1. Hickory
These common tree nuts are the highest calorie payout of the fall season, giving you 193 calories per ounce of nutmeat. Most hickory nuts taste like their famous relative: the pecan.
2. Black Walnut
The rough round husks of this wild walnut conceal a valuable food source. The nut meats of black walnut are rich tasting and contain 173 calories an ounce. They are high in fat, with a fair bit of protein, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese
3. Pine Nuts
The nuts of any large pine tree are a classic western survival food. Measuring 172 calories per ounce, these nuts are high fat, with some protein and carbohydrates. Pine nuts are also a good source of thiamin and manganese, with a decent array of other B vitamins and minerals
4. Hazelnut
The American hazelnut grows east of the Mississippi from Georgia to Maine. Just one ounce of the good flavored hazelnuts contains 170 calories and 4 grams of protein. The hazelnut also carries a good portion of vitamin E, thiamin, copper and manganese
5. Beech Nuts
Look for the smooth barked beech trees in the eastern woodlands, and look for the small three-sided seed falling out of a prickly husk around early October. The nuts have 10 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of protein and 164 calories per ounce.
6. Acorn
One ounce of acorn nut meat from any species of Oak (Quercus genus) contains a little over 100 calories. These are high carb nuts, with some fat and protein, giving these nuts a nutritional profile similar to bread. Just shell them and soak them in water for a few days to remove their bitterness.
7. Wild Rice
This northern marsh grass plant has long been a valuable commodity in North America. The raw, uncooked rice is 100 calories per ounce, and it contains some traces of B vitamins, 4 grams of protein, and numerous minerals.
8. Amaranth
These small shiny black seeds contain 90 calories an ounce, 3 grams of protein, and some calcium and iron. The leaves are also edible, but have very low nutritional value.
9. Rose Hips
The fire-engine red fruits of wild roses are only 20 calories an ounce, but they are a good source of vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), vitamin K, calcium and magnesium, dietary fiber, vitamin A and manganese. One ounce will provide close to your daily allowance of vitamin C.
10. Persimmon
These sweet native fruits are not pretty, but their sweet taste makes them a very popular wild food. Persimmon fruit has 16 calories per ounce, along with vitamins A and C. Look for wrinkled fruits in late October. They are very bitter and give you a strong case of cotton mouth if they are not yet ripe.