ensure you get the vitamins and minerals that may be lacking in other emergency food supply products, like vitamin C, iron, antioxidants, potassium and fiber. Survival brand Legacy Food Storage offers an excellent assortment of dehydrated and freeze dried fruits, all of which have a 10- to 15-year shelf life. The company sells bags of pineapple, strawberries, peaches, apples, bananas and blueberries. You can purchase individual bags (each contains 25 servings), or you can opt for their Fruit Assortment Variety Pack, which includes a bag of each flavor. Legacy Food Storage also offers a variety of freeze dried vegetables like corn, green beans, carrots, broccoli and instant mashed potatoes. Like the fruits, these can be purchased individually or in an assortment pack. Augason Farms is also an excellent choice for freeze dried and dehydrated fruits and veggies. The company offers an expansive selection of produce that includes many options other companies don’t offer, like mango and raspberries, bell peppers and spinach. 

Produce isn’t the only kind of food that can be eaten in dehydrated form. Some companies sell freeze dried meats, too. Valley Food Storage, for example, sells USDA inspected freeze dried meat that has all the same nutrition you’d expect from fresh meat—you just add water. Ready Wise is another great option for freeze dried emergency foods that even sells freeze dried coffee.

Bars, Shakes and More

Bars and shake mixes are a great addition to any emergency food supply since they require little to no prep and are portable. 4Patriots offers shockingly delicious lemon-shortbread meal bars that come in disaster-resistant packaging and last for five years. They’re 400 calories per bar and require no cooking, water or heat, making them a simple and satisfying source of nutrition whenever you need it.

In addition to bars, many brands, like Nutrient Survival, sell powdered shakes and egg blends designed to deliver maximum nutrition in an easy to prep format. Nutrient Survival also sells vitamin butter, which is butter that has been fortified with a whole host of body-boosting nutrients.

Best Tasting Emergency Food Supply Kits

Of course, the best tasting emergency food boils down to personal preference. But there are two great ways to get an idea of how a specific brand of emergency food tastes: Check out customer reviews and try a sample if possible.

4Patriots, which offers family-favorite recipes like rice and beans, mac and cheese, stew, spaghetti, black bean burgers, buttermilk pancakes and oatmeal, has more than 800 reviews on Google, the majority of which are positive—the company has a 4.8-star rating, and lots of positive feedback regarding the taste of their food.

Brands like Legacy Food Storage offer freeze dried sample meal packs including lunch and dinner entrees, breakfasts, sides, drinks and more. These are not free, but they are significantly cheaper than some of the larger kits, and enable you to taste the food before committing to a longer-term product.

Best Emergency Food Supply Kits by Duration 

While most experts recommend having at least a two-week supply of nonperishable, emergency food on hand for every person in your household, the optimal amount really depends upon who the food is for, where they live and their intended use for it. Many people like the peace of mind that comes with having a food supply that will cover them for many months or even years. Most emergency food supply companies sell buckets of meals and snacks with enough servings to cover specific amounts of time. Here’s a look at some of the best emergency supply kits according to their duration:

Best 30-Day Emergency Food Supply

Augason Farms is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a 30-day emergency food supply. The  company gets high marks from customers for its variety and taste—countless customers report being very surprised that emergency food could taste so delicious. The standard kit includes 200 servings of hearty, flavor-packed meals like Cheesy Broccoli Rice, Hearty Vegetable Chicken-Flavored Soup and Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal on the menu. This kit provides around 1,200 calories and 30 grams of protein per day. For anyone looking for more servings or more nutrition, the company’s 30-day Deluxe kit is an excellent choice. It contains 307 servings of similar menu items, and provides 1,800 calories and 47 grams of protein per day, which should keep most people feeling nourished and satisfied.

