Ultimate Wild Edibles and Wild Game Nutritional Info

Ultimate Wild Game and Edibles Nutritional Cheatsheet

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How Much Energy, Protein and Fat is in Wild Foods?

The biggest compilation of wild edibles and wild game nutritional information ever.

Reflecting back on my 6 months wilderness adventure: I did not eat as many bunchberries as I could have. At that time I did not know that they have a higher amount of calories than blueberries.

That’s why I’ve decided to make this Wild Game and Edibles Nutritional Info Cheat Sheet.

For wilderness living food is of utmost importance. One must focus on gathering food that yields a lot of calories. Meeting protein requirements is also relevant, but more important than those is the accessibility and abundance of wild foods.

Wild Edibles Nutritional Info:

Mammals

Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat % Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat %
Anthelope 114 22.3 2.03 Goat (roasted) 143 27.1 3
Beaver 146 24.05 4.8 Moose 102 22.4 0.74
Bear 161 20.1 8.3 Muskrat 162 20.76 8.1
Buffalo 99 20.39 1.37 Opossum (roasted) 221 30.2 10.2
Caribou 127 22.63 6.42 Rabbit 114 21.79 2.32
Deer 120 22.96 2.42 Squirrel 120 21.3 3.21
Elk 111 22.95 1.45 Wild Boar 122 21.51 3.33

 

Birds

Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat % Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat %
Goose, Canada (meat only) 133 24.3 4 Pheasant 133 23.57 3.64
Duck (meat only) 123 19.8 4.25 Wild Turkey (meat only) 112 22.64 1.93
Grouse, Ruffed 112 25.9 29.3

Reptiles

Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat % Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat %
Alligator 143 3 29 Green Turtle 89 0.5 19.8
Frog (legs) 73 0.3 16.4

Insects

Dry portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat % Dry portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat %
Crickets 120 9.6 5.6 Mealworm 138 20 13
Grasshopper 96 14.3 3.3 Red Ants (cooked) 194 12.7 12.5
June beetle 78 14.3 3.3 Termites 124 12.4 1.3
Locust 179 18 21.5 Witchetty Grub 325 16 29

 

Fish and Seafood

Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat % Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat %
Bass (Small & Largemouth) 104 18.8 2.6 Pompano 166 18.8 9.5
Bluefish 117 20.5 3.3 Porgy and Scup 112 19 3.4
Buffalo fish 113 17.5 4.2 Red, Gray Snappers 93 19.8 0.9
Bullhead 84 16.3 1.6 Redhorse, Silver 98 18 2.3
Burbot (Lawyer) 82 17.4 0.9 Rockfish 97 18.9 1.8
Butterfish 169 18.1 10.2 Roe (Carp, Cod, Haddock, Herring, Pike & Shad) 130 24.4 2.3
Carp 115 18 4.2   Roe (Salmon, Sturgeon & Turbot) 207 25.2 10.4
Catfish (freshwater) 103 17.6 3.1 Sablefish 190 13 14.9
Caviar (Sturgeon) 262 15 26.9 Salmon, Atlantic 217 22.5 13.4
Chiton, Gumboot 83 17.1 1.6 Salmon, Chinook (King) 222 19.1 15.6
Chub 145 15.3 8.8 Salmon, Chum 120 20.1 3.7
Clam (meat only) 82 14 1.9 Salmon, Coho (Silver) 136 21.5 5.7
Cod 78 17.6 0.3 Salmon, Pink 119 20 3.7
Crab (cooked, steamed) 93 17.3 1.9 Salmon, Sockeye (Red) 143 20.3 6.9
Crappie 79 16.8 0.8 Sauger 84 17.9 0.8
Crayfish (freshwater) 72 14.6 0.5 Scallop (Bay and Sea) 81 15.3 0.2
Croaker 96 17.8 2.2 Sea Cucumber 56 13 0.4
Cusk 75 17.2 0.2 Sea Urchin 172 13.2 2.82
Dogfish, spiny (Grayfish) 156 17.6 9 Seabass (White) 96 21.4 0.5
Drum, Freshwater (Sheeps head) 121 17.3 5.2 Shrimp 91 18.1 0.8
Eel, American 233 15.9 18.3 Skate 98 21.5 0.7
Flounder 79 16.7 0.8 Slipper Shell 61 8.4 1.8
Grouper 87 19.3 0.5 Smelt (Eulachon) 98 18.6 2.1
Haddock 79 18.3 0.1 Snail 90 16.1 1.4
Hake 74 16.5 0.4 Sole 79 16.7 0.8
Halibut 100 20.9 1.2 Spanish Mackerel 177 19.5 10.4
Lake Herring (Cisco) 96 17.7 2.3 Squid 84 16.4 0.9
Lake Trout 168 18.3 10 Sturgeon (see also Caviar) 94 18.1 1.9
Lake Trout (Siscoette, Over 6.5 lbs) 524 7.9 54.4 Sucker 104 20.6 1.8
Lake Trout (Siscoette, Under 6.5 lbs) 241 14.3 19.9 Swordfish 174 28 6
Lingcod 84 17.9 0.8 Tautog (Blackfish) 89 18.6 1.1
Lobster (whole) 91 16.9 1.9 Tilapia 88 22 4.4
Mullet, Striped 146 19.6 6.9 Tilefish 79 17.5 0.5
Muskellunge (Musky) 109 20.2 2.5 Trout, Brook 101 19.2 2.1
Mussels (meat only) 95 14.4 2.2 Trout, Rainbow (Steelhead) 195 21.5 11.4
Octopus 73 15.3 0.8 Tuna (raw) 145 25.2 4.1
Oyster (meat only) 66 8.4 1.8 Turtle 89 19.8 0.5
Perch, Ocean (Redfish) 88 18 1.2 Walleye 93 19.3 1.2
Perch, Yellow (Lake Perch) 91 19.5 0.9 Weakfish 121 16.5 5.6
Pike, Northern 88 18.3 1.1 Whitefish, Lake (freshwater) 155 18.9 8.2
Pollack 95 20.4 0.9 Whiting 105 18.3 3

