So, how many days

[tom mac]

Yes, got to watch the calories on some of sold items esp in the emergency section... many are based on a lower calorie per day count and that can lead to issues... some as low as 1200 per day

[David]

I would have to go through my stocks again for an accurate count, but I would estimate a six month plus supply on hand. This is long term stored buckets to what is in the pantry. We also have a garden and fruit trees in the back yard. Supplement with any fish I caught in the area (we have lakes and ponds all over the place within walking distance of the house) not to mention any small game (we are surrounded by woods).

[bdc]

Went a couple of places today. Guy walks in and asks "do you have any lysol". Great! people are keeping cleaner. All I buy are fresh foods.

Take a deep breath. At some time, the fresh meat supply will be affected and most people don't consider that probability. The freezer is full. Remember that aged meats are simply meats kept in a cool refrigeration. So, I have the refrigerator itself stocked a week ahead. They also don't consider that meats that turn color are still very edible. So, I continue to buy sale and discounted "old" meats.

[tom mac]

I'm out today for normal shopping... freezer is full too. Just need tomatoes and greens.
I don't expect it to be crowded as many are hiding and huddling with their TP

[bdc]

7 am. No shopping carts piled up outside the major grocery store. Hundreds of panicked people jousting in the aisles with the stockers. I am there to buy meat on sale and to keep the refrigerator (not the full freezer) stocked. In a week, people will be buying meat to go along with the canned food purchased in the panic.

Plastic water bottles and Excedrin will not ward off an epidemic. An obviously single guy in line in front of me buys $156 in perishable groceries. By the look of the items, it is just for him. He will end up throwing most of it out.

With my classes cancelled, I will be at home the next three weeks. Baking bread to make sandwiches today. I am trying to use up the high quality, King Arthur brand flour before the next sale in 6 months. The sale comes annually after the new crop of wheat is being harvested and the warehouses are being cleared to receive it.

[Bob]

I may need to go out and look around. But I'm going on a bike ride instead. Maybe later...

[Bmyers]

We have more than three weeks, but less than year. We have 300lbs of rice, figuring there is four of us that we will need to feed.

300 lbs roughly is 177,000 calories, /4 for four people, and divided by 2000 cal per day is: 22 Days per person.

Sugar, dried milk, hot sauce, etc would really help that go a distance. And of course, enough water....

We have 50lbs of pinto beans to go with the rice. Sugar, lots of sugar. No hot sauce. I would have to look on the powder milk, but guessing 20 to 30 lbs of milk (would have to count the number of 5lbs boxes).

[bdc]

I have no clear idea as to how much food. I saw this coming in January 2020. If I had to take care of just myself and the significant other, I wouldn't have had to buy any food. When I realized that I would have mooching relatives show up, then I bought more. Like 10 cases of national brand canned stew on SALE, canned veggies on SALE, canned soups on SALE. The 99cent cans of soup jumped to $2.99 in March for example. The 47 cent cans of veggies jumped up to $1.29 a can. You won't find the canned stew on the shelf.

I didn't buy anymore bread flour or rice or beans because I won't use up what I have on hand, it will cover at least a year.

Two supermarket chains went out of business around 2014. I bought a lot of clearance items. So, like in breakfast oatmeal, I haven't had to buy any in the last 6 years! Ditto on a lot of canned items as well.

[David]

I have a bunch of #10 cans of powdered eggs. I'd have to look at the name again but it's a brand that was suppose to be very tasty. For us, rice and lentils would carry us a long way. Lentils are used in a lot of Middle Eastern cooking, rice as well of course. I stocked up on spices quite a while ago so we're good to go on that as well.

[Mac66]

We've had this conversation before but most people can live a considerable time on far fewer than 1,000 calories a day even under considerable physical exertion. Yes they will lose weight (not necessarily a bad thing for most of us). Japanese prisoners in WWII lasted for years on 300 calories a day. Many died but that was more due to preexisting conditions, sickness and infection than starvation.

I would expect that rationing from the beginning of a crisis would be the prudent thing to do until and unless you can grow your own food. You're probably not going to be serving 3 meals a day. That means far less than 2,000 calories/person a day.