Can You Survive If You Can’t Grow Food?

Here is a question that may be on your mind about preparing for surviving a worst-case scenario: What will you eat if you can’t grow food?

It’s an unsettling question for many people because our society has been bombarded with the idea of the food pyramid and that we need a balanced diet to survive and live a healthy life. The thing is, that just isn’t true. Several cultures have lived with a plant-less or, at least, a minimal plant diet in the past, and some still do, including the Inuit in far northern areas of North America. Tammy Robinson writes,

The Inuit people consumed a diet that was perfectly suited for the environment in which they lived. During the summer, the Inuit would move inland, away from the coast, and hunt caribou, which, like the Plains tribes, provided them with almost everything they needed. During the short summers, berries were gathered, birds were caught and the meat dried, eggs were enjoyed, berries and herbs were gathered and stored. Fresh water fish also were caught from lakes or streams. The Inuit diet consisted almost entirely of meat, with only the few plants that could be found during the very short summer to add some variety.

And

During winter […t]he Inuit stayed close to the coastline. Before the sea edges froze, seals would often sun themselves on the sand or rocks. Killing a seal during these times was a challenge and took real teamwork. In the winter, dogs would sniff out the air holes these mammals used. The Inuit would lie in wait and when the seal came up for air, they speared it. Seal and walrus meat was extremely nourishing. Whales were difficult to catch, as the Inuit had to hunt them using kayaks and spears; however, when they did kill them, they used every single part. The fat, or blubber, is very high in calories and helped the Inuit stay warm as they burned many calories to maintain their body heat.

Now, before you say that no one outside of a native culture would or could survive on such a diet, take a few moments to read about the “Zero Carb Diet” which has people in our current modern society eating animal products exclusively. Esmee La Fleur writes:

For those wishing to follow a Zero Carb diet, Mr. Stanley offered these tried and true Words of Wisdom:

• Eat only from the animal kingdom.
• Eat nothing from the plant kingdom.
• Do not eat milk and yogurt.
• Cook beef rare to preserve nutrients.
• Eat plenty of animal fat.
• Eat the fattiest parts first.
• Organ meats are not necessary.
• Supplements are not necessary.
• Do not eat vegetable oils.
• Do not eat salt or salted butter.
• Spices are okay for flavoring.
• Drink plenty of plain water.
• Eat as often as you are hungry.
• Do not worry about calories.

And before you say that Zero Carb Dieters are crazy, realize that more and more people are switching to this diet by choice, often for health reasons because of the way that it positively affects their weight and blood test results.

So, the answer is: if you can hunt (or fish or trap), you can survive quite well in a survival situation because you can survive on a meat-and-water-only diet.

What do you think: Could you survive in a situation where you couldn’t grow your own crops or buy grains, fruits, or vegetables? Comment below.