When you are in a survival situation, finding sources of food will be one of your first priorities. Often, this means lowering your standards, as the tastiness of the food becomes a much lower priority as opposed to using what you can find to nourish yourself.
If you prepare properly, then you can have the best of both worlds by having food that will keep you alive, keep fresh for a long time and be pretty good to eat as well! There are many products to choose from that aim to do this, and it can get overwhelming when it comes to making the right choice.
We’re here to show you 10 of the best emergency food buckets you can choose from to make sure you have delicious, nourishing food on hand in case of any emergency that may come your way.
Contents
- Key Takeaways
- How An Emergency Food Bucket Can Save You And Your Family
- What Are The Best Emergency Food Supply Options?
- Are Emergency Food Buckets Worth It?
- Factors To Consider When Looking For An Emergency Food Bucket
- 10 Best Emergency Food Buckets
- Final Thoughts: Which Emergency Food Bucket Is Right For You?
Key Takeaways
- Emergency food buckets can be lifesaving, as they ensure you have healthy food stores available in case of an emergency that makes food scarce.
- There are many kinds of emergency food, and the best ones have a combination of longevity and healthiness to keep you strong and healthy in an emergency.
- Emergency food buckets are a very handy resource to have in storage. You never know when a natural disaster or other emergencies may hit, making acquiring healthy food challenging.
- There are some important factors to consider when choosing your food supplies. These include how long the food will remain fresh, how many people it will feed, and the meals it caters to.
- With so many emergency food collections to choose from, we have narrowed it down to 10 of the best. We will cover these in greater detail to help you choose the right one for you.
How An Emergency Food Bucket Can Save You And Your Family
It can be easy to feel comfortable in our everyday lives. Many people are lucky enough to have enough food and water each day, and it can be something that is taken for granted. You certainly won’t take it for granted if you lose access to this supply of food, however.
Emergencies like natural disasters can impact transportation and acquisition of food, meaning you can be stranded with nothing for you or your family to eat. Emergency food buckets provide a convenient, well-organized selection of food and supplies that are designed to last a long time.
As we have seen before, preparing you and your family by having a family disaster plan is really important, and survival food fits well into this plan.
You can store these supplies easily and have them ready to go if disaster strikes. It’s the kind of purchase you hope to never need, but if you do find yourself in that situation then you can rest assured that you and your family will have enough to keep you going.
Having survival food on hand is a good start, but if you wish to be even more prepared then you can check out this overview on some other products and plans you can have in place to be prepared.
What Are The Best Emergency Food Supply Options?
There are many different kinds of emergency food products that you can choose from, and each one brings something unique to the table, often literally. As we go through this overview, we will not only look at specific products but also some aspects you should keep in mind as you choose your survival food products.
Many of the options in this article come in convenient buckets or other storable containers, and they all have food that is designed to last a long time. When it comes to being more specific than that, it comes down to your personal taste preferences and what you intend to use them for.
For even more emergency food options, you’ll definitely want to take a look at our previous list of some of the best tasting survival food.
Are Emergency Food Buckets Worth It?
An emergency food bucket may seem like a strange idea to someone, especially if they’ve never been in a situation where a disaster or other occurrence has made acquiring food tricky. There are so many situations that can come out of nowhere, and these can include natural disasters, large civil unrest, or supply problems stemming from pandemics such as COVID-19.
If you find yourself in a situation where acquiring food is tricky, you will be very glad you thought ahead and prepared for such a scenario. Hopefully, you will never need your emergency food supplies, but these days the likelihood of needing these supplies grows larger by the day.
Having an emergency food bucket on hand is a great idea that is highly recommended in these volatile times.
If you’re looking for other emergency supplies, you can check out this list of the best survival resources.
Factors To Consider When Looking For An Emergency Food Bucket
When choosing your emergency food bucket, there are a few key things you should keep in mind to help you choose. We will list some aspects you should keep in mind as you weigh up your options.
How Many People Does It Serve?
