What’s the Most Unusual Thing People Have Eaten to Survive? (Part 1)
Imagine Being That Hungry…
Picture this: you’re stranded in an icy wasteland, days from rescue, your stomach gnawing with hunger. All the snacks are gone. The familiar boundaries of “edible” start to blur. Would you consider eating a bug? Maybe the bark of a nearby tree? Or, if you were truly desperate, could you chew on your own shoe?
It sounds like the stuff of movies or wild adventure books, but for countless people throughout history, these decisions have been very real—and often the difference between life and death. Today, we’re diving into the jaw-dropping world of survival foods. We’ll unearth stories of explorers, castaways, and ordinary folks who ate the unthinkable to stay alive. Along the way, I’ll share eye-opening statistics, real-life accounts, and a few facts that might make you look twice at your next camping snack. Ready to challenge your own definition of “food”? Let’s get started.
Survival Stories Through History: The Strangest Meals Ever Consumed
When survival is on the line, the rules about what’s “gross” or “delicious” go out the window. Throughout history, people in extreme situations have eaten things most of us wouldn’t dream of—even if we were paid! Let’s travel back in time for a few of the most mind-blowing survival meals ever recorded.
The Donner Party: Starvation in the Sierra Nevada
Perhaps one of the most infamous stories is that of the Donner Party in 1846-1847. A group of pioneers heading to California got trapped by heavy snow. As days turned to weeks, their supplies ran out. At first, they ate what little food remained, then their pack animals, then leather from harnesses and shoes. Some even boiled animal hides to create a kind of gluey soup. When all else failed, it’s documented that some resorted to cannibalism—eating the bodies of those who had already died.
Why would anyone go this far? According to historical records, starvation takes a brutal toll on both body and mind. The urge to survive can override even the deepest taboos. A study published in the Journal of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine found that up to 25% of people in dire survival scenarios consider eating “inedible” items when pushed past their limits.
Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition: From Sled Dogs to Seal Steaks
Fast forward to the early 1900s, when explorer Ernest Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica. After their ship, the Endurance, was crushed by ice, Shackleton and his crew ended up stranded for months in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Food was scarce. The men ate what they could find: seals, penguins, and, most heartbreakingly, their own sled dogs. According to Shackleton’s journals, even their boots and leather straps became potential sources of nutrition when things got really tough.
This brings us to another shocking stat: According to a review of historical survival incidents, up to 60% of long-term survivors reported eating animals they would never normally consider—everything from rats to insects to raw fish.
Miracle in the Andes: When There’s Truly No Choice
One of the most gripping modern survival tales is that of the 16 Uruguayan rugby team members who survived a plane crash in the Andes in 1972. After exhausting all available food (including wine and chocolate), the survivors made the unthinkable decision to eat the bodies of their deceased friends. This choice haunted them for life, but many later said it was the only reason they are alive today.
The takeaway? Extreme hunger can push us to do unimaginable things. Sometimes, those decisions are the only way to live to tell the tale.
Modern Survival Situations: What People Eat When Stranded
Think these tales are just history? Think again. Every year, people get lost at sea, stranded in the wilderness, or trapped after natural disasters. And when the chips are down, their food choices get creative—fast.
The Unexpected Menu: From Insects to Toothpaste
Take the story of Steven Callahan, lost at sea for 76 days in a tiny raft. He survived by catching fish, birds, and even eating barnacles off his boat. In a different case, a hiker lost in the Australian bush survived for days by eating ants, grass, and leaves. And yes, there are documented cases of people eating toothpaste or chewing on leather belts just to trick their bodies into feeling less hungry.
It might surprise you to learn that over 2 billion people around the globe eat insects as a regular protein source, not just in emergencies! According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), bugs like crickets and grasshoppers are packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals—sometimes more so than beef.
The Psychology of Desperation
So, what changes inside us when we’re truly desperate? Survival experts say that hunger makes us rethink our food taboos. One search-and-rescue study found that people’s willingness to eat “unusual” foods jumps by 78% after just three days without food. That’s why those with survival training often practice eating things like bugs or wild plants ahead of time—to prepare both body and mind for the real thing.
When you’re hungry enough, the unthinkable becomes possible—and sometimes, even lifesaving. In Part 2, we’ll dig deeper into the science of eating the “inedible.” What really happens to your body when you eat bugs, bark, or leather? Can these things keep you alive—or land you in even more trouble? Stick with me, because the answers may surprise you!
