Quarantine Food Calculator

Estimate the total food, number of meals, and drinking water your household needs to stock for a quarantine or self-isolation period.

Quick Facts

Method
People x Days x per-person calories, meals, and water
Defaults use a 2,000 kcal/day diet and 1 gallon of water per person per day (Ready.gov / Red Cross).

Your Results

Calculated
Total calories to stock
-
People x Days x calories/person/day
Total meals to plan
-
People x Days x meals/person/day
Drinking & sanitation water
-
People x Days x gallons/person/day
Person-days of supply
-
People x Days

Ready

Enter your household size and quarantine length, then calculate.

How the Quarantine Food Calculator works

This tool answers a single, concrete question: how much food and water does your household need to stock to get through a quarantine or self-isolation period without leaving the house? It multiplies your household size and the number of days you need to cover against standard per-person daily amounts. There is no guesswork or hidden weighting — the math is plain multiplication you can check by hand.

The formula

  • Total calories = people × days × calories per person per day
  • Total meals = people × days × meals per person per day
  • Total water = people × days × gallons per person per day
  • Person-days of supply = people × days (a handy single number for comparing pantry stock or ration packs)

For example, a family of 4 self-isolating for 14 days at 2,000 calories per person per day needs 4 × 14 × 2,000 = 112,000 calories, 4 × 14 × 3 = 168 meals, and 4 × 14 × 1 = 56 gallons of water (about 212 liters).

Why the default numbers

The 2,000 calories per day default is the U.S. FDA reference value used on Nutrition Facts labels for a general adult diet. Actual needs vary: many adult women need closer to 1,600–2,000 kcal and active adult men 2,400–3,000 kcal, so adjust the calorie field for your household. The 1 gallon (3.79 liters) of water per person per day comes from Ready.gov and the American Red Cross, who recommend that amount for drinking and basic sanitation, with a minimum two-week supply for shelter-in-place situations.

Common reference points

  • 14 days is the classic self-isolation window and the minimum emergency water supply most agencies suggest keeping on hand.
  • One adult, 14 days: about 28,000 calories, 42 meals, and 14 gallons of water.
  • A #10 can of freeze-dried food typically holds roughly 10–25 servings; count servings, not cans, when you compare against the meal total.
  • Shelf-stable calorie density: peanut butter is about 190 kcal per tablespoon, a cup of dry rice about 675 kcal, and a standard can of beans about 350 kcal — useful for translating a calorie target into a shopping list.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much food do I need for a 14-day quarantine?
For one adult at 2,000 calories per day, plan roughly 28,000 calories, 42 meals (at 3 per day), and 14 gallons of water over 14 days. Multiply each figure by the number of people in your household. A family of four therefore needs about 112,000 calories, 168 meals, and 56 gallons of water.
Should I stock extra beyond what the calculator shows?
Yes. The output is a floor, not a ceiling. Add a buffer of a few extra days in case isolation is extended, and account for spoilage, packaging you cannot fully use, and appetites that run higher than the label calorie figure. A common rule is to add 10–20% on top of the calculated amount for non-perishable staples.
Does this count water for cooking and cleaning too?
The 1 gallon per person per day guideline covers drinking plus basic sanitation (hand-washing, brushing teeth, minimal cleaning). It does not include water for showering, laundry, or flushing on well systems. If you rely on stored water for those, raise the per-person water figure accordingly.

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