This is very important to consider as if you have more than one person to potentially feed then you need to make sure that everyone will have enough. Most buckets will list the serving portions, so definitely make sure that it matches the number of people in your household.
How Long Will The Food Last?
This is another vital aspect to consider. You may not need your survival food bucket for many years and may not ever need it at all if you’re lucky. That’s why you ideally should have food that will stay edible for as long as possible without needing to be replaced.
What Meals Does It Cover?
Some emergency food buckets will cater to different meal types. Many will include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while others will specialize in one or two of those. The ideal situation is to have all meals covered, as this will mean you not only have enough food but that it will more closely match what you’d be eating in your everyday life.
What Is The Macronutrient Profile?
Having food that tastes good is great, but the main purpose of survival food is to keep you healthy and strong. Therefore, you should also ensure that your survival food has all of the requisite protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients you need every day.
10 Best Emergency Food Buckets
Now, we will take a closer look at 10 of our top picks for the best emergency food buckets on the market so that you can see what each one has to offer.
1) Legacy Food Storage Main Dish — Best Overall Emergency Food Bucket
Our first pick for this list is the Legacy Food Storage Main Dish bucket. This is our overall best pick for a survival food bucket, and it would have you and your family covered for a long time indeed.
120 SERVING ENTREE BUCKET - 29 LBS
What’s Inside?
The Legacy food storage bucket contains 12 different entree options for you to choose from. Each option has been 8 and 12 servings, making for a total of 120 servings. This would ensure that even a larger family would have more than enough for a prolonged period.
There are some really tasty-sounding options here, with options like pasta alfredo and cheese and broccoli bake among others. All you need is boiled water to cook your food and you’re good to go!
This bucket ensures that you have long-lasting food options that are not only nutritious but also really tasty.
Pros And Cons
The main benefit of this bucket is that it has a large selection of food types and portions to last a long time, even in a prolonged emergency situation. The easy preparation and convenient storage of the bucket are also huge plusses. Overall, this is an excellent supply of survival food that will sustain you and your family for a long time.
In terms of downsides, there are no breakfast or lunch options included in this set, and the bucket does come at a premium price of $399, although we do feel the price is fair considering everything that’s included.
There are also a few allergens to be aware of in the food.
2) Readywise — Best Meat-Based Emergency Bucket
Our next option is the Readywise Meat Emergency bucket. Vegetarians may want to look away for this one, as this bucket is focused on the meat lovers among you. Let’s have a look and see what’s on offer with this meaty option.
Meat 60 Serving Emergency Food Bucket
ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply, Freeze Dried Meat Variety, 15-Year Shelf Life, 60 Servings
$191.08
What’s Inside?
The Readywise meat bucket contains 60 servings, comprised of 6 varieties of freeze-dried meat. These include a few tasty options like stroganoff beef, teriyaki chicken, and many more. Additionally, you also get 20 servings of long-lasting instant rice to have with your meat options.
This is all contained in a bucket that can keep the food safe for up to 15 years.
Pros And Cons
This bucket is perfect for people who love a meaty diet filled with protein. The food is contained in a convenient bucket, and there is enough variety in the meat to satisfy any taste. You also merely need to add hot water to prepare your food, making it even more convenient.
The potential 15-year shelf life is a big bonus as well.
In terms of downsides, the bucket is naturally not ideal for people who don’t eat meat. Even people who do eat meat may want to have other food options to have with it, as you may get tired of such a high-meat diet after a while.
3) 4Patriots Plant-Based Bucket — Best Vegetarian Emergency Food Bucket
The previous bucket option left out any vegetarians or people who just don’t like meat that much, so we wanted to balance things out a bit with the 4Patriots Plant-Based Bucket. This is our top pick for a vegetable-based bucket, and it would be perfect for vegetarians or even a companion piece to the previous item.
Plant-Based Protein Survival Food Kit
What’s Inside?