Best 3-Month Emergency Food Supply

If you’re faced with circumstances that require you to dig into your emergency food supply, chances are pretty good that flavor is not your number one priority. But if you’re going to be eating emergency food for any extended amount of time, ideally, it would taste good. Emergency food and supply company 4Patriots delivers on that front with 24 surprisingly delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes featuring classic flavors like Cowboy Rice and Beans, Dinner Bell Broccoli Bake, Cozy Potato Soup, Hearty Stroganoff, Chili and Mac, Buttermilk Pancakes and Sweetberry Creamy Wheat. The company even offers tasty desserts and real milk, which sets it apart from many of its competitors. Every 3-Month Survival Food Supply contains nearly 700 servings (it works out to be about 7.6 servings per day), and provides approximately 1,500 calories per day so in addition to being delicious, this kit will leave most people feeling strong and satisfied. And with a shelf-life of 25 years, this food is made to last.

Best 6-Month Emergency Food Supply

Ready-Wise’s six-month bundle is a great option for those seeking more of a long-term solution. It combines some of the brand’s most popular freeze-dried meals, beverages and snacks to provide 2,000 calories per day for a 180-day stretch. But don’t worry if you’re not sure you’ll use that much: Most of the foods have a 25-year shelf life, so you can set some aside for future use. 

Best Long-Term Emergency Food Supply

If you need a food supply that will last you even longer than six months, Ready Wise has you covered there, too. The brand offers a wide variety of long-term solutions that include enough freeze-dried meals, beverages and snacks to keep you fed and nourished for a year or longer. 4Patriots also offers a one-year emergency food supply kit that includes an impressive variety of  meals and snacks. Legacy Food Storage offers an expansive selection of long-term emergency food kits as well.

Best Emergency Food Supply by Price

The best emergency food supply for your budget depends on several factors, including how many people you’ll be feeding, how long you expect to be eating the emergency food, how much mealtime variety you want, and if you want complete coverage with meals and snacks and beverages, or you just want some side dishes or snacks to complement your existing survival stash. That said, Augason Farms has some of the lowest prices and one of the largest selections of emergency food on the market today. 4Patriots also has an expansive collection of high quality products at very reasonable prices, making it a tremendous value.

Best Emergency Food Supply by Number of People

Whether you’re preparing for yourself, your family or a larger group, having the right amount of emergency food is critical. Most emergency food suppliers offer a variety of bundles that accommodate every need. Here is a look at some of the top picks according to group size:

Best Emergency Food for Individuals

If you’re looking for an emergency food supply for one person, you’ll be happy to know you have tons of options. We especially like Nutrient Survival for singles. The brand puts a huge emphasis on nutrition—their meals are loaded with all 40 essential nutrients to boost immunity, build muscle and sustain energy in times of crisis, plus they’re void of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. On the menu are tasty and hearty meals like Triple Cheese Mac, Southwestern Medley, Homestyle Scramble, Hearty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Chocolate Grain Crunch and Powdered Vitamin Milk. The food has up to a 25-year shelf life, and comes in stackable cans that are easy to store and quick to prepare. Customers can choose from a variety of options, including 14-, 30-, 60- and 90-day kits, and can opt for a one-time purchase or a subscription. 

Best Emergency Food Supply for Family

Families who want to protect themselves in the event of a disaster can’t go wrong with 4Patriots. The brand offers a variety of food bundles but for families, we especially love their 4-Week Survival Food Kit, which includes a variety of their top emergency meals plus some bonus survival products like 4Patriot Power Cells, which charge in the sun, and 4Patriot Pure Personal Water Filters. This kit is more of a comprehensive solution perfect for a family of four that might need food to eat, backup power to charge devices and clean water to drink. 4Patriots also offers a Family Favorites Variety Survival Food Bundle, which includes the brand’s best-selling 3-Month Survival Food Kit, along with their Fruit, Veggie & Snack Survival Food Kit and Meat & Protein Kit. It’s one of their most comprehensive solutions and contains everything your family needs to stay nourished and satisfied even if the unexpected happens.