Trying to figure out how much food to store and in what combinations to ensure a balanced food reserve can be a daunting task. The two food storage calculators below take some of the guesswork out of food security organizing. They are both based on the Mormon food storage system.

Simply enter in the number of members in your household, their ages, and how many months food storage you’d like to set aside. Be sure to include others who might join your household during an emergency in your calculations. The calculator will break down your collective nutritional needs by food groups, and then subdivide your nutritional requirements into specific foods.

These calculators do not include vegetables and fruits…or (gasp!) chocolate. Beverages (as Irma, the Green Goddess acolyte, was quick to note) like tea and coffee also aren’t figured in. Another limitation of the calculators is the lack of whole grains and conventional food focus, but it’s easy to substitute short grain brown rice for their recommendation for white rice, etc. So you’ll need to supplement and customize the reserves listed, but the calculators will give you a headstart.

Provident Living Interactive Food Storage Calculator

The presentation of the Provident Living calculator is uncluttered and simple. It also gives you the option of having a printable one page report that summarizes your personal requirements.

About.com Food Storage Calculator

The About.com calculator is condensed on one web page and includes some calculations for cleaning/disinfectant supplies.