Tuesday, April 12, 2011

how peasants ate

After the fun this weekend, a serious topic to ponder: Last week I read a NYTimes article (one of my 25 for the month) entitled, "Does the Mediterannean Diet even exist?" It posed an interesting question. The Mediterranean Diet, as we know it today, equates one that is rich in olive oil, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, fish and wine. However,  many of those from the Mediterranean region--Lebanese, Greek, Italian--have never completely eaten this way. Hm... unfortunate but interesting.
The "Latin American Diet" (most commonly, Mexican) is almost often touted as unhealthy. Yet if this is so, how did I put together such a fiesta of a salad? Sure there were a bunch of ingredients, but it was the the delectable black bean & corn burger, quinoa, and diced avocado that stole the show.
There's diets based on Chinese and Indian food too; Both of which can be, and often have been, made to be anything but good for us. Then again, when serving myself a plate of pan-seared bok choy, home-crafted mushroom & cabbage gyozas (or pot stickers) and a little green Bollywood burger, I can't imagine why.
The healthy versions of these diets do have one other thing in common: they are what the Italians called “cucina povera,” the “food of the poor.” In Ancel Keys’s day, Mediterraneans ate lentils instead of meat because they had no choice. “A lot of it is to do with poverty, not geography,” says Sami Zubaida, a leading scholar on food and culture.
So, maybe we should strive for "A Peasant Diet." Although... it should also be noted that the economic factor no longer stands true as the price of fresh produce has risen so dramatically in the last century, thereby making seasonality key (a blessing in disguise?). It's a mouthful of an issue, I know. Just something to think about. At the very least, it's good to know that I'm covering most of the nutritional bases with my farmers market budget meal of a plain omelette, baked sweet potato, and sautéed garlic green beans.


  1. I read that article too, and found it really sad that the state of the Mediterranean diet is so bad that the UN has declared it a detriment to the culture.

    I don't know what the way is for people to eat better. Certainly peasant food is healthy, but it's funny how the food that's considered cheap now is so unhealthy.

  2. I love love love this! Everything is SO true - I never really thought to relate it to peasants food but now that I think about it, so many healthy foods are the foods the poor used to eat! So, now no one has an excuse as to why they can't eat healthy :) right?

  3. i dig this peasant diet idea, as i am super pleased with simple meals - eggs, sweet potato and veggies - like the one you've pictured above. when i eat alone, that's pretty much how i eat. you wouldn't think from all the eating out, but i guess that's how i balance it out? simplicity is yummy and cheap. i like.

  4. Love the peasant diet idea! I have been enjoying my trips to the local farmers markets lately and creating delicious eats :) I hate that food prices are rising!

  5. I loved that article. I totally am for the peasant way of eating. V and I made a super cheap meal the other day of sweet brown rice, organic tofu, and bok choy that we got at the farmers market for $...we realized the most expensive things were the condiments like mirin, tamari, sesame oil. A vegetarian diet can definitely be cheap and tasty at the same time for so cheap!

  6. Lisa Fine [lisasfoods]: Agreed. And that's another sad point. I think global society has a ways to go before we figure out this health thing, and eating habits is just part of it.

    oatsandspice: Thank you! Most of the time you're right but it's sadly immediately cheaper to buy a bag of potato chips than a couple of potatoes. That's why farmer's markets and awareness are so wonderful and important :)

    sofia: Definitely a way to balance. Glad to know a girl after my own heart!

    Pure2raw Twins: Yum. And, I know! Sad and a little ridiculous. That of course brings me to sustainability... a whole 'nother issue :).

    claire: Glad you did and that you agree! That meal sounds fantastic.


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