Red Cross Declares Only Its Second National Blood Crisis Ever

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Let's consider a calorie counting example if my family only had two adults, and one active teenager. The number: about 6,500 calories per day to maintain energy and function. I then count the calories in my emergency food storage. I had fewer days of supply than I thought. The canned goods and rice that fill the shelves look impressive, but appearances aren't calories.

Here's what I've got this weekend:

How Much Food You Actually Need (The Math)

We've covered food storage extensively (Issues 5, 25, 51, 71, 87, 106). But we've never done the pure math: how many calories per person per day, multiplied by how many people for how many days. This calculation is the foundation that everything else builds on.

The baseline caloric need for adults is roughly 2,000 calories per day for sedentary activity. During a disruption with increased physical demands (carrying water, manual tasks, emotional stress), that rises to 2,200 to 2,500 calories. Active adults and teenagers may need 2,500 to 3,000. Children ages 4 to 12 need 1,200 to 2,000 depending on age and activity.

For a household of two adults and one teenager: roughly 6,500 to 7,000 calories per day. For 14 days: about 91,000 to 98,000 calories. For 30 days: about 195,000 to 210,000 calories.

Now count your stored calories. A pound of dry rice provides about 1,650 calories. A pound of dried beans provides about 1,500 calories. A can of chicken (12.5 oz) provides about 400 calories. A jar of peanut butter (16 oz) provides about 2,700 calories. A pound of pasta provides about 1,680 calories. A can of vegetables (15 oz) provides about 100 to 150 calories.

The common mistake: counting containers, not calories. A shelf full of canned vegetables looks like a lot of food. But vegetables are low-calorie. Twenty cans of green beans provide about 2,000 calories total, less than one day for one person. You need calorie-dense staples (rice, beans, pasta, peanut butter, cooking oil) as your foundation, with vegetables and protein as supplements.

Cooking oil is the calorie secret weapon. One tablespoon provides 120 calories. A gallon of vegetable oil provides about 31,000 calories. A $5 gallon of oil provides more calories than $50 worth of canned vegetables. It's the most calorie-dense, cheapest, lightest food storage option available.

Run the math for your household. Total daily calories needed times the number of days you want to cover. Then count what you have. The gap between those two numbers is your actual food preparedness level, regardless of how many cans are on the shelf.

Calculate your household's total daily calorie need and count the calories in your stored food.

Add up: adults times 2,200, teenagers times 2,500, children times 1,500 (adjust for age). That's your daily target. Then estimate the total calories in your pantry. Divide stored calories by daily need. That's your actual days of food supply.

100+ Million Americans Are Under a Heat Alert Right Now

More than 100 million people across the West, Rockies, Plains, and Upper Midwest are currently under some form of heat alert, with new Extreme Heat Warnings issued this week for Southern California and Wyoming, in effect through August 2. Las Vegas is forecast to hit 112°F, Phoenix 109°F, and heat index values are running 105 to 115 degrees from Texas through the Upper Midwest. Overnight lows are barely dropping into the 80s and low 90s in the hardest-hit cities, denying bodies the recovery window they need.

Heat kills more Americans in an average year than any other weather hazard, and it does it quietly, through dehydration and strain on people without reliable air conditioning. If you're under a warning, check on older neighbors and keep extra water on hand.

Source: National Weather Service, ABC News

Les Stroud has experienced genuine caloric deficit during extended Survivorman episodes. In Survive!, he writes about the cascading effects of insufficient calories: reduced cognitive function (day 2 to 3), decreased physical capability (day 3 to 5), impaired immune function (day 5+), and emotional instability (throughout). His observation: hunger degrades every other survival capability.

Stroud's principle for food storage: calculate generously. Most people underestimate their caloric needs during stress, overestimate the calorie content of their stored food, and discover the gap at the worst possible time. Build your food storage on math, not on visual impression.

Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive. About $16 for the paperback.

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Red Cross Declares Only Its Second National Blood Crisis in History

The American Red Cross announced this week that its supply of type O positive blood, the type most commonly transfused, has fallen below a one-day national inventory. The organization pointed to extreme heat, poor air quality, and a wave of foodborne illness for pulling donors away, on top of the usual summer rise in trauma-related transfusions, and said donations hit a four-year summer low. This is only the second time in Red Cross history it has declared a national blood crisis; the first was in January 2022. The Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood.

A blood shortage doesn't show up on a shelf, but it changes what a hospital can do for you after a car accident, a bad fall, or routine surgery, especially during the exact stretch of summer when trauma calls run highest. Know your blood type, and if you're eligible, an appointment this week could help those in need.

Source: American Red Cross, U.S. News

Calorie Inventory Spreadsheet

I built a spreadsheet listing every stored food item with its calorie count (from labels or USDA database). Columns: item, quantity, calories per unit, total calories. The sum row shows total stored calories. I divide by our daily household need (6,800) to get actual days of supply.

The result was sobering: I had 26 days of calories, not the "about a month" I'd estimated visually. The gap was in calorie-dense foods (oils, peanut butter, rice). I had plenty of canned vegetables and protein but not enough energy-dense staples. Two Costco trips closed the gap to 38 days. Free spreadsheet.

Budget alternative: A notebook calculation. List your top 10 stored food items, look up calories per unit, multiply by quantity, add them up, and divide by daily household need. Thirty minutes of math reveals your true position.

Overrated: Counting cans and containers as a measure of food supply. A shelf of canned corn looks impressive but provides far fewer calories than a single bag of rice behind it. Count calories, not containers.

Underrated: Cooking oil as a storage staple. At 31,000 calories per gallon and $5 per gallon, it's the cheapest, most space-efficient calorie source available. It also makes every other stored food taste better. Store at least 2 gallons.

USDA FoodData Central — Calorie and nutrition data for every food. Search any item.

USDA FoodKeeper App — Shelf life data for stored foods.

The Prepared: Best Survival Foods List — Supermarket prepper pantry guide organized by category.

Grokipedia: Calorie — Background on caloric science and human energy needs.

Extension.org: Nutrition — University resources on dietary needs and food planning.

Preparing your home before a long absence. The steps that protect your property when you're traveling, deployed, or away for extended periods.

PS: After the calorie audit, I bought three gallons of cooking oil, 25 pounds of rice, and 10 pounds of peanut butter. Total cost: about $40. Total calorie addition: roughly 130,000 calories, or about 19 days of supply for my household. The most efficient $40 I've ever spent on preparedness.