Plants

Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories % Protein % Fat   Raw portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories % Protein % Fat
Acorn (raw) 387 6.15 23.86   Perennial lily root 95.4 1.4 0.2
Arrowroot 65 4.24 0.2   Persimmon 127 0.8 0.4
Balsam Poplar (bark) 230 1.9 –   Pigweed 56 6 0.9
Bitterroot (dry) 343 4 0.6   Plantain, Greater (leaves) 61 2.5 0.3
Black cottonwood 31 0.2 0.5   Prickly Pears 42 0.12 0.11
Black hawthorn 73 0.3 1.4   Purslane 20 2.3 0.36
Black Walnuts 607 25.4 58.9   Red elderberry 110 2.9 4.8
Blackcap raspberry 87 1.2 1.4   Red huckleberry 56 0.8 0.5
Bog blueberry 51 0.7 0.6   Rice roots (riceroot) 102 2.9 0.3
Bunchberry 76 0.6 0.8   Rosehip 82 1.6 0.6
Burdock root 72 1.53 0.15   Salal berries 63 2.1 0.7
Butternut 629 23.7 61.2   Salmonberry 52 1.4 0.8
Cattail rhizome (dry) – 7.7 4.9   Salmonberry shoots 31 0.5 0.6
Cattail shoots 25 1.18 0   Saskatoon berry 99 0.7 1.2
Chokecherry (pitted) 162 3.04 1.69   Seaweed, Kelp 43 1.68 0.56
Cottonwood (inner bark) 27 0.2 0.5   Seaweed, laver (dry) 303 24.4 1.4
Cow parsnip stems 20 0.2 0.3 Sheep sorrel 48 1.1 0.6
Crowberry 45 0.2 0.7 Shepherd’s Purse 33 3 0.5
Curly Dock 24 2.6 0.3 Silverweed roots (steamed) 136 3.1 0.6
Dandelion Greens 45 2.7 0.7 Soapberry 80 1.8 0.7
Desert parsley roots 190 2.2 1 Sow Thistle 20 1.9 0.3
Dulse (red algae) dry fronds 323 19.9 0.6 Spiny wood fern 128 2.5 1
Fireweed shoots 30 0.3 0.4 Springbank clover rhizomes 73 0.7 0.5
Goosefoot, Lamb’s Quarters 43 4.2 0.8 Stinging Nettle 44 1.8 0.6
Grey blueberry 54 1.1 0.5 Stink currant 70 0.8 1.2
Hazelnut, Beaked 628 14.89 52.99 Sugar Maple syrup 348 0.1 –
Hickory nuts (dried) 657 12.7 64.37 Swamp gooseberry 66 1.5 2.3
Highbush cranberry 42 0.1 0.4 Thimbleberry 110 1.7 1.2
Horsetails 20 2.1 – Thimbleberry shoots 28 0.6 0.4
Jerusalem artichoke 77 2.6 0.5 Trembling Aspen – 1.3 –
Kelp, Laminaria 43 1.7 0.6 Wapato (Arrowhead) 99 5.33 0.29
Kinnikinnick berry 102 0.7 1.1 Watery Blueberry 74 0.9 0.6
Lambsquarters 41 3.3 0.6 Western Hemlock (cambium) 103 2.3 0.6
Licorice fern root 141 0.9 4.6 Wild black gooseberry 77 1.1 1.5
Lupine root 73 2 0.4 Wild blue currant 65 0.7 0.6
Mountain Alder bark 270 4.3 – Wild Leek, Ramp 61 1.5 0.3
Mountain bilberry 59 0.6 0.5 Wild Onion 42.2 3.5 0.2
Mulberries 43 1.44 0.39 Wild raspberry 73 0.6 0.8
Ostrich fern (dried) 376 36 4 Wild Rice 357 14.73 1.08
Pacific crabapple 79 1.2 1.6 Wild Strawberry 61 0.6 0.9
Parsnip 75 1.2 0.3 Wood Sorrel 49 2.3 0.8
Pawpaw 85 5.2 0.9

