If you are just beginning your food storage, it is my recommendation to have an initial goal of storing the minimum USDA daily recommendation. This amount would be sufficient to sustain life and provide a good source of nutrition.
Here is a simplified chart for determining your family's meat and beans storage based on the USDA minimum daily recommendation:
| Family Member | Daily Recommendation | 1 Year Food Supply |
|---|---|---|
| Child age 1-3 | 2 ounce equivalents | 730 ounce equivalents |
| Child age 4-8 | 3 ounce equivalents | 1095 ounce equivalents |
| Female age 9+ | 5 ounce equivalents | 1825 ounce equivalents |
| Male age 9+ | 6 ounce equivalents | 2190 ounce equivalents |
According to the gender and age of your family members add your family's total minimum one year supply of meat and beans in ounce equivalents.
What is an ounce equivalent? In general, an ounce equivalent is equal to 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, 1/4 cup dry beans, 1/2 cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds. Please note that an ounce equivalent is not always equal to the serving size on a food package label. We often eat 2-4 ounce equivalents in one serving.
Why is the meat and beans year supply not converted to pounds? The meat and beans group cannot be converted to pounds because one serving does not always equal one ounce for all foods. For example, 16 oz. (1 lb.) of dry beans generally contains 12 servings, a serving of nuts is 1/2 ounce and one egg weighs more than one ounce. Therefore, the year supply is calculated in ounce equivalents to ensure accuracy. Don't let the large numbers intimidate you!