Calculate your complete 1-year food storage supply based on Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints guidelines — with cost estimates and quantity totals for your whole family.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long counseled members to maintain a year's supply of food and essential goods. This calculator uses the church's recommended minimum quantities per adult per year, with children under 12 receiving 60% of adult portions. Enter your household composition below to see a complete shopping target with cost estimates at today's typical bulk prices.
* Based on minimum LDS church recommendations. Actual needs vary by diet and individual. Children under 12 calculated at 60% of adult quantities.
| Category | Per Adult/Yr | Total Qty | Est. Cost |
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has encouraged its members to maintain a long-term food supply since the early days of the church. This practice, rooted in both scriptural counsel and practical wisdom, has gained widespread respect even beyond church membership as a sound emergency preparedness strategy.
The long-term supply focuses on shelf-stable staples that can sustain life over an extended period. These are basic calorie-dense foods — not necessarily the most exciting diet, but a nutritional foundation that can keep a family fed through economic hardship, natural disaster, job loss, or other emergencies.
The church also recommends building a 3-month supply of foods your family currently eats alongside the long-term staples. Together, these two layers create a robust preparedness system. Prioritize the 3-month supply first since it's more immediately practical and uses foods your family already knows how to cook.
Storage conditions matter enormously. Aim for cool (55–70°F), dark, dry storage. Oxygen absorbers and mylar bags inside food-grade buckets are the gold standard for long-term grain and legume storage. Label everything with purchase dates and rotate on a first-in, first-out basis.
Storage life varies dramatically by food type and storage conditions. Hard wheat, white rice, sugar, salt, and honey can last 25–30+ years when sealed with oxygen absorbers in a cool, dark environment. Rolled oats last 8 years sealed. Dried beans last 25+ years though they may require longer cooking. Powdered milk lasts 2–10 years. Cooking oil has the shortest life at 2–4 years and should be rotated most frequently. The single biggest factor is temperature — every 10°F drop roughly doubles shelf life.
Yes. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to counsel members to build a home storage supply. The current official guidance recommends both a 3-month supply of foods your family regularly eats and a longer-term supply of staple foods. The specific quantities and categories have been refined over the years but the core counsel remains the same: be self-reliant and prepared for disruptions to your normal food supply.
Hard winter or hard spring wheat stored in food-grade 5-gallon buckets with mylar bag liners and 2,000 cc oxygen absorbers can remain viable for 25–30 years. The wheat should be dry (less than 10% moisture) before sealing. Seal the mylar bag with a clothes iron or heat sealer, then snap on the bucket lid. Store in a location that stays consistently below 70°F. Avoid temperature swings, which cause condensation inside containers.
Absolutely. The LDS food storage program is one of the most well-developed and practical long-term preparedness systems available, and it has been widely adopted by preppers, homesteaders, and emergency preparedness advocates of all backgrounds. The church's Home Storage Centers (formerly bishop's storehouses) are open to the public in many locations and offer bulk staples at very reasonable prices without any religious requirement.
For two adults, a 1-year supply of staple foods takes roughly 20–30 cubic feet of storage space — about the footprint of a large closet or small pantry. Grains and legumes packed in 5-gallon buckets (about 0.67 cubic feet each) are the most space-efficient format. Two adults would need approximately 15–20 buckets for grains and legumes alone, plus shelving for canned goods, oil, and smaller items. Under-bed storage containers, dedicated pantry shelves, and basement shelving are all common solutions.