# How long could you live on what's in your pantry right now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938 "2003-06-01T14:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/21 "2003-06-01T22:51:33Z")
Uh, for me and Mr. Lissar and the cat… um, three weeks. A month or more if we eat nothing but carbohydrates. ---
**Author:** ![Niggle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Niggle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niggle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/22 "2003-06-02T00:29:10Z")
I wouldn’t last a day. Literally. I don’t have enough food in the house for a single meal. My fridge consists of a jug of filtered water and… There is no and, that’s it. I believe I have some balsamic vinegar and some olive oil in the “pantry”, but I haven’t opened that cupboard in a month or two so I’m not sure. I eat out 3 meals a day. I really should start cooking again (I’m a good cook - I just hate shopping for the food). -n ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/23 "2003-06-02T00:35:13Z")
We’d last a couple of weeks at least. Although like **AbbySthrnAccent** we would be out of toilet paper within a week. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/24 "2003-06-02T02:44:38Z")
If I ate lightly, and had power to keep the stuff in the fridge good, two to three weeks. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/25 "2003-06-02T03:02:38Z")
Quite a while. We’ve got 400 lbs of beef and about 100 of fish in the freezer. Hurricane supplies such as dry rice, beans, and lots of canned goods. Then there’s the everyday stuff in the fridge. I’m guessing several months. ---
**Author:** ![jesleigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@jesleigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesleigh)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/26 "2003-06-02T03:06:47Z")
We have a garden, my grandaddy raise cows for beef, and my mom shops at Sam’s for our other grocercies…honestly, a good 3 or 4 months, if not more. We are prepared for anything 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/27 "2003-06-02T03:39:25Z")
400 lbs. of beef? Holy moley! How many people in your family? I don’t think I eat 10% of that in a YEAR. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/28 "2003-06-02T03:46:12Z")
I’d last about a week. Well, I have a half-empty bag of rice, I bet I could make that last a little bit longer. So, a week of normal food, then…I dunno, probably four days of eating a lot of rice. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/29 "2003-06-02T03:47:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eva Luna \* > \*\*400 lbs. of beef? Holy moley! How many people in your family? I don’t think I eat 10% of that in a YEAR. \*\* Well, when you raise your own beef cattle and get one slaughtered, you get about 500 pounds to put in the freezer. You also tend to eat more beef under such circumstances. Also you eat more fish when you like to catch 'em. 🙂 **jesleigh** : Howdy, homegirl! ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/30 "2003-06-02T09:25:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AnnaLucretia \* > \*\*OK, what I want to know is if this is your normal culinary staples list (in which case I will not be joining you for a meal any time soon) or is this is the result of being on vacation, going on vacation, being an “eat out all the time” kind of person… > > And may I also say that canned mackerel is a horrible thing? 'Cause I’d really like to point that out. \*\* This is my normal setup. I generally live on bagels during the day, and eat lunch at a salad bar. I normally don’t have much dinner – maybe an apple and a catsup sandwich – otherwise I would start gaining weight. Canned mackerel is cheap and easy to prepare. I try to keep things simple. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/31 "2003-06-02T09:38:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by snermy \* > **I mean, I have condiments out the wazoo, …** You have condiments? You lucky, lucky bastard. My cupboard are bare, and so my poor dog had none. ---
**Author:** ![Necromancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@Necromancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necromancer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/32 "2003-06-02T10:15:32Z")
I could probably go 3 weeks or so with what’s in my pantry. I could go another week (possibly 2) with what’s in my fridge and freezer. ---
**Author:** ![Tiburon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/33 "2003-06-02T12:13:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jadis \* > \*\*Eeeeeeeevil Tibby…bad!! Die die die!! I can’t afford sushi. :😭: > > Unless, of course, you wanna take me on a date. 😃 \*\* Out to sushi on a first date?! No way! We’re going to McDonald’s so you can get a 6-piece chicken McNugget meal! If it makes you feel any better, I’ll wrap your nuggets in nori and bring some wasabi and pickled ginger. I’m good like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/34 "2003-06-02T16:30:41Z")
I reckon we’d last a couple of months if I introduced rationing straight away; we grow a lot of our own vegetables, so if we had to start from _now_, maybe we’d make the six-month mark, longer still if I’m allowed to forage for wild food (which I do a little now, but could scale up a lot). ---
**Author:** ![HughManatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HughManatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HughManatee)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/35 "2003-06-02T20:24:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by snermy \* > **I have condiments out the wazoo** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fern Forest \* > \*\*You have condiments? You lucky, lucky bastard. My cupboard are bare, and so my poor dog had none. \*\* Tempting as it might be, you might want to stay away from **snermy**'s condiments, all things considered. ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/36 "2003-06-02T21:29:22Z")
Oh, God, not too long at all. We’ve maybe got enough to last a month, if we strained. Can we say “Supermarket run” people? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/37 "2003-06-02T21:38:04Z")
4 days. Four horrible corn niblet and spaghetti noodle filled days. Perhaps I could hold out a fifth days by licking the Crytal Light powder out of the bottom of the tin. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/38 "2003-06-02T22:02:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HughManatee \* > \*\*Tempting as it might be, you might want to stay away from **snermy**'s condiments, all things considered. \*\* I believe you’re right. I will be stocking up sometime this month though. Hurricane season’s a comin’. ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/39 "2003-06-02T23:26:28Z")
I’d probably last a good 3-4 weeks. But towards the end there, I’d probably be living on a diet consisting of canned green beans, chicken broth, and cream of mushroom soup. A little side note: Ever noticed how you always buy certain items EVERY time you go to the store, even though you haven’t used up the portions that you bought last time? I think that’s why we have about 10 cans of chicken broth in the cupboard, and at least that many of green beans. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938/40 "2003-06-03T00:24:35Z")
You mean I’m supposed to store _food_ in there? Well where will I put the empty pizza boxes then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-could-you-live-on-whats-in-your-pantry-right-now/178938.md?page=1)