Protein-type Sustenance
Protein-type Sustenance
Protein is an important part of a healthy diet. Proteins are made up of chemical 'building blocks' called amino acids. Your body uses amino acids to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes. They can also be used as an energy source.
So..
In a nutshell, we can’t be healthy and strong without having proper amounts of protein in our daily diet.
While it is very easy to get nutrients from fruits and vegetables and carbs from grains and rice, protein is more elusive. We need some kind of meat or fish or poultry or legumes. Consequently, it is essential that all of our long-term survival planning involves the procurement and storage of protein so that we can eat enough on a daily basis.
We need anywhere from .5-.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight on a daily basis. We get the bulk of our protein from meats and fish and legumes or beans provide a vegetable option that is equally beneficial. However, during survival situations, we need to balance our diet and seek out foods that will provide us with amounts that we need to stay fit and healthy.
Assessing Cost/Risk benefit
If you're actually in a survival situation, the best option is to choose foods that contain high levels of protein that don’t require a lot of time or energy to obtain. For example, you can spend all day fishing or catching crayfish. However, unless you are catching a large enough quantity or hauling in big fish, chances are that you will have to work very hard to get what you need. The same could be said when hunting for small game. You may be able to get 100 grams of protein from any animal, but how many animals do you need to catch, clean and cook in order to reach that amount? You may be able to substitute meat with vegetarian options but again how much time an energy can you expend foraging??
It’s important to think of not only what food sources are available and how to catch them efficiently, but you should also think about whether or not their benefits are worth the effort. For example, crayfish are a great source of protein and other nutrients. However, you will need to catch, cook and eat dozens of them in order to meet your daily needs.
On the other hand, you can hunt a deer, catch a wild turkey or pheasant and get more than enough in a single kill. There’s nothing wrong with picking crayfish or any other kind of animal, even if they don’t have a lot of protein per unit. The trick is to combine sources and diversify in order to have a well-rounded intake on a daily basis.
Vegetarian protein
We'll do veggie protein first, since if you don't eat meat you might be uninterested in the following other subjects. Maybe read through it anyway? Just in case you get in an emergency situation you might remember some things that could be useful? Or have someone with you who might benefit from you knowing of things?
But first non-animal based protein sources..
Acorns
Oak trees are abundant and acorns are an excellent source of wild nutrients. In every 100 grams of acorns there’s 8.1 grams of protein and they’re also full of healthy fat. However the protein and fat content can vary widely between oak species.
It is important to note that acorns have tannins making them impossible to eat without leaching them first. Leaching can be done in “hot” or “cold” methods. The hot method involves bringing shelled acorns to a boil and changing the water several times. When the acorns are done they won’t be bitter and the water being poured off will be clearer.
The cold method is basically soaking and rinsing shelled acorns. It can be done in a variety of ways. I’ve even heard of people simply leaving heir acorns in a cloth bag weighted down in a clean creek.
Cold leaching is the best way to create a versatile end product that can be used as a fine flour or coarse polenta. Acorn flour doesn’t have gluten in it, so it won’t rise on its own. But some baked goods, like cookies and brownies, work well with cold-leached acorn flour alone. Acorn flour adds richness and depth to anything you use it in.
The nuts are fully dried when they are brittle and can be broken in half with a snap.
Red oak acorns require an extra step at this point. All acorns have a thin, papery skin called a testa, located between the nut meat and the shell. The testas of white acorns adhere to the shells, but the testas of red acorns stick to the nuts. Hot leaching removes the testas, which may have a bitter taste.
If you cold leach, you’ll need to rub off the testas before you cook with your acorns. Fortunately, after drying, the testas fall away with a gentle rubbing. Dehydrated, leached acorns can be ground into flour right away, or stored whole
Black Walnuts
Black walnut trees are super common however you won’t find many people who bother to gather and shell them. It’s much tougher than shelling cultivated english walnut varieties but it’s totally worth it. I think that they’re sweeter and more flavorful than their domestic cousins. Plus the black walnut husks can be used as an easy natural dye. You can also pickle young green walnuts whole if you catch them early in the growing season.
