Best Emergency Food

How We Determined the Best Emergency Food Companies

Emergency food isn’t just for doomsday preppers and extreme adventurists—having a stash of non-perishable, shelf-stable and nutrient-dense foods on hand in the event of a natural disaster, extended power outage or other unexpected crisis is a smart move for anyone.

But choosing the best option for you depends on many factors. Is your stockpile solely for you, or do you need enough food to sustain an entire family? Are you looking for a short-term solution to get you through a few days, or is a long-term supply more your speed? Are there any allergies or dietary restrictions to consider? Are cans or pouches better for your space? Clearly, there’s a lot to consider, which can make the shopping experience overwhelming. That’s where we come in. Our helpful list of the best emergency food supply kits takes into account the most important considerations as you’re building your emergency food supply. And, in this helpful overview, we’ll walk you through the criteria we used to determine the top picks.

Our Criteria for Choosing the Best Emergency Food Suppliers

The best emergency foods and kits have long shelf lives, provide ample calories and nutrition, are easy to prepare and store, and come in a variety of formats, flavors and coverage durations. They come from reputable companies with countless positive customer reviews and ratings, have accessible and knowledgeable customer service teams, are reasonably priced, and are backed by satisfaction guarantees and/or generous return policies. Here’s an in-depth look at why these matter so much:

Shelf Life 

Disaster could strike tomorrow—or decades from now. Since you never know when you’ll need to rely on an emergency food supply for sustenance, opting for kits and foods with extended shelf lives is a no-brainer. Many of the emergency food supplies on our list contain foods with shelf lives between 20 and 30 years. This is something of a gold standard in the industry—you won’t find many foods with longer lifespans than that.

Nutrition

The best emergency foods provide lots of calories and nutrients per serving, ensuring you stay satisfied and strong until you can resume your normal diet. While everyone’s caloric needs are different, generally speaking, women need around 2,000 calories per day and men, 2,400 calories per day. The best emergency food supply kits will provide close to those amounts, and will offer supplemental products like shake mixes, sides and snacks, for anyone requiring more. Your emergency food stash should also maximize nutrients like protein, carbohydrates and fats, since your body needs these in large quantities in order to run properly. 

Ease of Preparation

Because power outages or natural disasters can eliminate the possibility of refrigeration, emergency foods should always be shelf stable. The food should be quick and easy to prepare, not requiring many kitchen tools or appliances. And, since power outages or natural disasters may limit your access to hot or clean water, the best emergency food supplies include some foods that don’t require water in their preparation—or include the option to tack on a water purification system.

Variety & Flavor

While the ultimate goal of emergency food is to provide nourishment in times of crisis, that doesn’t mean you should have to suffer through eating it. The best emergency food suppliers offer a large selection of menu items and food types, formats and flavors, allowing you to build a stockpile you’ll actually enjoy eating.

They’ll also offer products that accommodate special dietary needs and restrictions. Many companies offer vegetarian and gluten-free options, and some have allergy-friendly foods on the menu as well.

Short & Long-Term Coverage

While the general guidance is that you should always have enough non-perishable foods stashed away to cover three full days, most experts recommend having a two-week supply on hand. The best emergency food companies offer a choice of kits covering anywhere from 24 hours all the way up to six months or even a year’s worth of food. This allows you to choose the option that feels right for you—and of course, your budget.

Positive Customer Reviews

Customer reviews and ratings on third party review sites like Google Reviews and Trustpilot provide invaluable insights about a company and its products. The best emergency food supply companies have garnered an impressive collection of positive reviews from real customers regarding the flavor and quality of their food, the accessibility and helpfulness of their customer service teams, and the overall customer experience, to name a few. 

Customer Support

Shopping for survival products is a serious undertaking. Having access to a knowledgeable team member who can walk you through your options and answer questions as you shop can help ensure you select the best fit for your needs.

And, since you likely won’t even open your emergency food supply until you find yourself in a crisis, you may suddenly find yourself with lots of questions that need answering—and fast. The best emergency food suppliers understand that, and have a dedicated customer support team standing by to help you navigate preparing and using your emergency food products.

Pricing

The best emergency food suppliers offer a variety of emergency food products and a wide range of price points, making it possible for anyone to create a stockpile of survival food, regardless of their budget. Many also offer opportunities to save via seasonal promotions, discounts for veterans, and referral bonuses.

Satisfaction Guarantees

An emergency food supply is a serious investment, and it helps to know that the company you purchase it from takes it seriously, too. The top emergency food supply companies stand behind their products with satisfaction guarantees and/or generous return policies. These serve as testament to their confidence in their products, and demonstrate how important your satisfaction is to them.