What Americans ate in 1776 and why the 1776 diet is trending back
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The eating habits of many American colonists have made a comeback in recent years. They ate minimally processed, locally sourced whole foods and regularly incorporated organ meats into their meals.
Livestock and many Old World products were brought to North America by European explorers and settlers in the centuries before the country’s founding.
Early settlers adapted European cooking traditions using ingredients available in North America. Presidency and Congress (CSPC) reported.
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Native peoples introduced corn to colonists, and it became a staple ingredient in many of their recipes. Beans, squash and potatoes were among other products incorporated into colonial cuisine, according to the CSPC.
“Cornmeal appeared in dishes such as rush pudding, a thick porridge similar to polenta, and johnnycakes, simple griddle cakes popular from New England to the South.” He reported the Facts of History.
Cornmeal Johnnycakes, roast pork, and cream cheese are distinctly early American foods, recipes for which are available on CSPC’s website.
Corn became a staple of the early colonists’ diet after indigenous peoples introduced the crop to settlers and taught them how to grow it. (iStock)
Regional traditions and crops greatly influenced what colonists ate. Rice and okra grew well and were abundant in the South, where French and African influences also shaped eating habits. Dutch, British and German immigrants largely settled in the north and formed the culinary traditions of the region.
Seafood such as rockfish and crab dominated the diet of Maryland’s early settlers. NPR reported.
Local food historian Joyce White told the publication that meat was a status symbol. Beef was valuable and chicken was often kept for egg production.
“If it’s your pig or cow that comes from your farm, you don’t want to waste it,” White said.
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Thomas Jefferson was known for his decadent tastes and his fondness for French wine and macaroni and cheese, NPR reported. Records show that black-eyed peas, turnip greens, and ham were also part of the Founding Father’s diet.
Salted and canned fish and meats, including bacon, sausages, liver pudding and offal, formed staples of the working-class diet, while the upper classes indulged in luxury foods such as white flour and sugar.
Interest in these traditional foods has resurfaced in recent years as some Americans seek diets that focus on whole, minimally processed ingredients.
Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was known for his continental flavors and enjoyed French wine and macaroni and cheese. (iStock)
For example, proponents of the Make America Healthy Again movement promoted organ meats, or offal, as one of the cheapest and most nutrient-dense foods people could eat.
Casseroles, which evolved as ingredients became available, were also common in America’s early days.
The amount of alcohol the colonists consumed was “staggering,” Adrian Miller, author of “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet,” told NPR.
“They were very open about how much they drank,” he said.
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George Washington wrote a recipe for “small beer” in a magazine he kept as a young colonel in charge of the Virginia militia during the Seven Years’ War, Fox News Digital previously reported. The New York Public Library hosts the magazine.
“Little beer” gets its name from the small amount of alcohol it contains, according to the library. It was quick to make and safer to drink, and was an “everyday, staple beverage” because the brewing process helped destroy bacteria in the water, the library reported.
“While there are some positives to the 1776 Diet — such as emphasizing whole foods, cooking at home, and fewer ultra-processed foods — it’s not exactly a diet I would recommend following,” Lisa R. Young, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of nutrition at New York University, told Fox News Digital.
Working-class colonists often kept chickens for their eggs rather than for consumption of their meat. (iStock)
“Colonial Americans often ate foods like salted ham, organ meats, and other preserved meats out of necessity,” he said. “Today, we know that it is best to limit processed and cured meats because they are high in sodium and saturated fat, and organ meats, although nutrient dense, are best eaten in moderation due to their high cholesterol content.”
Young recommended focusing on the healthiest aspects of the 1776 diet. This includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish and lean proteins.
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“Of course you can mimic the Founding Fathers’ 250th anniversary week diet,” he said. “It won’t matter much what you eat for a day or a week.”
Young noted that some of the Founding Fathers often drank too much beer in the morning.
“We shouldn’t imitate this,” he said.
