On a day-to-day basis, most of us are fortunate enough not to have to ask ourselves, “how many calories do I need to survive?” However, suppose a natural disaster strikes or civil unrest breaks out, and SHTF. You may be forced into a survival situation, where you become more concerned about the minimum calories per day you need to survive.
The minimum number of calories per day to survive depends on the person. The amount of calories a person needs is largely impacted by their:
If you are prepping emergency food in case of disaster, and are curious about the minimum amount of calories you and your family need to survive, keep reading. Below you will learn about the intricacies of calories, the importance of your Basal Metabolic Rate, and the most nutritious types of emergency food.
Click to download our free survival guide that will help you calculate the calories you need each day.
Simply put,
calories measure how much energy a food item or drink contains. The number of calories, or energy, you need daily depends on multiple factors.
Besides age, lifestyle, and body type, other factors may affect how many calories you burn daily. For example, some hormones, such as thyroid hormones, impact how you burn calories. In addition, some medicines may affect how your body processes the calories you consume.
Before we get into the minimum amount of calories you need to survive, it’s important first to review how our bodies burn calories in the first place. Knowing this will help strengthen your understanding of caloric intake and how to feed yourself properly during survival situations.
But first, let's learn about the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Our body’s BMR is the minimum number of calories needed to sustain vital functions, such as brain function, breathing, and heart rate.
Every person's BMR is unique to them. Calculating your BMR will help inform the decision regarding the minimum number of calories you need to survive.
Three major physiological processes are responsible for burning the calories we consume.
Every person is different, and every body has different needs. The number of calories a person needs will fluctuate based on age, sex, activity level, and body type. Below you will find some basic recommendations on behalf of the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
|
Children |
Recommended Daily Caloric Intake |
|
2-4 years |
Male: 1,000 -1,600 calories Female: 1,000 - 1,400 calories |
|
5-8 years |
Male: 1,200 - 2,000 calories Female: 1,200 - 1,800 calories |
|
9-13 years |
Male: 1,600 - 2,600 calories Female: 1,400 - 2,200 calories |
|
14-18 years |
Male: 2,000 - 3,200 calories Female: 1,800 - 2,400 calories |
|
Women |
Recommended Daily Caloric Intake |
|
19-30 years |
2,000 - 2,400 calories |
|
31-59 years |
1,800 - 2,200 calories |
|
60+ years |
1,600 - 2,000 calories |
|
Men |
Recommended Daily Caloric Intake |
|
19-30 years |
2,400 - 3,000 calories |
|
31-59 years |
2,200 - 3,000 calories |
|
60+ years |
2,000 - 2,600 calories |
|
Activity Level |
Recommended Caloric Intake
|
|
Sedentary Lifestyle |
Your BMR x 1.2 |
|
Slightly Active Lifestyle |
Your BMR x 1.375 |
|
Moderately Active Lifestyle |
Your BMR x 1.55 |
|
Active Lifestyle |
Your BMR x 1.725 |
|
Very Active Lifestyle |
Your BMR x 1.9 |
When faced with a natural disaster or emergency scenario, the emergency food you have with you will depend on if you have chosen to bug out vs. bug in. If you choose to grab your bug out bag and leave, you will burn more calories. You will probably only have your 72-hour kit until you reach your bug out location where hopefully, you have more food stored.
On the other hand, if you have chosen to bug in, you will be burning fewer calories, and you will be closer to the emergency food you have prepped to survive.
Nevertheless, whether you decide to bug out or bug in, certain foods are better than others for keeping you and your family at least at minimum calories in survival situations.
The best emergency food should satisfy the following criteria:
|
● Beef ● Chicken ● Sausage |
|
|
Grains |
● Whole Oats ● Steel Cut Oats ● Oatmeal ● Rice ● Corn |
|
Freeze Dried Prepared Meals |
● Mac and Cheese ● Risotto ● Chili ● Soup ● Fettuccine Alfredo |
|
Beans and Legumes |
● Black Beans ● Kidney Beans ● Navy Beans ● Peas ● Chickpeas ● Pinto Beans |
|
● Apple Slices ● Bananas ● Blackberries & Blueberries ● Onions ● Carrots ● Celery ● Potato flakes |
|
|
Sweeteners |
● Sugar ● Honey ● Syrup |
|
Other Essentials |
● Salt ● Baking Soda ● Vinegar ● Water ● Multivitamins |
While the number of calories a person requires for survival depends on their sex, age, lifestyle choices, and body type, don’t just take our word and run with it. We recommend you do some personal research and find out what’s best for you and your body specifically. For example, the Body Weight Planner from the National Institute of Health is a fantastic tool for getting started.
And if you are asking yourself, “how much food storage do I need” or when you are ready to talk about freeze-dried food and long-term food storage buckets, do not hesitate to reach out. We have product experts waiting at the ready to help you prepare for the unexpected.