7 Survival Crops to Grow for MAXIMUM Calories

If you had to live off of your garden...could you? Here are 7 of our top picks for crops to grow for calories.

IN THIS VIDEO

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Beans
02:10 - Sweet Potatoes
03:33 - Quinoa
05:05 - Potatoes
06:24 - Amaranth
07:28 - Jerusalem Artichoke
08:58 - Rice

DISCLAIMER

[epicgardening]

What did we miss? There are a TON more to cover (and grow) so let us know what you want to see next :)

[FrozEnbyWolf]

For sunchokes, slice them up and cook them in an acid like vinegar or lemon juice. This breaks down the inulin starch, which is indigestible to humans, into fructose and glucose. They will be noticeably sweeter after cooking, and have a higher caloric density since you've converted the starch into sugars. You can also pickle them in vinegar to achieve the same effect.

[CandysGarden]

Your garden gives people like me MOTIVATION to keep growing. 😊

[PlumpChickenButtocks]

Are we doing another apocalypses survival challenge? Please :D

[generalsmedleybutler]

Last year I successfully grew sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke dry farming style with no watering and using rain water only. I used a thick layer of mulch to preserve the water in the ground throughout the season.

[hanumanmonkeygod]

Sweet potato leaves are a tasty edible and are almost always overlooked.

[tkdr]

i weigh 560 lbs, i have a goal to only eat what i grow starting june 1st. i committed a long time ago, my plants are so tiny, im so scared, but im gonna do it.

[smuggafree]

Kevin, you should be a teacher. Your videos are always well planned and informative. This one was very educational.

[DONE]

In my personal opinion, if the world is ending and you can only grow one plant that you have to live off of, it would be sweet potatoes.
Nutrient and caloric dense tubers, and nutrient dense vines that are very much edible.

But this is a great list. Depending on where you are, I’d add cassava, true yams (dioscorea), and taro. Maybe throw in moringa for likely the most nutrient dense greens possible and high caloric pods.

[jesswelsh]

Thanks for the seed sale! I'm anxious to use your seeds for my fall crops : )

[danieladeutsch]

Dear Kevin, I would like to add, that all the plants, that you have mentioned are good for the stabilization of your sugar level and keep you sated for a long time. I try to eat them every day and within eating them I am loosing weight too. So that´s another benefit when eating them :)

[cloudgklog]

Could you please make time in one of your upcoming videos about lentil? I really want to know how to grow them in a bed🙏

[cadenlemley]

I learned about the Jerusalem artichoke in my anthropology of food class this last semester in college. I planted a few as well as a yaupon holly because of that class… and then I started a garden. I love this channel, and I have definitely learned a lot from the Epic Gardening crew.

[celestealtus]

Aww your poor brother! He was ahead of his time.

[fiffihoneyblossom]

I grow amaranth to add to my quail feed. It's got a decent amount of protein for a bird. And they don't mind over sowing, are low maintenance, require one large dump of fertilizer or manure with sowing and nothing more until they're done. And they are gorgeous.

[fairyprairiefarm]

Thanks for the sale Kevin! I was able to stock up on new flowers I’ve not seen anywhere else! Can’t wait to add them to the farm!

[Amazing_Uriel]

Might be the best channel on YouTube. Never disappoints. Thank you for being you!

[kara]

I grew tons of cranberry beans last year. We ate them all year long and still have a couple gallon bags of frozen "fresh ones" and a quart jar of dried ones.

Scarlett runner beans were also great and we still have a half gallon jar of dried ones, though we used all of the frozen "fresh" ones.

[Max_SiddiQ]

yep, for us (if bs hits the fan) 1. Fava beans (broad beans) one of the best proteins next to meat 2. Sweet potatoes - much much better than normal potatoes (quality and quantity) 3. Pumpkins - very easy to grow, (plant and forget), amazing at storing over winters (last up to April) very nutrient dense, one big pumpkin for us, family of 4, soups/ grills etc lasts for 5-7 days & we have about 20-30 of them each winter

[EmmanuelBacena]

Wow just heard you are half Filipino. I am a Filipino urban gardener in UK and been inspired by ypur videos. Thanks