Self-Care Like a Victorian Series, Part 3: Healthy Eating Like a Victorian

April 7th, 2020 |

Victorian diets varied depending on social class and wealth – while the middle and upper classes had easy access to meat and began the tradition of afternoon tea, the lower and working classes mostly survived off of potatoes, bread, and cheese. The average Victorian consumed an upwards of 5,000 calories a day! But most of that was accompanied by extensive daily exercise. Based on the average Victorian, here are FIVE healthy foods they consumed that you can incorporate into your own diet.

Fish

Fish was an easily accessible food for all classes in the Victorian period. Whether you were rich or poor fish was easy to come by and it was available at a good price and therefore was widely consumed. Slated, dried, or even canned, however the fish was prepared it was a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids which are good for both the body and the brain.

Looking to get an Omega 3 brain boost? Why not try a turbot recipe? This unique dish uses a food fish also known as Greenland halibut in North America.

Onions

Onions were another staple of early Victorian diets. Cheap and easy to obtain year-round, onions were key parts of many different recipes of the era. Onions are a prebiotic food, which helps maintain a healthy digestive tract. Other popular prebiotic foods widely consumed at the time were garlic, artichokes, leeks, and dandelion greens.

Boost your gut health! This recipe for slow roasted onions is one that may not have been popular during the Victorian era, but it is a fun (and tasty!) way to put a new spin on old dietary practices.

Cherries

During the Victorian era, cherries were referred to as the poor man’s fruit: cheap, seasonal, and easily accessible. While one container of cherries costs about 7 dollars today, in the 1800s it would only be 1 penny! Cherries provided Victorians with a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals including potassium, vitamin A and calcium.

While cherry pie may not be the healthiest option, it was just too good to pass up. But don’t forget cherries are just as delicious on their own. No recipe required!          

Nuts

Nuts were another versatile food that served as a source of Omega 3 for Victorian citizens. Popular nuts included hazelnuts, chestnuts, almonds, and walnuts. They were eaten on their own or used to make a wide variety of different recipes.

Try to make your very own nut bar, combining many different types of nuts into one healthy snack. 

Bread

Finally, bread! Another staple of the average Victorian diet, it was easy to make and required simple ingredients. Interestingly, Victorian era bread was made from stone-ground whole meal, which contained immune-boosting yeast. Bread is produced differently today, so the same immune-boosting qualities are not always found.

Try your hand at Victorian-style sourdough; all you need is a starter (made of water and flour), flour, and salt!

We hope that you enjoyed learning about diets in the Victorian era! Please consider supporting content like this at HBMS! https://www.historicbethlehem.org/support/donate/

Tara O’Keefe is the spring 2020 collections management intern at Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites. She is a senior at The College of New Jersey majoring in anthropology and international studies.

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