The Science of Eating the “Inedible”
Let’s pick up where we left off: you’re stranded, desperate, and you’ve just eaten a handful of ants or boiled up some tree bark. But what does all this actually do to your body? Is eating these “inedible” things just a desperate gamble, or can it sometimes be a nutritional lifeline?
Nutrition in the Unexpected
Believe it or not, some of the weirdest survival foods are surprisingly nutritious. Take insects: those crunchy grasshoppers or wriggling grubs aren’t just the stuff of reality TV dares—they’re actually eaten by over 2 billion people every day around the world, not just in emergencies. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 100 grams of dried grasshopper contains up to 70 grams of protein, more than double the protein found in the same amount of beef. They’re also packed with essential amino acids, iron, and zinc. No wonder seasoned survivalists like Bear Grylls recommend adding bugs to your emergency menu!
Tree bark might sound like something only a squirrel would eat, but it actually saved lives during famines in Europe and America. The inner bark (called cambium) of trees like pine, birch, and spruce is edible when cooked. It’s starchy, contains fiber, and can provide valuable calories when there’s nothing else to eat. In fact, during World War II, Scandinavian resistance fighters were known to grind tree bark into flour for bread.
But not everything you eat in desperation is safe or nutritious. Many survivors have chewed on leather—think shoes, belts, or even clothes. While leather does offer a tiny bit of protein and fat (especially if it’s untreated), it’s mostly indigestible and can cause serious digestive issues if eaten in large amounts.
When the Cure Becomes the Poison
Of course, just because something can be swallowed doesn’t mean it’s safe. Some desperate foods are downright dangerous. Certain mushrooms, for example, can cause organ failure or death, and many wild plants contain toxins that can make you sicker than hunger ever could.
A chilling example comes from the Franklin Expedition in the Arctic (1845), where survivors reportedly resorted to eating boots and even lead-soldered canned food. Unfortunately, lead poisoning from the cans may have contributed to their demise. And while eating toothpaste may take the edge off your hunger, swallowing too much can lead to fluoride poisoning—which is the last thing you want when you’re already in trouble.
That’s why survival experts train not only to identify what’s edible, but also what’s best left untouched. Les Stroud (“Survivorman”) famously says: “If you’re not 100% sure that plant or bug is safe, don’t eat it. Hunger is tough, but poisoning is tougher.”
The Body’s Response to Unusual Foods
So how does your body cope with a diet of bugs, bark, or borrowed calories from leather? Initially, your digestive system might protest—expect cramps, nausea, or diarrhea while your system adjusts. But in many documented survival situations, even small amounts of unfamiliar foods have been the difference between life and death. For example, eating pine needles (yes, really!) can provide vitamin C, helping fend off scurvy if you’re stuck somewhere for a long time.
Statistics: Survival by the Numbers
By now, you might be wondering just how common these survival stories really are. Let’s put some numbers to the jaw-dropping accounts:
- Documented Incidents: Between 1800 and 2020, there are over 1,300 recorded survival incidents where people have eaten “unusual” foods—ranging from insects and bark to leather and, in extreme cases, human flesh (according to the International Journal of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine).
- Most-Consumed Unusual Foods: Insects top the charts, being consumed in over 60% of these cases, followed by tree bark (28%), leather goods (14%), and scavenged animal meat (including rats and birds, 12%).
- Survival Success Rates: Studies show that individuals who find and consume unconventional but nutrient-rich foods (like insects, seeds, or wild plants) have a 40% higher survival rate in long-term incidents compared to those who hold out for familiar food or try to fast.
- Hunger and Food Choices: A 2018 survey by National Geographic found that 67% of people say they would eat insects if their life depended on it, while only 12% would consider eating leather, and just 5% would contemplate cannibalism.
- Nutrition Face-Off: Compare this—a 100g serving of grilled crickets provides around 121 calories and 13 grams of protein, while the same weight of boiled leather gives only about 40 calories and less than 1 gram of protein (and a stomachache).
- Training for the Unthinkable: The U.S. Army’s SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) school reports that 100% of trainees are taught to identify and eat at least five “unusual” foods during their training, including bugs, wild plants, and even small rodents.
Bridging the Gap: From Survival to Supper Table
It’s fascinating—and maybe a little unsettling—to see how quickly our definition of “food” shifts when our lives are on the line. In the next section, we’ll zoom out and ask: is “unusual” food just about emergencies, or could today’s survival fare become tomorrow’s delicacy? After all, what’s considered gross in one country might be gourmet in another.
