Why Successful Food Self Sufficiency Is 100% Possible For Everyone

In this guide, we're going to talk about why food self sufficiency is 100% possible for you, even if you don't have much land.

The commonly held belief is that you need at least one acre to become fully self sufficient. That may be true if you're planning to grow all of your own food.

But, what if the idea of self sufficiency was flipped on its head so that becoming self sufficient was not just about how much food you grow on your own land, but about how much food you can forage, hunt or store independent of external inputs in the event of an emergency?

If you start to view self sufficiency from this viewpoint, you will soon realise that the amount of land you own does not necessarily mean you can't be self sufficient. It does, however, mean you need to be extraordinarily good at planning what you need to survive in the event you can't get access to the things that you need through the usual channels.

This is exactly what the bournebright method of self sufficiency is all about. It's about taking the things you have, in the situation you exist within, to create the future you want. This extends outward to all the seven elements of self sufficiency including food, shelter, income, energy, health, wealth and people.

In this guide, we’re specifically going to look at how you can achieve 100% food self sufficiency without much land.

What is food self sufficiency?

The ideal scenario is that you can grow all of your own food on your own land to sustain yourself and your family independent of the state or the supermarkets.

At first glance, it sounds impossible for most people. However, if we unpack that statement, what we are actually saying is that we want to be able to survive and feed our families without having to shop at the main supermarkets or use any income from the state to purchase the things we need to survive.

This leaves us with a few options:

1. Grow enough food on our own land to sustain our family.
2. Forage for food in the area around us.
3. Hunt or fish for food.
4. Purchase our food directly from the people who DO grow it.
5. Buy in bulk now and store for use later.

As you can see, growing your own is not the only path to food self sufficiency.

In any event, understanding how much food you need to be self sufficient is absolutely key.

How much food do you need to be self sufficient?

Before you can figure out how you are going to become self sufficient in food, you are going to have to calculate how much food you need.

Modern dietary advice suggests that an adult male needs at least 2200 calories per day to survive, with around 2000 calories for adult females.

These numbers are indicated to ‘maintain a healthy diet,’ they aren't necessarily specific to the minimum a person might need just for basic survival.

When you start to look at the minimum daily calorie requirement to survive; the human body needs around 1000 to 1500 calories per day to stop the body from entering starvation mode.

When your body enters starvation mode it will use muscle mass and fat as a source of energy to keep your basic functions working.

If you maintain a diet with a calorie intake of under 1000 calories per day for a prolonged period, whilst also continuing to carry out physical daily activity, you can expect your body to become nutritionally deficient.

Nutritional deficiency will lead to decreasing muscle mass, slow or sluggish energy levels, unpredictable moods, depression and eventually starvation (where your body will begin to shut down its organs).

Now that you know how many calories you need to take in on a daily basis just for basic survival, it's time to look at where you can get those calories from.

In the tables below, I've used data from over at Calories.info to compile several lists of foods with their calorific values.

• Top 50 Foods With The Highest Calorific Value
• Calories In Vegetables
• Calories In Fruits
• Calories In Meat
• Calories In Nuts
• Calories In Beans & Legumes
• Calories In Fish

Using this information, you can work your way backwards from the numbers to figure out what you and your family will need on a daily basis.

With this knowledge you can then work out exactly what you're capable of growing in your current location and create a plan to make up any shortfall (forage, hunt or buy) for the rest.

Top 50 foods with the highest calorific values

Food	Serving	Calories
Chicken Fat	100g	898
Pili Nuts	100g	719
Macadamia Nuts	100g	718
Pecan Nuts	100g	691
Pecans	100g	691
Pine Nuts	100g	673
Hickory Nuts	100g	657
Brazil Nuts	100g	656
Walnuts	100g	654
Hazelnut	100g	628
Butternut	100g	612
Sunflower Seeds	100g	584
Beechnut	100g	576
Almonds	100g	575
Smoked Almonds	100g	575
Sesame Seeds	100g	573
Peanuts	100g	567
Pistachios	100g	562
Pumpkin Seeds	100g	559
Cashew	100g	553
Flaxseed	100g	534
Poppy Seeds	100g	525
Safflower Seeds	100g	517
Cotton Seeds	100g	506
Chia Seeds	100g	486
Beef Jerky	100g	410
Goa Bean	100g	409
Acorn	100g	387
Corn	100g	365
Coconut	100g	354
Pinto Beans	100g	347
Duck	100g	337
Standing Rib Roast	100g	333
Raisins	100g	299
Fish Fingers	100g	290
Fish Sticks	100g	290
Dates	100g	282
Chuck Steak	100g	277
Filet Mignon	100g	267
Chicken Wing	100g	266
Caviar	100g	264
Mackerel	100g	262
Pickled Herring	100g	262
Pork Roast	100g	254
Shad	100g	252
Beef	100g	248
Pork Country-Style Ribs	100g	247
Ground Round	100g	246
Ground Beef	100g	246
Beef Brisket	100g	242

How Many Calories In Popular Vegetables?

Food	Serving	Calories
Corn	100g	365 cal
Garlic	100g	149 cal
Black Olives	100g	115 cal
Green Olives	100g	115 cal
Olives	100g	115 cal
Wasabi	100g	109 cal
Cherry Tomato	100g	100 cal
Kumara	100g	86 cal
Sweet Potato	100g	86 cal
Peas	100g	81 cal
Potato	100g	77 cal
Parsnips	100g	75 cal
Creamed Spinach	100g	74 cal
Chicory	100g	72 cal
Shallots	100g	72 cal
Leek	100g	61 cal
Kale	100g	49 cal
Horseradish	100g	48 cal
Artichoke	100g	47 cal
Squash	100g	45 cal
Beetroot	100g	43 cal
Brussels Sprouts	100g	43 cal
Carrot	100g	41 cal
Onion	100g	40 cal
Rutabaga	100g	38 cal
Nori	100g	35 cal
Broccoli	100g	34 cal
Winter Squash	100g	34 cal
Okra	100g	33 cal
Collard Greens	100g	32 cal
Green Onion	100g	32 cal
Fennel	100g	31 cal
Green Beans	100g	31 cal
Red Cabbage	100g	31 cal
Chives	100g	30 cal
Turnips	100g	28 cal
Capsicum	100g	27 cal
Kohlrabi	100g	27 cal
Mustard Greens	100g	27 cal
Pepper	100g	27 cal
Pumpkin	100g	26 cal
Arugula	100g	25 cal
Aubergine	100g	25 cal
Cabbage	100g	25 cal
Cauliflower	100g	25 cal
Eggplant	100g	25 cal
Spinach	100g	23 cal
Mushrooms	100g	22 cal
Asparagus	100g	20 cal
Bell Pepper	100g	20 cal
Turnip Greens	100g	20 cal
Chard	100g	19 cal
Tomato	100g	18 cal
Courgette	100g	17 cal
Endive	100g	17 cal
Zucchini	100g	17 cal
Celery	100g	16 cal
Chinese Cabbage	100g	16 cal
Cucumber	100g	16 cal
Radishes	100g	16 cal
Lettuce	100g	15 cal
Gherkin	100g	14 cal
Gourd	100g	14 cal

How Many Calories In Popular Fruits?

