This post contains affiliate links.
Humans have been roaming the earth for millennia. Even before agriculture took root in the fertile crescent, our ancestors thrived on a diet of meat and plants. And while modern humans continue to eat a wide variety of foods today, we know surprisingly little about what our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate.
Not having modern preservation methods they must have had some good old-time survival foods ideas we can ‘steal’ from and help us preppers be better prepared for all kinds of disasters.
Some basic prepper skills that can save your life are a must, but a well-thought prepper pantry is as important. Looking at what did ancient humans eat in challenging times and places should inspire us to build a more prepared pantry for any challenging times we might face in the modern world.
What Foods Did Our Ancestors Eat?
Humans have spent much of our history hauling around a lot of baggage. But our physical load isn’t just limited to what we’re carrying around in our heads. Our diet has always been a powerful shaper of our species, and one of the most important windows into the past.
Unfortunately, the remains of our ancient ancestors don’t come with nutritional information. Instead, researchers must piece together the diets of early humans by looking at the food remains found in sites where ancient humans lived.
What did People eat in Medieval Times?
As with every other time period, the medieval diet varied depending on location and class. However, there were some common themes in the medieval diet. Some old-time survival foods of a medieval diet included:
Meat and Fish: Meat and fish were the main sources of protein in the medieval diet. These foods were typically cooked in one of two ways — roasted or boiled in a stew. For the majority of people, meat was considered a luxury and was therefore only consumed a few times each year.
Root Vegetables: Root vegetables such as potatoes, turnips, and carrots were commonly eaten. These foods were typically boiled and served with a pottage.
Bread: Bread was the main source of carbohydrates in the medieval diet. Unlike most modern varieties, medieval bread was often made with rye rather than wheat.
Cheese: Cheese was a common source of nutrients in the medieval diet.
Drinks: Water was the main drink in the medieval diet.
The diet of peasants was very different from that of nobles, of course. Peasants ate a very basic diet of grains and legumes and very little meat. However, they were often able to grow their own vegetables, so their diet was probably more varied than you might think.
Humans in the Paleolithic Era
The earliest humans are known as Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. They lived in small, nomadic communities and hunted animals for food wherever they could find it. Humans living in this era ate a diet rich in meat, nuts, fruits, and plants, depending on the season.
Fats make up about 25% of the calories in this diet and protein about 35%. This is pretty good, as compared to modern western diets, which are about 40% fat and 20% protein.
Researchers have discovered many examples of Paleolithic diets in modern-day tribes. Sometimes, they can offer insight into how our ancient ancestors lived. However, many of these tribes have changed their diets dramatically over time.
It’s hard to know to what extent their diets reflect those of our earliest ancestors. Therefore from a prepper perspective, some old-time survival foods from the Paleolithic people are lean meats, fish fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
What did Ancient Egyptians eat?
Another place to look for old-time survival foods is of course Ancient Egypt. Their unique geography and climate helped shape their diet in unique ways. Egypt is famous for being the “breadbasket of the ancient world,” but most Egyptians didn’t have an easy time getting their hands on that bread. The crops that grew well in the Nile Valley were mostly grain crops like wheat, barley, and rye.
Due to their challenging location and seasonality, the other type of old-time survival foods they mostly ate are beans, legumes, and cereal grains like sorghum. The common people didn’t have as much access to meat as their wealthier counterparts.
But they supplemented their diet with lots of fish from the Nile and other sources of protein. It’s fascinating that today you can simply fill your pantry with cheap foods that only rich Egyptian people could afford to eat back then.
What did Native Americans Eat?
Interestingly enough the Native Americans should be a great inspiration to help us preppers fill our pantry with some good ideas for old-time survival foods. The diet of early Native Americans varied by location, season, and availability of food. It’s difficult to generalize what they ate because it varied so greatly across locations and seasons.
Most Native Americans ate a wide variety of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and roots. They also ate lots of fish, games, and insects. Nuts and seeds like acorns, beans, and squash were important parts of many Native American diets.
They were nutritious, easy to store, and could be used to make flour for flatbreads. I don’t know about insects but I guess in a dramatic survival situation I should go for it. What about you?
What did Indigenous People eat in Australia?
As for Australian Aboriginals, they were nomadic hunter-gatherers who harvested a wide variety of plant foods, insects, and small animals. Some old-time survival foods of the Aboriginal diet are small amounts of larger animals like wallabies and kangaroos.
Their diet however changed dramatically with the arrival of Europeans. European settlers brought cows, sheep, and pigs with them to Australia, which they raised for meat and wool. They also brought seeds and grains such as wheat, barley, and oats, which they used to make flour and bread.
The Aboriginal diet is often misunderstood as consisting mainly of “bush tucker,” which are mostly plants, insects, and small animals that can be gathered in the wild. As for a prepper, this is not a good source of food inspiration. Plants and insects are not my go-to when it comes to my preppers pantry. I’d rather use that space with some good long-lasting dried foods.
What did they eat in Ancient Greece?
The Greeks were one of the first civilizations to radically shift the human diet. They were the first people to try to “control nature” by planting seeds and harvesting them for food. The Greeks began cultivating grains like wheat and barley, which were easier to harvest than the seeds of wild plants. They also ate a lot of legumes like fava beans and lentils.
They cultivated grapes and drank wine, which was more of a health and status symbol than food at the time. The Greeks also ate lots of olives, which they harvested. Therefore, the old-time survival foods from Greece are more or less what we already eat today.
What Foods did they eat in Ancient China?
The Chinese diet has evolved over thousands of years and they maybe have the best old-time survival foods we can take inspiration from. In ancient times, the Chinese diet resembled that of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. Later on, the Chinese added more grains and legumes to their diet.
The Chinese diet included lots of rice, along with fish, pork, and other meats. They also ate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. They would often cook their meats in sauces made from fermented soybeans. They also used soybeans as a source of protein in other foods, like bean sprouts. They also used fermented soybeans as an early form of cultured dairy.
Like it or not, I think the Chinese have the fittest old-time survival foods for us modern preppers. Soybeans, Rice, meat, or fish are some of the foods I oftentimes recommend to preppers.
What did they eat in Ancient Africa?
The hunter-gatherers of Africa ate a wide variety of nuts, fruits, roots, and insects. They also ate large amounts of fish in some areas. The people of Africa cultivated the teff plant, which they ground into sticky flour.
They used this flour to make a kind of bread. They also domesticated animals like sheep, goats, and camels. They used them for milk, meat, and wool. In southern Africa, the Khoisan people hunted large game-like elephants.
In some parts of Africa, people farmed sorghum, which is similar to millet. They also harvested wild vegetables that grew in their areas. Well, obviously there is not going to be any elephant meat in my pantry anytime soon but at least now we know more about the food and diets of early humans.
Old-time survival foods – Summary
When we piece together the dietary habits of our ancient ancestors, we find that they were very similar to those of modern humans. They ate a wide variety of foods, including meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Humans have always been omnivores, but our diet has changed over time as we’ve shifted from foraging to agriculture.
What about you? Which of these old-time survival foods do you think is a good fit for a prepper’s pantry? Which one you already have stockpiled already? Let us know in the comment section to inspire us with new long-term food ideas.
Further Reading: