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How many calories fit in a food bucket
Pick a staple and a container and see the calories, protein, and weight inside, plus how many containers cover a household for the days you choose.
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What the weights assume
Each food has a typical bulk density: how many grams fit in a litre when the container is full of that dry food. White rice is about 850 grams per litre. Rolled oats are closer to 410 because they are fluffy. Oil is about 910.
A 5-gallon bucket is treated as 17 litres of food, a bit under the full 18.9 litres, so there is room for a liner. A one-gallon mylar bag is 3.8 litres. A #10 can is about 3.1 litres. Calories are for the food as stored, before cooking. Cooked rice is mostly water and is not what you put in the bucket.
How to size a stash
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Step 1
Pick the food and the container
The first numbers are what is already in the containers you typed.
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Step 2
Set people, days, and calories
The default is two people, 30 days, 2,200 kcal each. Change it to match the family calculator.
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Step 3
Read both answers
One line is how long the containers you have will last. The other is how many containers the goal needs.
Bucket questions
Why does my bucket weigh less?
Headspace, a mylar liner, and food that has not been settled will all come in under a theoretical full container.
Do brown rice and white rice store the same?
They are close in calories. Brown rice still contains the germ oil, so it goes rancid much sooner. Check the shelf-life tool before you buy a lot of it.
Is a bucket of rice a complete diet?
No. The calorie count is real and the protein is modest. Pair grains with beans or lentils, and keep some oil and salt.
Related
A full bucket is only useful if you know which one is oldest.