The Survival Wild Game Nutritional Guide

Wild game is the essential free-range, organic meat and provides many health benefits such as high B12 and B6 vitamin levels, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, iron, and a lower fat content than domestic animals. It is a healthier source of protein when compared to the lamb, beef, or pork you buy in the grocery store.

Much of our uncertified store-bought meat contains substances that do not occur naturally in animals, such as steroids, growth hormones, vaccines, animal by-products, and antibiotics.

Game feeds on the natural foods available in the area where they wander about throughout their lives. Their meat is a lean, low-fat protein because of free-roaming wild animals’ higher activity levels and their all-natural vegetation diet.

Due to its lower fat content, the meat from an active wild animal may not be as tender as its farm-raised counterparts’ if not cooked properly, but it contains more flavor compounds because of increased blood circulation.

Published comparisons regarding the nutritional values of farm animals and wild game produce results that vary considerably. No two seem to provide identical percentages.

The following offers a general guideline should you find yourself in a position where you need to depend on the survival food that fishing, trapping, and hunting provides.

A Guide to The Nutritional Value of Wild Game

Why is wild game meat superior to commercially supplied or farm animal meat?

According to several surveys, domesticated animals contain 25 to 30 percent fat, whereas the median fat content of wild game is approximately 4.3 percent. The fat from wild game includes many more polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to you, and much less saturated fat, which is not.

Some game meat contains more dietary cholesterol than that of farm animals. However, the combination of a much higher percentage of cholesterol-reducing polyunsaturated fatty acids, less saturated fat, and leaner body tissue makes it a healthier choice. View the comparisons below:

Note

* 100 grams equals about 3 1/2 ounces
** Information from other sources

Researchers at Purdue University found that wild game – specifically grass-fed Rocky Mountain antelope, deer, and elk – contain an elevated amount of omega-3 fatty acids and a lesser ratio of omega-6. They comprise two parts of omega-6 to one of omega-3 in their muscle meats.

Grain-fed beef contains a five to one up to thirteen to one ratio. Both omega-3 and omega-6 are vital for balanced nutrition, yet too much of either one can cause health issues or chronic disease. Wild game fats counterbalance each other, which may lower cholesterol levels.

We require the high levels of zinc and iron that game meat provides for balanced health. Zinc supports a healthy immune system, and iron is essential for oxygen to reach organs and tissues. White meat, especially wild turkey, offers many benefits since fowl consume green plants, seeds, and bugs.

Consuming wild meat likewise has environmental benefits, whereas industrialized factory farms that produce cheap meat, dairy, and eggs hinder our planet’s health. We see an increase in diet-related illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in humans and a spread in animal diseases.

Commercial livestock farming produces 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and high waste levels. The relationship between factory farms and climate change is a critical research subject.

Alternatively, wild game meat and fish have a smaller environmental footprint. Penned-raised animals such as wild boar, rabbits, fallow deer, and pheasants should not be regarded as wild game because their diets differ considerably.

Ethical, self-sufficient hunters follow certain principles when harvesting the meat required to keep themselves and others from starving. They know, respect, and treat the game they hunt – and their habitat – fairly. They hunt in a sustainable, considerate, responsible, and safe manner that excludes cruelty to the target and includes protecting the welfare of other animals in the area.

Fish has various health advantages as it is an excellent source of vitamin D, selenium, iodine, thiamine, and omega-3 fatty acids. It increases the good HDL cholesterol levels, so make a point of fishing for the family when possible.

It’s a good idea to eat at least two servings of fish per week as it offers a different set of nutrients than other types of meat.

Myths about Eating Wild Game

Science does not support the idea that meat causes disease or that you can get all the protein you need from a plant-based diet. Meat is the top protein source and contains many of the minerals and vitamins you need. Adults require 60 to 90 grams of protein per day, more if they are physically active.

Elk and venison are two of the best sources for a healthy diet. As is the case with buckwheat, soy, and Quinoa, meat contains the nine essential amino acids you must have to build and maintain muscle.

Many people dislike game because it tastes intense, gamey, or sharp. It tastes like what the animal naturally consumes, and they prefer the subdued flavor of farm animals raised on a different diet. The secret lies in learning how to cook it properly.

The same rule applies to the concern that venison, bear meat, and wildfowl contain worms, parasites, and a variety of bacteria or germs that can make you ill. The same problem may occur with pork if it is not handled and cooked correctly.

You need to know how to deal with venison. Do not eat it fresh. Freeze it to -4 degrees for no less than four days before you eat or process it into sausage or jerky. The process will kill any tapeworms or parasites in the meat.

So will cooking game meat and pork to 160 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature and wildfowl to 165 degrees. Following these steps make pork and venison safe to consume.

Eat proteins and animal fats regularly to endure the extreme conditions you face in a survival situation. Hunting and nutritional knowledge are essential skills as survival circumstances drain your much-needed energy.

You can readily pursue and harvest small game, fish, and invertebrates such as crabs, lobsters, clams, snails, insects, and earthworms in such a situation. Doing so does not require weapons, and their quantity compensates for their small size.

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