If you are growing food or foraging for it, you are dependent upon the season when foods are available. There is a season for everything that grows. Growing and foraging are meant to supplement your stored food with fresh ingredients, or be used in times when stores are depleted. Foraging furnishes you with a healthy source of un-processed food. Here are some common plants that can provide supplement for each season.
Dandelion leaves: 100g of Dandelion leaves provides 9.2g of carbohydrates, 2.7 g of protein and 0.7g of fat. 100g provides 53.9 kCal. Given that you have a minimum energy requrement of 1000 kCal per day, you would need to eat 1.85kg per day, divided into 3 meals each of 600g, or supplement with other foods.
Dandelion root: 100g contains approximately 2.7 grams of protein, 0.7 grams of fat, and 9.3 grams of carbohydrates. So roots and leaves are the same in their nutrition content.
Dandelion nutrition Prep
Nettles: 100g of Stinging Nettles provides 7.5g of carbohydrates, 2.7g of protein, 0.1g of fats. 100g provides 41.7 kCal. Given that you have a minimum energy requrement of 1000 kCal per day, you would need to eat 2.4 kg per day, divided into 3 meals each of 800g, or supplement with other foods.
Nettle nutrition Prep
Alexanders: 100g of Alexanders contains 1g protein, 19g of carbohyrate, 3.8g of fat, and many essential minerals and vitamins. 100g provides 114.2 kCal. Given that you have a minimum energy requrement of 1000 kCal per day, you would need to eat 0.875kg per day, divided into 3 meals each of 300g, or supplement with other foods. So, it is a good source of carbohydrates. All parts of the plant can be eaten. The high sucrose content is found in the stem, leaves. The seeds are available in late summer.
Chickweed: 100g of Chickweed contains 3g of protein, 7.5g of carbohydrates, 0.5g of fat. 100g provides 46.5 KCal of energy. Given that you have a minimum energy requrement of 1000 kCal per day, you would need to eat 2.1kg per day, divided into 3 meals each of 700g, or supplement with other foods.
Chickweed nutrition See also
Morel Mushrooms: 100g of mushrooms provide 3.1g of protein, 3.3g of carbohydrate, and 0.3g of fat. 100g provides 28.3 kCal. Given that you have a minimum energy requrement of 1000 kCal per day, you would need to eat 3.5kg per day, divided into 3 meals each of 1.2kg, or supplement with other foods. . Mushrooms are a low-calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Mushrooms are a good source of copper, B vitamins, potassium, and iron. They may help to lessen the risk of developing serious health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Found in woodlands. They can also be found in hedgerows and they often grow in land that has been previously burned. They seem to grow under or around decaying elms, ash, poplar and apple trees. Mushroom nutrition
Velvet Shank Mushroom: 100g of mushrooms provide 3.1g of protein, 3.3g of carbohydrate, and 0.3g of fat. Velvet shank mushrooms are saprophytic living on dead and decaying trees. Look for it on stumps and trunks of dead hardwood trees, particularly ash, beech and oak. Look for caramel to orange coloured caps (3-7cm across when fully grown), growing in overlapping tiers. There seems to be a pattern here - that mushrooms grow on or near dead wood. Look out for it between November and March.
Mushroom nutrition
Dandelion, Nettle, Chickweed and Mushroom provide some sustainance, but unless you eat 2kg per day you would have low energy. Therefore, it is important to supplement these winter foods with high energy foods. Here are the figures per 100g portions. Data source: FatSecret.com
Nuts and seeds provide the highest amount of energy by far - because they have high protein, high carb and high fat content - all of which can be converted into energy. 100g provides more than half your daily energy needs. So, it is important to gather and store nuts in winter, and identify sources of seeds. I would highly recommend a 20kg bag of seed for storage - it will last 200 days at 100g per day, and provide for half your energy needs - 20kg seeds
Your minimum energy requirement is 1000 KCal per day.