Food	Serving	Calories
Raisins	100g	299 cal
Dates	100g	282 cal
Tamarind	100g	239 cal
Avocado	100g	160 cal
Persimmon	100g	127 cal
Plantains	100g	122 cal
Olives	100g	115 cal
Custard Apple	100g	101 cal
Passion Fruit	100g	97 cal
Jackfruit	100g	95 cal
Banana	100g	89 cal
Pomegranate	100g	83 cal
Rambutan	100g	82 cal
Jujube	100g	79 cal
Figs	100g	74 cal
Acai	100g	70 cal
Grapes	100g	69 cal
Applesauce	100g	68 cal
Guava	100g	68 cal
Lychees	100g	66 cal
Minneola	100g	64 cal
Kiwi	100g	61 cal
Mango	100g	60 cal
Blueberries	100g	57 cal
Pear	100g	57 cal
Quince	100g	57 cal
Currants	100g	56 cal
Mandarin Oranges	100g	53 cal
Tangerine	100g	53 cal
Apple	100g	52 cal
Raspberries	100g	52 cal
Blood Oranges	100g	50 cal
Cherries	100g	50 cal
Fruit salad	100g	50 cal
Pineapple	100g	50 cal
Physalis	100g	49 cal
Apricot	100g	48 cal
Clementine	100g	47 cal
Orange	100g	47 cal
Cranberries	100g	46 cal
Plum	100g	46 cal
Nectarine	100g	44 cal
Blackberries	100g	43 cal
Mulberries	100g	43 cal
Papaya	100g	43 cal
Greengage	100g	41 cal
Peach	100g	39 cal
Cantaloupe	100g	34 cal
Strawberries	100g	32 cal
Starfruit	100g	31 cal
Lime	100g	30 cal
Watermelon	100g	30 cal
Lemon	100g	29 cal
Rhubarb	100g	21 cal

How Many Calories In Different Types of Meat?

Food	Serving	Calories
Chicken Fat	100g	898 cal
Beef Jerky	100g	410 cal
Duck	100g	337 cal
Standing Rib Roast	100g	333 cal
Chuck Steak	100g	277 cal
Filet Mignon	100g	267 cal
Chicken Wing	100g	266 cal
Pork Roast	100g	254 cal
Beef	100g	248 cal
Pork Country-Style Ribs	100g	247 cal
Ground Round	100g	246 cal
Ground Beef	100g	246 cal
Beef Brisket	100g	242 cal
Spare Ribs	100g	238 cal
Beef Ribs	100g	238 cal
Alligator	100g	232 cal
Chicken Thigh	100g	229 cal
Turkey Wings	100g	221 cal
Chicken	100g	219 cal
Beef Tenderloin	100g	218 cal
Pork Baby Back Ribs	100g	212 cal
Turkey Legs	100g	208 cal
Pork Loin	100g	204 cal
T-Bone Steak	100g	202 cal
New York Strip Steak	100g	199 cal
Cubed Steak	100g	199 cal
Pork Steaks	100g	196 cal
Pork	100g	196 cal
Pork Chops	100g	196 cal
Flank Steak	100g	194 cal
Turkey	100g	189 cal
Turkey Steak	100g	189 cal
Chicken Drumstick	100g	185 cal
Round Steak	100g	182 cal
Chicken Leg	100g	174 cal
Chicken Breast	100g	172 cal
Chicken Meat	100g	172 cal
Chicken Liver	100g	167 cal
Ham	100g	163 cal
Chicken Giblets	100g	158 cal
Schnitzel	100g	156 cal
Chicken Gizzards	100g	146 cal
Ostrich	100g	145 cal
Roast Beef	100g	140 cal
Flat Iron Steak	100g	137 cal
Turkey Breast	100g	135 cal

How Many Calories In Nuts?

