Children require different calorie intakes than adults. When purchasing food storage intended for children, it is very important to consider these numbers. But, even more important than calories, is the necessity to store items that your children will actually eat!  It doesn’t do any good to store foods based completely on numbers if they are items that are not appetizing to them or you.

Children tend to be quite picky eaters whether it is a regular day or in a disaster.  I took a food storage class a few years ago and the instructor said that it was recorded that children who had been in emergencies would rather starve than eat foods that were unpleasant to them. Food was available, yet they refused to eat.

Your best efforts would be placed in purchasing foods that are:

• desirable to your children (foods that your children like to eat on a regular basis – not just foods that have a long term shelf life)
• easy to prepare
• shelf stable
• offer a variety of vitamins and minerals

Click on the chart below to print this information out for your preparedness binder.