How Long Could An Adult And Infant Survive On Baby Formula, If Necessary? (in A Doomsday Type Scenario)?
January 12, 2010 by Guest Author
Filed under Breast Feeding Supplies
My baby girl just turned one year old and I realized I have a bunch of cans of formula left over. Last night, as I was re-packing our “emergency readiness kit” I was wondering if, in a emergency situation, the formula would technically be sufficient to keep an adult and toddler alive and well for several weeks if necessary. Provided I had enough water supply to mix with the powdered formula, how long could it keep us alive and well, assuming we were in a doomsday scenario – hunkered down in my basement? Thanks!
Properly mixed baby formula has 20 calories per ounce. As long as one got a minimum number of calories per day, using their Basal Metabolic Rate, then it could conceivably sustain life for the duration of supply.
Here are accepted formulas for determining minimum calorie intake:
Men
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5
Women
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161.
Of course, in addition to actual calories we also need a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Carbs should be 45% of calories, proteins 30%, and fats 25%. Baby formula is actually in this ratio: 40% carbs, 49% fats, and 11% protein (which doesn’t add up to 100% so I’m not sure, but I will source it for you so you can see).
In a doomsday scenario, it would keep you alive.