The plant-based protein survival bucket from 4Patriots contains 64 servings of various plant-based foods. Most of the recipes aim to replicate meat dishes, with options such as beef, burger, chicken, and taco mixes all made entirely from plants.
You even have a chocolate shake mix for a dessert option!
Pros And Cons
This is an excellent option for people who can’t or don’t eat meat due to health or moral concerns. You will still have the appearance of your favorite meats with none of the meat contents. The food can be stored for up to 25 years under the right conditions, and it comes in a convenient tote container.
The replication of meat products in a plant-based format will be a plus for some, but this may be a downside for people who don’t like the taste of meat, as each food item apart from the chocolate shake replicates some kind of meat flavor.
4) Augason Farms Variety Pail — Best Lunch and Dinner Food Bucket
Our next option, the Augason Farms Variety Pail is a great option that has you covered for both lunch and dinner options. If you value a good sense of variety, then this is an option to consider.
Augason Farms Lunch and Dinner Variety Pail Emergency Food Supply 4-Gallon Pail
$75.07
What’s Inside?
The Augason Farms variety pail has 92 servings comprised of 11 different lunch and entree options. These include soup options such as corn chowder and creamy potato soup to heartier options like macaroni and cheese or creamy stroganoff.
There are some great options to suit many different palettes, and once again you merely need hot water to prepare each option.
Pros And Cons
We would say that the biggest plus for this bucket is the variety you have to choose from. It’s all contained in a durable bucket, and the shelf life for the food ranges from 10-30 years depending on how you store the food.
There aren’t too many downsides to this product, but it would have been nice to see some breakfast options included.
5) Legacy Food Storage Gluten Free — Best Gluten Free Emergency Bucket
Next up, we wanted to include an option for people who may have gluten allergies and intolerances. For this option, we chose the Legacy Food Storage Gluten-Free bucket. This bucket has an impressive range of gluten-free meals to choose from, so let’s see what you get in this one.
120 Serving Gluten Free Entree Bucket - 27 lbs
Gluten Free 25 Year Shelf Life Food Storage Supply - 120 Large Servings - 27 Lbs - Wise Emergency Survival Preparedness - Freeze Dried Meals
What’s Inside?
This bucket contains 120 servings comprised of 6 different options at 20 servings each. These include options such as cheese and broccoli bake and classic chili mix. Not only is this ideal for people with gluten intolerances, but it is also vegetarian-friendly.
Pros And Cons
This is an excellent option not only for people who don’t eat gluten but also for vegetarians. There are some tasty dishes all requiring only hot water, and the whole collection is stored in a convenient bucket.
The selection may not be ideal for people who enjoy eating meat, however, so this may be best paired with the meatier option from previously on the list.
6) Ready Hour Emergency Meal — Best Lunch and Dinner Emergency Bucket
The Ready Hour Emergency Meal bucket is our next item to look at, and it once again provides some great options that cover lunch and dinner.
What’s Inside?
This bucket contains 120 servings that are made up of 10 different lunch and dinner entrees. These include standards like spaghetti and more complex dishes like mushroom rice pilaf and creamy alfredo pasta.
They all come in a convenient bucket that will keep your food supplies safe and fresh for a long time.
Pros And Cons
The amount of variety in this bucket is certainly admirable, as you have 10 great dishes to choose from. It also has the standard features we’ve come to expect like a convenient bucket and long shelf life.
This is another bucket that would not be suitable for people with gluten or dairy intolerances, and it would once again have been appreciated if there were some breakfast options included.
7) Mountain House Expedition — Best Survival Food Bucket
The next survival food bucket we have for you is the Mountain House Expedition bucket. This impressive collection covers the three main meals for 5 days, giving some excellent variety both in taste and nutrients.
Mountain House Expedition Bucket | Freeze Dried Backpacking & Camping Food | 30 Servings
What’s Inside?
The expedition bucket has 15 pouches within that makeup 30 total servings. These will ensure that you have 5 days worth of three meals per day, and these can feed a couple of people. You could ration these out a bit more carefully in an emergency, but it would not be best suited for longer periods.
