What food to keep for an emergency

The news has been full of the word "stockpile" since the government's Be Ready campaign launched on 22 October 2026, but the actual advice is modest. The British Red Cross puts it plainly: you don't need to stockpile, just be ready for short-term disruption. That means about 3 days of food, bought gradually and eaten as normal before it goes out of date.

What the official advice says

GOV.UK's checklist asks for non-perishable food for 3 days, with a long shelf life, that doesn't need refrigeration or cooking. Its examples are tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts, and it adds that it's best to buy food you'd usually eat. The British Red Cross suggests things like cereal bars, biscuits and tins of beans, and reminds you that you may not have power to cook, so include food that can be eaten cold.

A simple shopping list

These are our suggestions, built around the official "no fridge, no cooking" rule:

• Tins you can eat cold: beans, chickpeas, tuna, sardines, salmon, chicken, ready-to-eat meat, sweetcorn, fruit in juice.
• Ready-to-eat extras: tinned soups and pasta, and pouches labelled as safe to eat without heating.
• Snacks with lots of energy: nuts, peanut butter, dried fruit, cereal bars, oatcakes, crackers, biscuits.
• Breakfast: cereal or granola with long-life (UHT) milk in small cartons, so nothing is left open.
• Drinks and comfort: long-life juice cartons, tea and coffee for when you can boil water safely, and some chocolate.
• Babies: GOV.UK recommends ready-made or ready-to-feed formula, as you may not be able to boil water.
• Pets: a few days of their usual food in tins or sealed bags.

How much is enough?

The NHS says an average woman needs about 2,000 kcal a day and an average man about 2,500 kcal. That's a rough guide rather than a target for a few disrupted days, but it helps you check your cupboard isn't just a few tins of soup. Our calculator plans 3 no-cook meals per person per day, so a household of two adults would keep 18 meals for 3 days, or roughly 4,000 to 5,000 kcal a day between them. For children we use our own age-based estimates, from about 1,000 kcal a day for toddlers up to 2,500 for older teenagers.

A quick way to check: add up the calories on the labels of what you've set aside, divide by the number of people and by 3 days.

Can I cook?

If the power is off you may have no oven, hob or microwave. That's why the official advice is food that needs no cooking. Some people keep a camping stove for hot drinks, but the NHS warns never to use a barbecue or camping stove indoors or inside a tent because of the risk of carbon monoxide. Only ever use one outdoors.

Use the fridge first

If a power cut hits, the Food Standards Agency advises eating food from the fridge first, then defrosted food that doesn't need cooking, then other perishables, and saving tins and dried food for last. Keep fridge and freezer doors closed: a fridge should stay cold for up to 4 hours and a full freezer for up to 48. Our power cut guide has the details.

Rotate, don't waste

GOV.UK suggests checking your kit every six months. Put the dates in your calendar, eat anything getting close to its best-before date and replace it on your next shop. Buying an extra tin or two each week is the easiest way to build up, and it spreads the cost. If you end up with more than you need, GOV.UK suggests you could donate it to someone who can't prepare as easily.

Keep it calm

Panic buying empties shelves for everyone, including people who can't shop easily. Three days of sensible food, built up over a few weeks, is all the official advice asks. Pair it with enough water and the rest of the emergency kit checklist.

Questions people ask