Energy Requirements of a Medieval Peasant

[230gr]

It occurred to me that the post TEOTWAWKI subsistence homesteader might be comparable to the 14th century Medieval Peasant both in energy expenditure and diet availability.    

Energy Requirements of a Medieval Peasant
The post TEOTWAWKI subsistence homesteader and the 14th century Medieval Peasant will likely have another thing in common; muscle powered manual labor. 

How much energy did the medieval peasant need to expend?
•   Work days could last as long as12 hours in the summer.
•   Men and Women both burned 1892 calories just sleeping and walking PLUS a day's labor.
•   The average of the various activities listed below is around 3000 calories per eight hours.
o   Sleeping- 392 Calories
o   Walking in 8 hr at 3 mph- 1,437 Calories

Average Medieval Male- Age 30, 5' 5", 120 lb
•   Sawing - hardwood, by hand 3,266 Calories in 8 hr
•   Forking Bales of Hay 3,484 Calories in 8 hr
•   Farming - shearing sheep 2,613 Calories in 8 hr
•   Farming - chasing livestock 1,524 Calories in 8 hr
•   Digging – ditches 3,701 Calories in 8 hr
•   Chopping Wood – fast 7,403 Calories in 8 hr

Average Medieval Female - Age 30, 5' 5", 120 lb
•   Weeding Garden 1,960 Calories in 8 hr
•   Moderate/heavy work 1,742 Calories in 8 hr
•   Hauling - water 1,960 Calories in 8 hr
•   Cultivating Garden 1,470 Calories in 6 hr
•   Chopping Wood – fast 5,552 Calories in 6 hr
•   Farming - animal care 2,613 Calories in 8 hr
A prosperous English peasant in the 14th century would probably consumer 2 to 3 pounds of bread, 8 ounces of meat or fish and 2 -3 pints of ale per day. The bread was usually mean of rye, oats, or barley. For the less prosperous, meat was expensive and usually only available on special occasions. Often eggs, butter, or cheese were substituted for meat. Vegetables such as onions, leeks, cabbage, garlic, turnips, parsnips, peas and beans were staples. Fruits were available in season, perhaps some as dried.
Nutritional needs of a medieval peasant: 4800 calories: 104 g protein 159 g fat 738 g carbohydrates

Sample Diet 1
Amount   Food   Calories   Fat G   Protein G   Carbohydrates

3 whole   eggs   197   13   16   2
3 cups   oats (porridge)   1821   33   78   309
3 pints   ale   584   0   4   53
8 ounces   cheese   913   75   56   3
   TOTAL:   3515   121   154   367
   Nutritional needs medieval peasant   4800   159   104   738
Sample Diet 2
Amount   Food   Calories   Fat g   Protein g   Carbohydrates

2 cups   beans   1394   5   93   252
2 1/2 lbs.   whole wheat   2948   46   103   535
3 pints   ale   584   0   4   53
4 cups   turnips   140   1   5   32
   TOTAL:   5066   52   205   872
   Nutritional needs medieval peasant   4800   159   104   738
Sample Diet 3
Amount   Food   Calories   Fat g   Protein g   Carbohydrates

8 ounces   pork   515   37   41   0
2 1/2 lbs.   rye bread   2937   37   96   548
3 pints   ale   584   0   4   53
8 oz   cabbage   45   0   3   10
   TOTAL:   4081   74   114   611
   Nutritional needs medieval peasant   4800   159   104   738

[Jerry D Young]

I had not run across this before. Very informative. And applicable, I believe. Very much in line with what I have been advocating for a long time for food storage preps. Even a bit more calorie intake that I have suggested (4,800 vs 3,500) though, even the 14th century peasants probably did not consume 4,800 each and every day.

Thank you 230gr.

Just my opinion.

[230gr]

they probably were lucky to get that much but they likely still burned that many in certain parts of the year. Most were probably thin at best. Nearly half their calories came from bread of one sort or another.