Some meals include breakfast skillet, beef stroganoff, and classic spaghetti.
Pros And Cons
This is the first bucket on this list that has breakfast options, which is always great to see. You also have an impressive 30-year shelf life, so you can buy the bucket and not worry about the food going bad anytime soon.
The food can also be prepared directly in the pouches, meaning that crockery and other tools are optional.
It is a bit more limited when it comes to servings, however, so it may not be ideal for larger families or for long periods.
8) Ready Hour Powdered Milk — Best Emergency Whey Bucket
The next item we have to look at is a bit more specialized. It is the Ready Hour Powered Milk bucket, and it serves as a great dairy supply that will stay fresh for many years.
What’s Inside?
The contents of this bucket are pretty simple. You have nine resealable pouches containing 144 total servings. These merely need to be mixed with water to create usable milk for a source of protein.
The resealable pouches mean you can use what you need and seal them up again for future uses. The milk pouches will be good for up to 25 years, giving them some good longevity.
Pros And Cons
This is a simple, specialized bucket that gives you a supply of milk for whatever you may need it for. The long shelf-life, resealable packages, and easy preparation make this a great companion to other food buckets.
However, that could be seen as a downside, as this bucket is best suited as a companion piece. It is pretty limited on its own, but could still be useful even if you don’t have any other survival food.
9) Peak Refuel Bucket — Best Basecamp Survival Food Bucket
The next product we have is the Peak Refuel Bucket. This one would be great for a survival food option, but it would also be perfect to take on a camping trip.
Peak Refuel Basecamp Bucket | Premium Freeze Dried Variety Meal Pack | Backpacking and Camping Food | 100% Real Meat | High Protein and Calories | MRE | 24 Servings (Single Bucket) (Basecamp (3.0))
What’s Inside?
This bucket contains 24 servings in 12 total pouches. These include 6 different meals, two of which are breakfast and the other four comprised of entrees.
The food options include breakfast skillet and granola for breakfast and meals like beef pasta marinara and chicken alfredo for the entrees.
Pros And Cons
This selection of meals includes some of the tastiest-sounding options so far, and there is some good variety. The food options, packaging, and easy preparation of the pouches mean that it would be a great option for camping or for general survival use.
It does have more limited servings compared to some other options, however, so it would also not be ideal for larger families, longer trips, or long-lasting survival situations.
10) Legacy Food Storage Breakfast Bucket — Best Breakfast Bucket
The final product we have to show you is the Legacy Food Storage Breakfast Bucket. Many of the buckets on this list didn’t contain breakfast options, so this bucket would go well with the previous buckets we have looked at.
120 Serving Breakfast Bucket - 36 lbs
What’s Inside?
As the name suggests, this bucket is comprised of various breakfast options. You have 120 total servings of 4 different breakfast foods. These include 32 servings of 9-grain cereal, 32 servings of maple oatmeal, 28 servings of creamy strawberry wheat, and 28 servings of pancake mix.
These would make a great addition to some of the more meal-centric buckets we have looked at before.
Pros And Cons
The breakfast options in this bucket create a great variety that will help you get your day started on the right foot even in an emergency. There is an impressive shelf life of up to 25 years, and the options should suit any breakfast connoisseur’s tastes.
The bucket is a bit limited on its own, as it only caters to breakfast. Some of the meals such as the pancakes may also require a bit more effort to prepare than many of the other items on this list.
Final Thoughts: Which Emergency Food Bucket Is Right For You?
When creating this list, we wanted to showcase a wide range of options that would suit many tastes and food requirements. Now, you may be wondering which one is the best one to get. The answer to that question will depend on you!
Different people have different needs and preferences, and no one will know these better than you. If you can, we would recommend getting multiple buckets that complement each other, but if you can only get one then you should closely look at all the meals and statistics and try to anticipate which ones would serve you best in an emergency.
