If you look at a lot of long-term food storage kits, you’ll see that they are determined by a daily calorie count. This is meant to be a baseline for you to determine your food storage needs.
How is the best way to determine how much food storage you and your family need? Truly, the best way is to look at the personal needs of each family member, and then add them together to match up the best long-term kit.
Here’s a quick breakdown of daily caloric needs as determined by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (1). These are general requirements required to maintain weight. Of course, adjust according to your personal nutritional needs.
Infants/toddlers – 1000 calories/day Both male and female toddlers have the same caloric needs.
Young children – 1200-1400 calories/day – Again, male and females have the same caloric needs. The more active your child is, the more calories he/she needs.
Pre-pubescent BOYS – 1600- 1800 calories/day. This is when boys’ nutritional needs start to become more than girls’.
Pre-pubescent GIRLS– 1400-1600 calories/day. The more active your daughter is, the more she will need.
Pubescent and post-pubescent teenage BOYS – 2000-2600 calories /day. This is a time where nutrition needs vary. If your teenage boy eats excessively or has a high physical activity lifestyle, you may even want to store up to 3500 calories per day for him.
Pubescent and post-pubescent teenage GIRLS – 1800-2000 calories/day. Even active girls generally don’t have the same caloric needs as their male counterparts. However, this is a time their brains and bodies are growing, requiring more calories than most adult women. It’s important to not skimp on a teen’s calories.
Young adult men age 21-40 – 2400 calories/day. Caloric needs of grown men are lower than when they are growing and developing. If you are a highly active male, you may need to add more calories.
Young adult women age 21-50 – 1800-2000 calories/day. During pregnancy/lactation, you will want to have 2200-2900 calories/day stored.
Adult men ages 41-60- 2200 calories/day. Activity levels and metabolism usually are lower than younger men, requiring fewer calories to sustain weight and nutrition.
Adult women ages 51 and older – 1600 calories/day.
Adult men ages 41-60 – 2200 calories/day.
Adult men ages 60 and older- 2000 calories/day.
Again, these are general requirements. As you plan your emergency preparedness food, adjust to your family’s needs.
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-2/