Mushrooms and Fungi

Dry portion 3.5 oz / 100g Calories Protein % Fat %
Black trumpets, Craterellus cornucopioides 378 69.45 4.88
Cauliflower Mushroom, Sparassis Crispa 283 32.6 5.2
Chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius 381 35.7 1.4
Chicken of the woods, Laetiporus sulphureus 341 10.6 2.96
Hedgehog Mushroom, Hydnum repandum 434 34 6.3
Lion’s Mane or Bear’s Head, Hericium 190 22.3 3.52
Morel, Morchella 323 41.7 12
Oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus 193 23.8 2.1
Porcini Mushroom, Boletus edulis 159 18 5.7

Download a PDF version: Top Wild Game and Edibles Nutritional Info Cheatsheet PDF

How do you weigh things in the wild?

You can make a steelyard balance in the field by using a water bottle with measuring markings and using water to accurately calibrate it. For instance, after knowing how much a liter of berries weighs, you can find out how much energy you have gathered.

 

 

Sources

Fish and Seafood

Plants

Insects

Mushrooms

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3 Comments on "Ultimate Wild Edibles and Wild Game Nutritional Info"

  1. Robert | November 14, 2017 at 21:04 |

    Wow! This is the first time I have ever seen a table like this of wild food sources. Great information. You really put some work into it. Thanks!

  2. Big Ken | November 16, 2017 at 22:59 |

    This is incredible. I was going to copy/paste into Word and then print,and then there is a link to a .pdf at the end? Fantastic! Just found this site, am going to go through every post of interest. Thanks for not offering the same type of posts with the same opinion as every other site,variety and new information is key. I thirst for knowledge!

  3. Katz | October 10, 2020 at 21:21 |

    This is a great chart but it’s missing one main way to determine what’s really a good source of calories, volume.
    According to the chart parsnips are only about 40% higher in calories than dandelions, yet parsnips have been a staple food for thousands of years while dandelions are just a pot herb. It turns out 100g of dandelions is about 2 cups, while 100g of parsnips is just ¾ of a cup. So in other words, parsnips are 40% higher in calories than dandelions by weight, but 400% higher by volume. The volume of dandelions needed to get 2,500 calories is so ridiculously high, 111 cups of greens, that it’s simply impossible to eat that much unless you are a cow, with a stomach built for the job. Likewise, the stats for mushrooms seem quite high at first until I realized it was for dried mushrooms. Mushrooms dry to about 10% of their fresh weight, meaning 100g of dried mushrooms is actually 1000g of fresh mushrooms. That’s about 8 cups in volume. You can literally starve to death with a stomach full of greens or mushrooms. I can eat a couple cups of dandelions or other greens a day but that will barely make an impact on my calories. However I can eat several cups of parsnips a day and along with some meat and nuts can reach my caloric needs. Greens, mushrooms and fruit are there mainly for the micronutrients and because they taste good. Also of note is that staple foods like meat and roots contain far less anti-nutrients than others. Your body knows this, that’s why it’s a lot easier to eat way more than 100 grams of meat at one sitting, but 100 grams of bitter greens is pushing it even regardless of the volume.

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