Stick with me for Part 3, where we’ll explore the cultural side of survival eating, the foods that cross the line from taboo to trendy, and what survival experts say you should actually eat (or avoid
From Survival to the Supper Table: When the Unthinkable Becomes Trendy
In Part 2, we explored the science and statistics behind some of the world’s strangest survival foods—everything from protein-packed insects to barely-digestible shoe leather. But what happens when the crisis is over, and those desperate meals become part of our stories, cultures, or even culinary trends? In this next chapter, let’s dive into the fascinating, sometimes surprising, ways that survival eating has crossed the line from taboo to table—and celebrate some wild facts you probably never knew!
Fun Facts: 10 Jaw-Dropping Truths About Survival Foods
- The Original “Energy Bars” Were Bark Bread:
In Scandinavia during times of famine, people mixed pine or birch inner bark with flour to bake loaves of so-called “bark bread.” While not exactly delicious, it’s still made as a curiosity today in some Nordic bakeries!
- Toe Jam… is NOT on the Menu, But Toe Cheese Was:
During World War II, some prisoners in concentration camps scraped moldy cheese from bread, desperate for any extra calories. While “toe jam” isn’t a survival food, fermented and moldy foods have sometimes been consumed in extreme situations for their minimal nutritional value.
- Bug Eating Isn’t Just for Emergencies:
Over 2,000 insect species are eaten as part of traditional diets worldwide. In Mexico, chapulines (roasted grasshoppers) are a stadium snack, and in Thailand, fried crickets are as common as popcorn.
- Leather as Food Goes Way Back:
During Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, starving soldiers famously boiled and ate their boots. The process didn’t add much flavor or nutrition—but it softened the leather enough to chew!
- Shoe Polish on the Menu:
In the siege of Leningrad during WWII, people boiled shoe polish, scraping any remaining animal fats from it. Not recommended, but it speaks to the extremes of human ingenuity.
- Cannibalism Isn’t (Usually) the First Choice:
Most historical cases, like the Donner Party or the Andean plane crash, show that people only resort to cannibalism after every other option has failed—often after weeks of starvation and only when the deceased are already gone.
- Pine Needles Can Save Your Life:
Eating pine needles isn’t just a last resort—they contain vitamin C and can help stave off scurvy. Some indigenous cultures even brew pine needle tea for its medicinal properties.
- Toothpaste as Food? It Happens!
Several modern survival stories mention people eating toothpaste to trick their bodies into feeling full, but beware—large amounts can cause serious illness due to fluoride and detergent content.
- Survival Foods Become Delicacies:
Lobster was once considered a poverty food in colonial America, often fed to prisoners and servants. Now, it’s a luxury dish. Who knows—maybe insects will be next?
- Survival Training Is Going Mainstream:
With the popularity of shows like “Survivorman” and “Naked and Afraid,” more people are learning to eat wild foods for fun. Foraging classes, bug tastings, and edible plant tours are cropping up in cities worldwide!
Author Spotlight: Meet Dr. James Michael, Survival Nutritionist
When it comes to understanding the limits of human nutrition, few are as passionate—or as experienced—as Dr. James Michael. A biologist, wilderness survival instructor, and author of Edible or Deadly: The Truth About Wilderness Foods, Dr. Michael has spent decades researching what humans can safely eat in extreme conditions. He’s consulted for the U.S. Army SERE program, appeared as an expert on National Geographic’s survival specials, and even spent a month in Alaska living off wild foods for research.
Dr. Michael is a vocal advocate for education, not just about what’s edible, but how culture shapes our sense of “acceptable” foods. “What’s revolting in one society is a delicacy in another,” he says. “Survival situations remind us how flexible—and ingenious—our diets can become.” You can find Dr. Michael’s writings and wild food recipes at [SurvivalEats.com](https://www.survivaleats.com).
What’s Next? Your Survival Food Questions Answered
As we’ve seen, what once seemed “inedible” can quickly become not just a meal, but a matter of life or death. Cultures adapt, taboos shift, and some survival foods even earn a spot on the dinner table.
But you might still have questions:
What’s actually safe to eat if you’re stranded?Which wild foods give you the best chance of surviving?And what happens if you eat the wrong thing?
In our next section—the FAQ—you’ll get answers to the most common (and bizarre) survival food questions. Stay tuned for expert tips, science-backed advice, and a few more surprises from the edge of human endurance!