100 grams of these guys offers 24 grams of protein.
Pine Nuts
We don’t harvest pine nuts around here simply because the Virginia Pine has small cones that would take a lot of time and effort for little gain. However if you live in area with species containing larger pine cones and larger pine nuts you should totally be harvesting them!
I mean they have 13.7 grams of protein per 100 grams
Plantain
Plantain is one of those plants that has evolved to live alongside humans and livestock. It thrives in an environment where it’s stepped on, grazed, or mowed so you find it frequently in lawns and fields. There are two common types of plantain you’ll find and both have very similar properties, Plantago major or broadleaf plantain and Plantago lanceolata or narrow leaf plantain.
Avoid harvesting in places where people may have sprayed chemicals (sorry, people are awful).
Both the leaves and seeds are edible though the seeds contain more protein. The seeds can be eaten raw, roasted, or ground into flour for all sorts of goodies. The leaves can be eaten raw but are often cooked to get rid of any bitterness. The leaves are tasty when very briefly fried with a bit of oil. They’re also a great plant-based source of iron and many other important vitamins and nutrients.
Plantains are a powerful medicinal. They are great for poultices and teas.
Maple Seeds
In late winter/early spring maples will begin producing leaf buds. These tiny buds and the newest leaves they produce make a good woodland's nibble. They can be added raw to salads or even cooked like spinach.
Maple seeds can be roasted like pumpkins seeds. Remove the seeds from their "wings" before roasting. The young leaves are best within the first few weeks of appearing and are delicious raw and wonderful when added to salads, especially with a tangy oil/vinegar dressing.
The inner bark is mainly a survival food. Cut long vertical strips of the bark off the tree, not exceeding more than 10% of the width of the tree trunk. Taking more will most likely kill the tree and even just taking 10% will greatly weaken it. The inner bark looks like a brown paper bag. Slice it into thin strips then boil it for several hours to make a mush. It will still tastes pretty much like a boiled paper bag.
Chickweed
Chickweed is another one of those super common garden weeds. It’s mild and succulent making it great for salads. Thankfully for us veggie lovers it also has a good bit of protein. Winter is a challenging time when it comes to food growing, so why not take advantage of what nature provides for free? More often than not, our hardy wild plants will offer us nutritionally-high greens for the salad bowl or cooking pot
Hunting
“Chicken is Good! It tastes like chicken.”
― Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain
Look Around
To endure the extreme conditions of a survival situation, animal fats and proteins must be eaten regularly, and survival hunting is an essential skill. Such situations are a drain on a person’s energy. Potentially inclement weather forces your body to metabolize calories at an increased rate to stay warm, and performing the physical tasks needed to take care of your body uses a lot of energy. The concentrated calories from wild edible animals obtained through survival hunting are an efficient way to keep the internal fire burning.
In the wilderness, the most practical and accessible wild animals are small game, fish, reptiles and amphibians, and invertebrates. These animals make the most sense to pursue and harvest in a survival hunting situation. First, they make up for their size with quantity of individuals in a given area. Second, they require very little weapon technology to harvest—some require only the hands of the gatherer.
Small Game and Birds
Small game and birds are important when considering what kinds of animals to pursue for survival hunting. All mammals and birds can be eaten, and animals such as raccoons, jackrabbits and geese can have a substantial amount of flesh to offer.
Another way to catch small animals is through weapons that are thrown. The most simple tools are rocks and good throwing sticks. More advanced tools are the bow and atlatl(spear-thrower), though these weapons take a bit more preparation and materials.
All wild game should be cooked thoroughly to kill any microorganisms in the meat. It’s also important when eating very lean meats—such as rabbit—to consume some sort of fat along with it. Otherwise, your body cannot process the protein. One way to avoid this is to singe the hair off the rabbit and cook the rabbit with the skin on, consuming the skin with the flesh. Also, fatty internal organs such as the liver and brains should be utilized.
