What was food like 100 years ago?

Food was very seasonal 100 years ago because it was more difficult to grow, transport and store food. People generally stuck to eating local produce that was available at that time of year, and they often preserved food to use over the winter.

Seasonal foods

In January, people would have eaten winter squash, cabbage, leeks, carrots, turnips, apples, pears and grapes.

In March, they would have had fresh asparagus, peas, and greens.

In April, they would be able to eat strawberries and salmon fresh from the rivers.

In June, they could enjoy more soft fruits including raspberries and cherries, as well as green beans, courgette and lettuce.

In August, they would have had blackberries, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweetcorn, and watermelon.

What was a 'typical' diet?

The diet of people who lived in 1920 was generally based around:

- A high proportion of carbohydrates. These came mainly from bread, potatoes, and cereals.

- A moderate amount of protein. People would have had to eat any fish, meat and dairy that they could afford, but for many people, protein would have been limited.

- Few fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables would have been more readily available in summer and autumn, but for many people, eating them would have been a luxury.

100 years ago, people often only had access to basic ingredients and had to improvise with the foods that were available. They made more stews and soups than we do today, and made use of every part of an animal that was slaughtered, including the offal. In most households, there was a lot of waste involved, as people did not have good refrigeration and would only buy ingredients when they needed them.

Differences between social classes

Of course, what you ate depended on your social class and financial status in 1920. The wealthier classes would have had access to more luxurious ingredients, such as imported fruit, and would not have had to worry so much about stretching ingredients as the lower classes did.

In conclusion...

Eating food 100 years ago was a very different experience to what it is today. People had to make much more of an effort to get food on the table, and what they ate was dictated by the seasons and their own social status.