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What 'meals' are you putting in your 3-day emergency kit?

157 replies

CheeryOnion · 27/10/2026 09:20

Please be gentle, my mental health is delicate and I'm trying not to panic about preparing a suitable emergency kit for my family of 4.

I just wondered what meals you are putting in your kits please? It's me, my partner and our 2 DC (8).

I'd like to write a 3 day 'meal plan' which I can laminate and pop in my box so I'm fully prepared (for MH reasons I think this will make me feel a lot calmer)

Breakfast lunch and dinner with snacks.

Drinks
Water
Hot chocolate (we're not tea/coffee drinkers)
Long life milk.
Squash

Breakfast
Weetabix
Porridge oats
Tinned fruit
Long life milk

Lunch
Dry spaghetti & Tinned Bolognese
Baked beans & ?
?

Dinner
Rice & Tinned curry
?
?

I'm so sorry if this is a silly question I'd just really appreciate some help so I can do a shop, prepare it and 'forget' about it! I'm finding it very stressful.

Thank you :)

OP posts:
EvieBB · Yesterday 10:13

CheeryOnion · 27/10/2026 09:20

Please be gentle, my mental health is delicate and I'm trying not to panic about preparing a suitable emergency kit for my family of 4.

I just wondered what meals you are putting in your kits please? It's me, my partner and our 2 DC (8).

I'd like to write a 3 day 'meal plan' which I can laminate and pop in my box so I'm fully prepared (for MH reasons I think this will make me feel a lot calmer)

Breakfast lunch and dinner with snacks.

Drinks
Water
Hot chocolate (we're not tea/coffee drinkers)
Long life milk.
Squash

Breakfast
Weetabix
Porridge oats
Tinned fruit
Long life milk

Lunch
Dry spaghetti & Tinned Bolognese
Baked beans & ?
?

Dinner
Rice & Tinned curry
?
?

I'm so sorry if this is a silly question I'd just really appreciate some help so I can do a shop, prepare it and 'forget' about it! I'm finding it very stressful.

Thank you :)

No need to apologise at all and it's a great question (and will help me too!) so thank you for asking 😘
It's a sad state of affairs in MN when we have to ask people to be gentle/kind isn't it? 😞

Cantgetausername87 · Yesterday 10:22

BoogieWonder · 28/10/2026 21:02

We have regular power cuts here and it's never meant no water?

Well you're lucky then! I think it depends on local infrastructure/ supplier. My water always goes because they don't have back up generators for pumps. I had a boiler water notice last year - but then I'm supplied by SE water. I did look it up and it does depend on region but also length of power cut too. But something to definitely be aware of and take into account with any planning. It even stages on the .gov website that water isn't guaranteed in a power cut x

EvieBB · Yesterday 10:34

user293948849167 · 27/10/2026 10:12

How are you going to cook the spaghetti? You might not want to waste water on that. I’d get some pre cooked rice sachets instead (can be heated or eaten cold).
Tinned potatoes and carrots also a good option, mix up with the beans or bolognese to make a stew. Hot dog sausages if you will eat them (my DC wouldn’t even in an emergency!)

I would also get some juice cartons in case you need something ready to drink.

Some porridge oat or granola bars for breakfast and snacks.

Tinned soups, preferably ones with pasta in.

Dried fruit, chocolate, sweets, biscuits. High calorie snacks that keep well.

If you can heat your rice, then you can boil your spaghetti also no? I've got my camping stove at the ready....

Lucytheloose · Yesterday 11:08

Pushmepullu · 28/10/2026 22:49

Yes, but it’s disgusting. Who eats peanut butter and coleslaw sandwiches!🤑

That menu appears to have been compiled on the principle ' think of all the nastiest foods and put them together '. Who actually eats haslet?

bellinisurge · Yesterday 18:16

morbiddest · Yesterday 06:00

Not in the UK so not prepping anything, but confused why people are only preparing stuff that doesn't need to be heated? Can't you just grab a camping stove? If an emergency is serious enough to be stockpiled for then it's probably serious enough to grab a camping stove for? Then you can just eat anything - grab some pasta sachets/pasta/rice/tins of veg and meat. Plenty of water. Gives you so many extra possibilities, as well as extra security if it does go on longer.

You are presumably in the world though. Most European countries recommend this as a matter of course. Every September in the US is prepping month - pre Trump so don’t start.
You will be affected by El Niño weather events.
Unless you are on the International Space Station, in which case,👋

EvieBB · Yesterday 23:06

bellinisurge · Yesterday 18:16

You are presumably in the world though. Most European countries recommend this as a matter of course. Every September in the US is prepping month - pre Trump so don’t start.
You will be affected by El Niño weather events.
Unless you are on the International Space Station, in which case,👋

you are presumably in the world though
🤣🤣🤣 Love that

Crikeyalmighty · Yesterday 23:34

I’ve bought extra water, extra trays of the John west fish lunch things and tins of tuna, sardines, corned beef

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