Still hunting
In still hunting, you move slowly and deliberately until you spot game—before it spots you. Generally, the hunter will take a few slow, deliberate steps and then stand or squat motionless for several minutes while scanning all surrounding areas for game. Still hunting requires exact attention to details such as wind, sunlight, and weather conditions
Stalking
In stalking, the game has been spotted, and the hunter slowly and deliberately maneuvers into shooting range and position for an effective shot. While stalking, you should try to move on a diagonal line, rather than directly toward the animal, since this is a less threatening movement pattern if the animal has spotted you
Glassing
Glassing is sitting for a long time at vantage points and spotting game from afar with binoculars or spotting scopes. After the game is spotted, you stalk it
Fishing
Another option for meat is fish. Because they don’t need quite as much structure to support their bodies in the water, fish are quite fleshy.
Fish are some of the best sources of protein and other nutrients in the world. Salt water fish tend to have a few more grams of protein per serving than their freshwater counterparts.
However, a pound of almost any kind of fish meat is sufficient enough to give the body its daily protein requirements. Just remember, the smaller the fish or crustacean, the more you will need to catch and eat.
Fish are harvested through angling, nets, traps, spears, and bow, or even barehanded.
In Our Story
Our hero gains a little expertise and he chooses to go fishing. Sam finds this second fishing trip so much faster and easier than his first; he hooks a big catfish and huddles around his properly started fire to cook it. Looking back on that second night of his adventure, Sam recalls that he has never enjoyed a meal as much as that one. Neither has he again felt so independent as when he sat there with the magical fire he had built and the catfish he had caught and cooked all by himself.
Angling
Angling involves producing hooks from materials such as bone, wood, or thorns; as well as twisting enough cordage to get the hook to the fish. Nettle, dogbane, milkweed, and yucca all make great fishing-line materials and a single long strand of sinew can make a wonderful leader if tied securely between the hook and line. The hook can either be baited or turned into a lure by affixing it to feathers, fur, yarn, or reflective material.
Traps/Nets
Traps are a low-energy alternative to catch fish, since they can be built and set, allowing you to take care of other needs while the fish are caught. Traps can be simple basket types, with a funnel to trap the fish within as they search out the bait. Traps can also be large and elaborate weirs, saplings or stones stuck or stacked in a body of water to channel fish to an area where they can then be plucked from the water. In moving water, the current or tide must be taken into consideration. When in still water, bait can be used, or people can drive fish into the weir.
Nets work in the same way when stretched out in the water; or they can take the form of cast nets or dip nets, which require manipulation at the hands of the fisherman.
Spears/bows
Spears and bows are two effective tools to use when you have good water clarity and proximity to the fish.
Barehanded
Catching fish barehanded is not always easy, but it can be done, especially in small streams that have undercut banks. To catch fish barehanded, put your hand in the water, then slowly reach under the bank. Move your hand as close to the bottom has possible. Let your arm move with the current. When you make contact with a fish, move the palm of your hand up its belly to its gills. Grasp it behind the gills, then pull it out of the water.
Cooking Tips
Trapping
Small mammals and birds are most easily trapped using snares and deadfalls. Having an understanding of the animal’s daily and seasonal movements, diet, and size are extremely important when trapping.
Without this natural-history knowledge, traps will be ineffective at best, and a deadly drain on one’s energy, at worst.
HUGELY IMPORTANT
Trapping Code of Ethics:
Set traps to capture the target animal in the most humane way possible.
Check traps at least once every 24 hours, preferably in the early morning.
Record trap locations accurately.
Use as much of the animal as possible. Dispose of animal carcasses properly.
Dispatch trapped furbearers in a humane manner.
DISCLAIMER: DO NOT JUST GO OUT AND TRAP ANIMALS FOR FUN. IT IS NOT OKAY. NOT. OKAY. THIS SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE SAID, SINCE YOU ARE ALL SMART AND RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS BUT SERIOUSLY... DO NOT DO IT. READ THAT AGAIN. DO NOT DO IT.
How to set a Snare
Knowing how to make a simple snare can be very helpful in an emergency situation. Imagine that you are stranded in the woods and need to find food quickly. If you have some snare wire in your backpack or emergency kit, you can easily catch some dinner.