Food	Serving	Calories
Pili Nuts	100g	719 cal
Macadamia Nuts	100g	718 cal
Pecan Nuts	100g	691 cal
Pecans	100g	691 cal
Pine Nuts	100g	673 cal
Hickory Nuts	100g	657 cal
Brazil Nuts	100g	656 cal
Walnuts	100g	654 cal
Hazelnut	100g	628 cal
Butternut	100g	612 cal
Sunflower Seeds	100g	584 cal
Beechnut	100g	576 cal
Almonds	100g	575 cal
Smoked Almonds	100g	575 cal
Sesame Seeds	100g	573 cal
Peanuts	100g	567 cal
Pistachios	100g	562 cal
Pumpkin Seeds	100g	559 cal
Cashew	100g	553 cal
Flaxseed	100g	534 cal
Poppy Seeds	100g	525 cal
Safflower Seeds	100g	517 cal
Cotton Seeds	100g	506 cal
Chia Seeds	100g	486 cal
Goa Bean	100g	409 cal
Acorn	100g	387 cal
Coconut	100g	354 cal
Pinto Beans	100g	347 cal
Chestnut	100g	213 cal
Sweet Chestnut	100g	194 cal
Breadfruit	100g	191 cal
Ginkgo Nuts	100g	182 cal
Soy Beans	100g	147 cal
Lotus Seed	100g	89 cal
Peas	100g	81 cal
Lima Beans	100g	71 cal
Radish Seeds	100g	43 cal
Watermelon	100g	30 cal
Alfalfa Sprouts	100g	23 cal

How Many Calories In Beans & Legumes?

Food	Serving	Calories
Pecan	100g	691 cal
Butternut	100g	612 cal
Textured Soy Protein	100g	571 cal
Peanuts	100g	567 cal
Soy Nut Butter	100g	562 cal
Soynut Butter	100g	562 cal
Roasted Soybeans	100g	471 cal
Soy Nuts	100g	471 cal
Bengal Gram	100g	364 cal
Black Chickpeas	100g	364 cal
Chickpeas	100g	364 cal
Brown Lentil	100g	353 cal
Lentils	100g	353 cal
Green Gram	100g	347 cal
Pinto Beans	100g	347 cal
Puy Lentils	100g	345 cal
Black Beans	100g	341 cal
Black Gram	100g	341 cal
Kidney Beans	100g	337 cal
Navy Bean	100g	337 cal
Red Kidney Bean	100g	337 cal
White Beans	100g	336 cal
Textured Vegetable Protein	100g	333 cal
Red Lentils	100g	329 cal
Soy Mayonnaise	100g	322 cal
Yellow Lentils	100g	304 cal
Deep-Fried Tofu	100g	271 cal
Fried Bean Curd	100g	271 cal
Green Lentil	100g	257 cal
Soy Cheese	100g	235 cal
Soya Cheese	100g	235 cal
Dal	100g	230 cal
Natto	100g	212 cal
Marron	100g	210 cal
Miso	100g	199 cal
Tempeh	100g	193 cal
Yuba	100g	176 cal
Soybeans	100g	147 cal
Rajma	100g	140 cal
Azuki Bean	100g	124 cal
Red Beans	100g	124 cal
Chili Bean	100g	97 cal
Extra-Firm Tofu	100g	91 cal
Refried Beans	100g	91 cal
Flageolet	100g	85 cal
Okara	100g	77 cal
Bean Curd	100g	76 cal
Tofu	100g	76 cal
Lima Beans	100g	71 cal
Firm Tofu	100g	70 cal
Soy Yogurt	100g	66 cal
Soft Tofu	100g	61 cal
Silken Tofu	100g	55 cal
Sweet Peas	100g	48 cal
Peas	100g	42 cal
Sugar Peas	100g	42 cal
Yam Bean	100g	38 cal
Okra	100g	33 cal
Green Beans	100g	31 cal
Bean Sprouts	100g	30 cal
Bamboo Shoots	100g	27 cal
Mung Beans	100g	12 cal

How Many Calories In Different Types of Fish?