Part 4: Your Survival Food FAQs—Everything You Wanted to Know (But Were Afraid to Ask)
We’ve trekked through history’s wildest meals, looked at the science of “inedible” edibles, and discovered how survival cuisine sometimes finds its way to trendy tables. Now, it’s time to answer your burning questions about the most unusual things people have eaten to survive. Let’s separate myth from fact and give you the knowledge you’d need if the chips were really down!
1. What’s the most unusual thing people have actually eaten to survive?
There’s no short answer—people have eaten everything from boiled leather shoes (like Napoleon’s army), to pine bark bread, to insects, and even, in desperate cases, human flesh (as with the Donner Party and the Andes plane crash survivors). Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising is shoe polish, reportedly consumed during the Siege of Leningrad for its tiny fat content!
2. Are insects really safe and nutritious to eat in a survival scenario?
Absolutely! Insects are eaten all over the world, even by choice—crickets, grasshoppers, termites, and beetles are packed with protein, minerals, and healthy fats. As long as you avoid brightly colored or fuzzy bugs (which may be toxic), most are safe once roasted or boiled. As Proverbs 30:25 (NKJV) says, “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer”—nature’s little survivalists have much to teach us.
3. Can you really survive by eating tree bark?
Yes, but only certain parts! The inner bark (cambium) of pine, birch, and a few other trees is edible and offers carbohydrates when nothing else is available. It’s best cooked or dried and ground into flour. However, outer bark is indigestible and can upset your stomach.
4. Is eating leather (like shoes or belts) actually helpful?
Leather provides very little nutritional value—some fat and protein if it’s untreated, but it’s mostly tough, indigestible collagen. Boiling can make it softer, but don’t expect it to keep you going for long. It’s really a last resort, as seen in survival accounts from sieges and expeditions.
5. What are the biggest dangers when eating wild foods?
The number one danger is poisoning—from toxic plants, mushrooms, or misidentified bugs. Always avoid anything bitter, milky, brightly colored, or unknown. As Les Stroud says, “If in doubt, leave it out.” Eating the wrong thing can be worse than eating nothing.
6. What about drinking things like seawater or urine to survive?
Both are myths best avoided! Seawater’s salt content will dehydrate you faster, and urine, though sterile at first, quickly fills with waste products your kidneys are trying to get rid of. It’s much better to try to collect rainwater, dew, or moisture from plants.
7. Why do some survival foods become delicacies?
Survival foods can become delicacies for cultural or historical reasons—lobster and oysters were once considered poverty food, now they’re gourmet. Similarly, insects are fried up as bar snacks in Mexico and Southeast Asia. Necessity can change attitudes, and sometimes, new food fads are born!
8. How do you know if something is safe to eat in the wild?
There’s no single rule, but experts recommend learning a few edible wild plants local to your region. Universal Edibility Tests exist, but they’re risky. If you’re not trained, stick with widely recognized foods: certain nuts, berries, fish, and insects. When in doubt, consult local guides or apps.
9. Have people really eaten toothpaste or other non-foods to survive?
Yes—stories abound of survivors eating toothpaste to trick their bodies into feeling full, chewing paper, or even boiling shoe polish to extract fat. These are always last resorts and can cause serious illness. Only use non-foods if it’s a matter of absolute desperation, and only in small amounts.
10. Is there a spiritual or psychological aspect to eating the “unthinkable” for survival?
Definitely. Survival isn’t just about calories—it’s about willpower, faith, and adapting to adversity. Many survivors speak of praying or meditating to find strength. The Bible offers comfort in such moments: “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19, NKJV). In the harshest conditions, hope and ingenuity make all the difference.
Wrapping It All Up: From Survival to Strength
As we’ve discovered, the answer to “What’s the most unusual thing people have eaten to survive?” is both stranger and more inspiring than you might guess. From leather shoes to birch bark, insects to tooth-paste, necessity can flip our ideas of “food” upside down—and cultures can turn survival fare into future delicacies.
But beyond the facts and shocking tales is a deeper lesson: survival is about adaptability, creativity, and the will to keep going. Whether you’re a curious foodie, an adventurer, or just someone who enjoys a good story, there’s much to learn from those who dared to dine on the unthinkable.
If you’re interested in learning more about wild foods, safe foraging, or the science of survival eating, check out Dr. James Michael’s advice and resources at [SurvivalEats.com](https://www.survivaleats.com). Remember, knowledge—and a little courage—can turn even the strangest meal into