Consider the tools found in nature if you don’t have string or cord. That means stringy tree bark and plant fibers. It's going to be more work, but if primitive cultures did it, so can you. Good choices are dogbane, milkweed or cattail.
Scout out the area. A snare can be used day or night, rain or shine, and in any climate. All you need to make sure of is that animals pass by more than once in a blue moon. Placing random snares with no eye for signs of small game is a waste of time. Look for signs of droppings, shelters, tracks, scratches or feeding. If not those near a significant source of water and food is a safe bet.
The simple snare is the basic tie behind any trap. Ideally, the animal would walk straight through the loop and set off the trap. You can start creating a simple snare by following these instructions:
Engine
You’ll want to set up your snare near some type of tree or shrub. A young tree is always a good engine because it’s bendable and quick to snap back into place.
You’ll be bending the sapling over and tying it down to the snare in order to act as tension. If you find yourself in an area void of trees or shrubs, you can always use dead weights like rocks.
Trigger
The trigger consists of two parts: The hook and the leading line. The leading line connects the trigger to the engine - usually a wire of some sort.
The trigger is connected to the noose and should tighten very quickly when pulled by the engine.
You can build an effective trigger by finding two pieces of wood and carving interlocking notches into the sides of each. The base of the trigger should be sturdy and stay in the ground. The hook in the trigger should be able to slip out at the slightest touch, so that if an animal passes through the noose, the trigger will slip out and tighten up by being pulled with the engine.
You can also modify the trigger to connect directly to a fishing line. When the fish pulls on the bait, the trigger will release and the engine will tug on the fish - hooking it in. However, you have to be careful not to have an engine that pulls too hard and rips right out of the fish's mouth.
Here are a few different options when building a trigger:
Preserving Meat
At the beginning of time, our ancestors were hunters and gatherers. The dictates of climate and availability of water drove prey from region to region and as meat sources migrated so did the human race. Whether born of necessity or a fortuitous accident, the preservation of meat by drying became an integral component of survival, enabling people to travel long distances and endure periods of famine.
Did you know that you can preserve meant just by using blueberries.??!?
Native Americans used this ingenious method to help them preserve meat, and early western explorers borrowed this tradition as a way to survive in the frontier. These folks depended on having access to a portable, high energy, and nutritious source of food on hand if they were going to survive the unforgiving environments they faced. Sadly, this method of preservation is mostly forgotten nowadays.
Drying
Drying. The easiest way to preserve meat in the wild is to simply use the heat from the sun to dry it out. Just make sure to cut your meat into thin strips so that it can dry itself out as quickly as possible. Thicker cuts of meat will take much longer to dry out.
Smoking
Hot smoking the meat is also hanged and then smoked. Hanging it makes it develop a pellicle. In hot smoking, the temperature ranges between 52°C and 80°C, that is 126-176°F. Although, hot smoking is generally followed by some other kind of primitive cooking, hot smoked food are already edible. At that temperature, the meat is cooked, moist, flavored and can be eaten as long as it was smoked evenly.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Reptiles and amphibians offer many opportunities for the hunter. All amphibians should be skinned before being consumed, because many have toxins in their skin. Bullfrogs are an obvious choice from this order, being large and conspicuous. They can be harvested by a spear, bow, hook and feather, or simply by being whacked with a quickly swung stick.
Nighttime provides the opportunity to stalk up with a blinding light, likely getting closer than possible in the day. Reptiles can be very abundant. Turtles, lizards, and snakes (venomous or not) all offer good-tasting meat. Turtles can be caught on baited hooks or in small weir-type traps baited with meat. Most lizards and snakes can be dispatched with a well-swung stick. Turtles should be scrubbed of mud and skinned.
Specifics on Snakes
Snake meat is a healthy, lean meat that outstrips traditional red meats in fat content, calorie count, and protein levels. Compared to a typical steak, snake meat has half the calories and a third of the fat. With up to 60% protein content, snake meat will provide you with enough energy to keep you going in a survival situation.
