3 Bug Out Bag Sample Menus

Check out these 3 sample menus for your Bug Out Bag, using items around the house, MREs, and even one for picky eaters!

In our previous post on Creating Your Bug Out Bag, we briefly addressed food. After running across some 72 Hour Emergency Kit posts with detailed food lists, I realized we needed to get specific. Most of these menus I’ve found total up to less than 1,000 calories per day. While bugging out, the average CHILD needs at least 1,400 calories and 2,000 is the bare minimum for adults. If you are traveling on foot, building a shelter, or stressed out (who isn’t going to be slightly stressed when SHTF), you need to increase this. Bugging out is not the time to worry about making sure you don’t gain any weight, it’s the time to worry about hitting a minimum number of calories and making sure you have enough protein.

We’ve put together 3 different menus as examples for you. The first mainly uses MREs that you can purchase online or in your local camping/sporting store. The second is designed to use things you can grab at any supermarket. The third one was created specifically for children and contains about 1400 calories a day.  If you have a picky eater, you will need to tweak it to fit their tastes while still meeting their increased nutritional needs.

First 72 hour menu:

Day One (2,100 calories):

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with brown sugar (1 serving, Legacy) with freeze dried blueberries
• Morning Snack: Trail mix (1 cup)
• Lunch: Chili (1 serving, Legacy)
• Afternoon Snack: Beef jerky (1 serving)
• Dinner: Enchilada, Beans, & Rice (Legacy)
• Evening Snack: Freeze dried strawberries

Day Two (2,020 calories):

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with brown sugar (1 serving, Legacy) with scrambled egg mix (Provident Pantry)
• Morning Snack: Energy trail mix (1 serving, Planters) with apple dices (Mountain House) and peanut butter powder (Provident Pantry)
• Lunch: Beef Stew (1 serving, Mountain House) & pears (MRE pouch from BePrepared.com)
• Afternoon Snack: Applesauce with raspberry puree (MRE from BePrepared.com) & beef jerky (1 serving)
• Dinner: Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken (Provident Pantry) and Pineapple (Crunchies)
• Evening Snack: Cherry blueberry cobbler (MRE pouch from BePrepared.com) and beef snack stick

Day Three (2,150 calories):

• Breakfast: Oatmeal Maple and Brown Sugar (1 serving) with pork sausage patty
• Morning Snack: Raisin Nut trail mix (1 cup)
• Lunch: Beef & Black beans (1 MRE pouch) with Banana Cream Pie (Backpackers Pantry)
• Afternoon Snack: Applesauce with raspberry puree (MRE from BePrepared.com)
• Dinner: Pesto Salmon with Pasta & Vegetable Medley
• Evening Snack: Cookies & Ice Cream Sandwich Bar (Freeze dried from Polar Bear)

Second 72 hour menu:

Day One (2,100 calories):

• Breakfast: Starbucks Via – Instant Vanilla Latte (1 serving) & Frosted Cherry Poptart (2 pastries)
• Morning Snack: Gatorade – Instant Powder Mix (with water) & Justins – Maple Almond Butter (1 pouch)
• Lunch: Albacore White Tuna In Water Pouch (1 pouch) & Saltines (5 Crackers)
• Afternoon Snack: Planters Energy Trail Mix (3 tbsp)
• Dinner: Lipton Pasta Sides – Alfredo Broccoli (1 cup) with Premium Chunk White Chicken (4 oz.)
• Evening Snack: Snickers Bar (King Size)

Day Two (2,030 calories):

• Breakfast: Starbucks – Mocha Via (1 packet), Instant Oatmeal – Strawberries & Cream Packet (1 packet), and Cliff Bar – Crunchy Peanut Butter (1 bar)
• Morning Snack: Teriyaki Beef Steak Nuggets (3 oz bag)
• Lunch: Jammin Jerk Chicken Soup Cup (1 cup) & Dried Fruit – Mangoes (40 g)
• Afternoon Snack: Cliff Bar – White Chocolate Macadamia Nut (1 bar)
• Dinner: Dinty Moore Whole Can – Beef Stew (15 Oz. Can)
• Evening Snack: Snickers Bar (King Size)

Day Three (2,035 calories):

• Breakfast: Instant Oatmeal – Blueberries & Cream (1 packet) & Starbucks Veranda Blend Blonde via – Instant Coffee (1 packet)
• Morning Snack: Energy Trail Mix (6 tbsp)
• Lunch: Chunk White Chicken (7 oz), Cheddar Broccoli Rice (1 container), Frost Glacier Freeze Gatorade Powder (1 packet)
• Afternoon Snack: Banana Chips (1/2 cup)
• Dinner: Campbells Chunky Soup – Grilled Sirloin Steak Made With Lean Meat & Hearty Vegetables (1 can), Saltines (5 Crackers)
• Evening Snack: Honey Roasted Peanuts (1 oz), Hot Chocolate (1 packet)

Third 72 hour menu:

Day One (1,400 calories):

• Breakfast: Instant Oatmeal – Blueberries & Cream (1 packet), Hot chocolate (1 packet)
• Morning Snack: Nature Valley Fruit and Nut bar
• Lunch: Easy Mac and Cheese Cup & Beef Jerky – Teriyaki (1 oz)
• Afternoon Snack: Tropical Fruit Cup (4 oz) & Peak Protein Natural Granola (1/4 cup)
• Dinner: Chef Boyardee – Mini Ravioli, (1 container) & Peppermint Hard Candy (1 piece)
• Evening Snack: Freeze Dried Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwich (1 bar)

Day Two (1,405 calories):

• Breakfast: Apple Cider (1 packet), Oatmeal Quick Oats (1/2 Dry Cup), Pb2 – Chocolate (12 grams)
• Morning Snack: Nature Valley Fruit and Nut bar
• Lunch: Tuna Salad Kit With Crackers (1 box) & Chocolate Pudding Cup
• Afternoon Snack: Cliff Kids Z Bar Organic Iced Oatmeal (1 bar)
• Dinner: Chef Boyarde – Spagetti & Meatballs (7 oz) & Dried Apples (1/2 cup)
• Evening Snack: Freeze Dried Neopolitan Ice Cream (1 package)

Day Three (1,416 calories):

• Breakfast: Propel powder, Lemonade Flavored (1 packet) & Nature Valley Fruit and Nut bar
• Morning Snack: Cliff Kids Z Bar Organic Iced Oatmeal (1 bar)
• Lunch: Hormel Pasta Cups Spaghetti With Meat Sauce (1 Cup) & Peppermint Hard Candy (1 piece)
• Afternoon Snack: Annies Fruit Leather  (15 g) & Dried Cranberries (40 g)
• Dinner: Chef Boyarde Beefaroni (1 can) & Hot chocolate (1 packet)
• Evening Snack: Salted Nut Roll (1.8 oz)

We’ve compiled a list of our favorite sources for MREs and other long-term foods mentioned on here so you can compare and find the best deals to build your bug out bag food supply as well as your long-term food storage. Many offer free samples or sampler packs so you can try them out before investing money in something your family may end up not liking.