Food	Serving	Calories
Fish Fingers	100g	290 cal
Fish Sticks	100g	290 cal
Caviar	100g	264 cal
Mackerel	100g	262 cal
Pickled Herring	100g	262 cal
Shad	100g	252 cal
Eel	100g	236 cal
Kipper	100g	217 cal
Sardines	100g	208 cal
Salmon	100g	206 cal
Herring	100g	203 cal
Milkfish	100g	190 cal
Trout	100g	190 cal
Butterfish	100g	187 cal
Tuna Salad	100g	187 cal
Calamari	100g	175 cal
Mussel	100g	172 cal
Swordfish	100g	172 cal
Whitefish	100g	172 cal
Rollmops	100g	171 cal
Wahoo	100g	167 cal
Octopus	100g	164 cal
Carp	100g	162 cal
Bluefish	100g	159 cal
Mullet	100g	150 cal
Sushi	100g	150 cal
Clam	100g	148 cal
Bream	100g	135 cal
Sturgeon	100g	135 cal
Tuna	100g	132 cal
Anchovy	100g	131 cal
Shark	100g	130 cal
Red Snapper	100g	128 cal
Sea Bass	100g	124 cal
Smelt	100g	124 cal
Turbot	100g	122 cal
Hoki	100g	121 cal
Grouper	100g	118 cal
Whiting	100g	116 cal
Pike	100g	113 cal
Halibut	100g	111 cal
Pickerel	100g	111 cal
Pollack	100g	111 cal
Scallops	100g	111 cal
Ling	100g	109 cal
Cod	100g	105 cal
Monkfish	100g	97 cal
Redfish	100g	94 cal
Triggerfish	100g	93 cal
Squid	100g	92 cal
Plaice	100g	91 cal
Haddock	100g	90 cal
Lobster	100g	89 cal
Crayfish	100g	87 cal
Flounder	100g	86 cal
Sole	100g	86 cal
Scampi	100g	84 cal
Zander	100g	84 cal
Crawfish	100g	82 cal
Hake	100g	71 cal

Now that you know how many calories are in different types of foods, you can start to apply that to your own situation and work out how much of it you can grow yourself and how much of it you're going to need to supplement from other sources.

Food Self Sufficiency: A Working Example

To make this contextual, let's run through a working example assuming a family of four.

For basic survival we know that the family is going to need 4000 calories per day, 1000 calories for each person.

If we start with what we can grow in our own garden, say, for example, we have enough space to grow 30 bags of potatoes. We know if we look after the bags of potatoes, we are going to get about 10 pounds of potatoes from each bag; that's approx. 25 potatoes at an average weight of about 150g each.

We can see from this simple example that we are still 850g short in calories to meet our basic survival needs.

If we have no more space left in our garden then we know we need to make up the shortfall by buying supplemental food and storing it, foraging or hunting.

Foraging and hunting are separate skill sets in their own right and will be covered in their own guides so for now, let's just get you up and running as quickly as possible with the buy and store method.

Jacket Potato & Beans Will Keep You Alive

Using our tables to find navy beans in tomato sauce (the kind you buy from the supermarket) we can see that a typical tin of 415g will provide about 300 calories per 100g.

Thus, if we supplement our single potato with a full tin of beans, we will actually meet our minimum daily requirement for food self sufficiency – survival.

What I'm saying then, is a jacket potato and beans will keep you alive.

In practical terms, this means you need one baking potato and a tin of beans for every person in your family for every day you want to keep them from starving.

So, for a three month supply of food, you're going to need 90 tins of beans and 90 potatoes per person. This would be a great time to learn how you can buy and store potatoes for months after you buy them. Whilst not permanently self sufficient, this does meet the goal of not needing to use the existing infrastructure for 3 months in an emergency.

Of course, this is a very simple example of how you can apply the information in this guide to work out how much food you need to grow and how much food you need to supplement in your quest for food self sufficiency.

I'm not for one second suggesting that you can actually live on jacket potato and beans for the rest of your life, I'm just using this as an example to show you the bare minimum of what is required, but also to show you that the bournebright idea of food self sufficiency is achievable for anyone.

This is the baseline. You now need to learn how to forage, hunt and grow more as you continue your journey towards food self sufficiency.