An emergency preparedness expert has revealed five foods he believes households should consider keeping in reserve as concerns about potential national emergencies continue to attract attention.

The recommendations come amid renewed discussion about how families could cope if supermarkets, electricity supplies or other essential services were disrupted.

Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has recently urged Americans to take emergency planning seriously, encouraging families to think about what they would need if everyday services suddenly became unavailable.

Meanwhile, governments in several countries have published advice encouraging households to maintain basic emergency supplies.

Now, survival enthusiast and YouTuber Andrew Thomas Price has shared five food categories he considers particularly useful during a prolonged disruption.

And one of his recommendations might surprise people who have never considered preparing an emergency food supply.

What are the five foods experts recommend stockpiling?

Andrew Thomas Price recommends white rice, beans and legumes, canned fruit and vegetables, canned meat and fish, and honey.

His recommendations focus on foods that can be stored for extended periods, provide useful nutrients and offer flexibility when preparing meals.

Rather than focusing on expensive survival products, the list includes everyday supermarket items that many households may already have in their cupboards.

Here is why he recommends each one.

1. White rice

White rice is Price's first recommendation because it is relatively inexpensive, versatile and capable of lasting a long time when stored correctly.

It provides carbohydrates, which the body uses as an important source of energy.

Rice can also be combined with other ingredients to create filling meals, making it a practical option for households planning an emergency food supply.

Dry white rice generally stores better than brown rice over extended periods because it contains less oil.

However, rice requires safe water and a means of cooking, both of which should be considered when preparing for emergencies.

2. Beans and legumes

The second recommendation is beans and legumes, which provide protein, fibre and other important nutrients.

They can be combined with rice to create more substantial meals and help introduce variety into a limited emergency diet.

Price also highlights their versatility, as they can be used in soups, stews and numerous other dishes.

Dried beans can last for extended periods when stored properly, although they generally require soaking and cooking.

Canned beans offer an alternative that may be more practical when cooking facilities or water supplies are limited.

3. Canned fruit and vegetables

Price's third recommendation is canned fruit and vegetables.

Fresh produce can spoil quickly, particularly if refrigeration becomes unavailable during a power outage.

Canned alternatives can remain usable for much longer when their packaging is intact and they are stored according to the manufacturer's instructions.

They also provide vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may be difficult to obtain from a limited emergency diet.

Many canned fruits and vegetables can be eaten without cooking, making them especially useful when normal kitchen facilities are unavailable.

Households should check expiry or best-before dates and avoid consuming food from damaged, leaking or bulging cans.

4. Canned meat and fish

The fourth category includes canned meat and fish.

These products can provide protein and fats, helping people maintain a more balanced diet during periods when fresh food is difficult to obtain.

Examples include canned tuna, salmon, chicken and other shelf-stable meat products.

Many can be eaten without additional cooking, although storage and preparation instructions should always be followed.

Price recommends them partly because they can help make emergency meals more substantial and provide nutrients that carbohydrate-heavy foods alone may not supply.

Households should also consider dietary restrictions, allergies and individual nutritional needs when choosing products.

5. Honey

The fifth recommendation is honey, which Price highlights for its long shelf life and versatility.

Honey contains natural sugars that can provide a quick source of energy.

When stored properly in a sealed container, it can remain usable for extended periods, although its texture and appearance may change through crystallisation.

Price also points to its potential uses beyond food.

However, ordinary supermarket honey should not be treated as a substitute for sterile medical-grade honey or appropriate wound treatment.

Honey should also never be given to infants under 12 months because of the risk of infant botulism.

What did former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino warn Americans about?

The food recommendations come amid wider discussion about emergency preparedness following remarks attributed to former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

Speaking on The Dan Bongino Show, Bongino encouraged Americans to think about how they would cope if essential services were interrupted.

His recommendations included maintaining emergency food supplies, equipment for receiving information during a crisis and ways of accessing safe drinking water.

He urged households to make preparations before an emergency rather than assuming supplies would always be available when needed.

Bongino also suggested that families should not automatically expect neighbours to have spare provisions during a widespread disruption.

However, his comments did not establish that a specific attack, disaster or nationwide emergency was imminent.

How much food should households keep for an emergency?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as FEMA, recommends preparing a basic disaster supply kit that can support household members for at least several days.

Ready.gov advises keeping at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food, with additional supplies useful for situations requiring longer periods at home.

It also recommends approximately one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation.

Water is especially important because some long-lasting foods, including dried rice and beans, require it for preparation.

Households should consider foods that can be eaten without cooking in case electricity or gas supplies are interrupted.

Other useful preparations include keeping a manual can opener, basic first-aid supplies, torches and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.

Does the warning mean a major disaster is coming?

Although emergency preparedness has attracted renewed attention, recommendations to maintain household supplies are not evidence that a particular disaster is imminent.

Governments regularly encourage people to prepare for emergencies ranging from severe storms and flooding to prolonged power outages and infrastructure failures.

Military resilience planning and civilian emergency advice serve different purposes and should not automatically be interpreted as warnings of an approaching war.

For most households, preparing a modest supply of essential items is a practical precaution rather than a reason to panic.

Price's recommendations offer a starting point for families considering which foods might be useful during an extended disruption.

Ultimately, a sensible emergency food supply should reflect the number of people in a household, their dietary requirements, available storage space and access to safe drinking water.

Sources: VT, Tom Wood, October 30, 2026; Andrew Thomas Price's emergency food recommendations; FEMA and Ready.gov emergency preparedness guidance.