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Plan food you can use without power

Start with familiar shelf-stable foods, check individual needs and make the menu work without refrigeration or cooking.

US household planning · source material reviewed September 20, 2026

Plan meals, not just packages

Choose familiar foods that can be eaten without heating. Check labels for allergies, servings, storage after opening and any preparation requirements. Include food each person can actually eat; a pile of cans is not a complete meal plan.

For two people eating breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days: 2 people × 3 meals × 3 days = 18 person-meal slots. This counts planning slots, not calories or adequate nutrition. Write the actual foods and portions, then account for snacks and individual needs.

Make the plan usable

• Include a manual can opener when your food requires one.
• Choose package sizes you can finish safely when refrigeration is unavailable.
• Plan utensils and cleanup alongside the food.
• Use manufacturer and clinician instructions for infant feeding. Ask a clinician or dietitian about special dietary needs.

Know the limits of cold storage

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed during an outage. FDA estimates about four hours of cooling in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer or 24 hours in a half-full freezer, with doors closed. Use appliance thermometers; refrigerators should be at 40°F or below and freezers at 0°F or below.

Those estimates are not permission to eat food with an uncertain temperature history. Do not judge safety by smell or appearance. Use the linked FDA guidance for discard decisions.