Pine tree needles - Edible?

It is clear that during spring, summer and fall there are many sources of food in the wild which can be used for survival.

But during winter, there is almost nothing green.

I say almost.

Pine tree needles remain green even during winter.

Now, many sources say that they contain vitamin C, which is good because you are not going to find many sources of that vitamin in winter.

But I was wondering, do they have calories?

Calories which are useful for humans come in four forms:

protein, fat, sugar and alcohol.

Some sources say that pine tree needles have up to 8% protein.

Now, 8% would be 8 grams of protein in 100 grams of pine tree needles.

1 gram of protein is 4 calories.

So 8 grams of protein would have about 32 calories.

They also contain fat, which could add more to calories.

Pine trees are available in winter, and for the whole year.

However, there is a question of if they would be a significant food source.

Because usually, a source of calories must satisfy 3 standards:

1. That it contains enough calories per 100 grams

2. That it weighs enough

3. That you can eat it in an amount which gives you lots of calories

3 is most important. Even if 1 and 2 is satisfied, 3 could be unsatisfied.

At my best guess, pine tree needles have about 50 calories per 100 grams.

Since they are tiny, one would assume that they dont weigh much,

but one could also say that their water content would add to weight.

Mililiters are a meassure of volume.

Water weighs about 100 grams per 100 mililiters, so assuming 70% water content, 100 mililiters of blended pine tree needles would weigh at least 70 grams.

Of course, when not blended, it has greater volume since air fills empty space.

Another question is: are pine tree needles harmful in greater amount?

The answer would probably be yes at some amount, but exact amount is unknown because pine tree needles dont have people willing to eat lots of them to prove how much is too much.

People mostly use pine tree needles to make tea full of vitamin C, and certain guides say that you can chew pine tree needles to get vitamin C.

Of course, always make sure to identify the tree properly.

Yew tree is poisonous, for example.

You can eat white pine (Pinus monticola), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) throughout North America. Needles from the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) are toxic.

I feel like there is plenty of food in nature, as long as you dodge the poisonous things.

There should really be more research on pine tree needles, because I am not sure what amount is safe.

I know they contain tannins, which could be toxic in greater amount.

But for comparison, tea contains tannins too.

Its really about how much is too much.

I think pine-tree needles is one of the last steps in terms of diet when it comes to self-mummification (for buddhists).

I swallowed a quarter  2 dimes and a penny when I was 4.

Were they the safe kind found throughout North America or the toxic kind?

I was 4, I don't know.