Larger snakes are easier to prepare. Not only do they provide more meat, but the bones are more easily removed. It is more difficult to get the meat off smaller snake bones and can be tedious. If you capture a tiny snake, cook it until the bones break down into the meat.
Most regular snake eaters in the US agree that Rattlesnake meat is the best, and since they grow pretty big, you’ll get the most meat for your effort.
If you’d rather avoid venomous snakes, King snakes, Water snakes, and Garter snakes are also tasty. Much of the taste comes from how the meat is prepared.
More Specific Specifics..
A long, sturdy stick is essential to keep the snakes head as far away from you as possible. Ideally, this should have a forked top so that the snake’s head can be kept down. A large, heavy rock or another blunt instrument will be necessary to kill the snake. Of course, a gun or knife can also be used.
Once you have located a snake, approach slowly. Many snake species will retreat quickly when they sense you, while others will stand their ground.
With your stick ready, strike at the head area and attempt to drag the snake out into the open. If you can, pin it down with your stick.
Throw a rock as hard as you can at the head. If this doesn’t kill it, it will stun it. Finish it off with a few strikes to the head with your stick or rock.
Hold its head down with the stick and quickly cut the head off. The general rule of thumb is to cut at least two inches below the head to be sure to remove the venom glands.
Omg
With the snake dead, you may think you’re safe, but you are not. A venomous snake remains a danger for hours, even days later, as the venom is still active.
Rattlesnakes are particularly dangerous. Even after decapitation, the head can see and sense you and lash out and bite if you get too close. It can take well over an hour for the snake to die fully.
For safety, burn the head or dispose of it as soon as the snake is decapitated. If you bury it, be sure to bury it deep, especially if you have pets or children.
Eggs
The practice of collecting eggs for food has been around for as long as humans have walked the earth. Goose eggs are the largest wild bird eggs you’ll find in North America, and a female goose can lay half a dozen white eggs in her large nest. Each of these eggs is double the size of a chicken egg. The caloric content ranges from 175 to 225 calories per egg. Goose nests are often easy to spot, but fiercely protective geese will not give up their eggs without a fight.
To avoid finding a yellow chick inside an egg instead of the yellow yolk you were expecting, use the following low-tech “x-ray” technique for a peek inside. “Candling” an egg refers to the very old practice of placing a candle or similar light source behind an egg and observing the condition of the air cell, yolk, and white inside. Today, we can use a flashlight for better visibility inside the egg, but an old-school candle can work just the same. Many species of birds (but not all) have translucent eggs.
The light passing through can detect bloody whites, blood spots, or meat spots, and enables observation of germ development. Candling should be done in a darkened room or outside at night with the egg held in front of the lightsource at an angle, so the light doesn’t shine directly into the eyes of the egg inspector. White-shelled eggs that are only a few days old will clearly show the yolk and white. Older eggs will have a reddish area with blood vessels extending away from it that resembles a big red spider. This is the embryo. If the whole egg is dark, there is a chick inside. That said, regardless of the stage of development, the contents of the egg are edible.
Don’t Forget the Invertebrates!
We don’t often think about invertebrates as food options. Insects, crustaceans, and mollusks are all very high in protein. Many can be simply picked up off the ground or scooped up in an improvised net made from a y-stick and t-shirt, which works well for locusts or grasshoppers. Worms and grubs can be dug from the ground soil or from rotten wood.
Turning over logs and rocks also exposes many tasty morsels. Insects and snails can all be cooked directly in the coals before eating, or ground into a rich meal that can be added to soup or bread.
The ocean, pond, and river offer many edible invertebrates. Bivalves, whelk, and crabs are delicacies that can be found at the seashore. Streams and lakes often harbor crayfish, which can be easily baited and trapped, or plucked from out under rocks.
All invertebrates should be cooked well; they can also harbor deadly microorganisms and parasites.
Crustaceans
Crustaceans include lobster, crab, shrimp, prawns, crayfish, and fish. They are found in fresh water, as well as salt water environments. They are edible. However, freshwater crustaceans are known to carry parasites, so it is critical that you cook them properly before eating them.
Mollusks
Mollusks include bivalves, such as clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. Freshwater periwinkles, limpets, chitons, as well as river and sea snails are also mollusks. Freshwater mollusks are found in rivers, lakes, and streams. Saltwater mollusks are found at low tide, as well as on rocks and logs that are above the surf line.
You should not eat mollusks between April and October. These are warmer months. During the warmer months, mollusks accumulate poisons that can make you ill. You should also avoid any kind of shellfish that is not covered by the water at high tide.
Mollusks include bivalves, such as clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. Freshwater periwinkles, limpets, chitons, as well as river and sea snails are also mollusks. Freshwater mollusks are found in rivers, lakes, and streams. Saltwater mollusks are found at low tide, as well as on rocks and logs that are above the surf line.
You should not eat mollusks between April and October. These are warmer months. During the warmer months, mollusks accumulate poisons that can make you ill. You should also avoid any kind of shellfish that is not covered by the water at high tide.
Around here, since periwinkles are considered an invasive species, there are no regulations on harvesting them. They are small and time-consuming to eat, but they are truly delicious and make the perfect free snack from the sea. To eat them, simply steam them for about 3 to 4 minutes and then toss with some melted butter.
Again.. In Our Story..
Realizing a birds' diet will not work for him, Sam returns to fishing. But, on this particular morning, the fish don't seem to be biting. As he looks into the water, hunger pains pinching his stomach, he sees the tracks of mussels in the mud and decides to jump into the cold stream after them. He quickly collects enough mussels to cook, eat, and, to his surprise, fill up on.
Insects
A quick review of middle school science class:
Insects have an exoskeleton, a three-part body, six legs, and one pair of antennae. Arachnids, such as spiders, ticks, and scorpions, have eight legs. Myriapoda, as their name suggests, are bugs with a myriad of legs, such as centipedes and millipedes.
Generally speaking, you can eat insects but should avoid other types of bugs like spiders and millipedes. There are a few important exceptions, however. Avoid eating anything that is hairy, like a bee. If the bug instead has a crunchy, chitinous exoskeleton, like ants, termites or crickets, you can dig in.
Crickets and grasshoppers, termites, ants, slugs, snails, earthworms, because it can be hard to actually capture an animal or catch a fish, but it's pretty easy to find insects. Just turn over a rock or a log and see what's living under there.
Best Insects to Eat in Our Neck of the Woods...
In North America, if you're looking to eat insects, which we would assume would be in a survival type situation but you never know...
The best choices are Cicadas, stink bugs (carefully!!), ants, grasshoppers, and crickets.
Winners for Protein Content:
"Witchetty grubs look, to most Westerners, like a cruel culinary joke. The sort of thing Roald Dahl would have invented if they weren't actually real. But the protein content of them, like so many insects, is phenomenal, making them a genuine nutritional marvel. Biarre they may be, but insects also provide immense dietary benefits.
Runners up include ants, bees and wasps. Butterflies, moths and silkworms. Beetles. And dragonflies."
Important!!
It might go without saying, but don't eat anything venomous. If it has a stinger or bright colors, leave it alone. You can safely eat scorpions, though. Just make sure you cut off the venomous tail first and then roast the sucker over a fire.
If it has more than six legs, is really hairy, or has bright colors, you should probably let it be. This is important to remember for insects and for everything else. Plants, amphibians, marine life, bugs—if something has bright colors, it's nature's way of telling you that eating it might kill you.
With a little natural-history knowledge, experience with crafting tools and an adventurous appetite, you can find edible wild meat in the outdoors. Whether they have four legs, six legs, no legs or wings, small animals are an efficient way to gather the calories needed in a survival situation.
DISCLAIMER: DO NOT JUST GO OUT AND HUNT AND KILL THINGS FOR FUN. IT IS NOT OKAY. NOT. OKAY. THIS SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE SAID, SINCE YOU ARE ALL SMART AND RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS BUT SERIOUSLY... DO NOT DO IT. READ THAT AGAIN. DO NOT DO IT.