Traditional Native American Nutrition
Just like every other indigenous people on the planet, Native American tribes have their own special traditional foods and nutritional habits. Each tribe’s diet was tailored towards its location, subject to the availability of the types of plants and animals around them. Depending on the climate of the place, Native Americans also created diets to help their bodies survive different weather conditions.
Tribes survived on a combination of hunting and gathering of food, save for the tribes that migrated with their main food source. Tribes would settle in an area and begin planting things like maize, wild rice, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and squash. These things would then be harvested and stored.
No matter the location, Native American diets were always extremely meat-heavy. Animals like deer and rabbits were common types of meat used in many recipes. These animals would be hunted or trapped with snares. Fishing was also common and there were many different tools invented specifically to trap fish like salmon or trout and even other marine animals like clams or shellfish. Animals like turkeys, ducks, and geese were also sources of food. On another level, the hunting of larger animals wasn’t done for food alone. It was an essential part of the Native American culture. Animals like buffalo, caribou, elk, or larger types of deer were hunted, and the killing of these animals was often part of a larger ceremony.
Native Americans were also gatherers. Many of their staple foods were harvested naturally, meaning that they were not cultivated by the tribes. Things like eggs or honey, fruit, certain types of nuts, and many varieties of roots, beans or greens were gathered from surrounding areas to be used in Native American dishes.
These meals were usually cooked simply. Not many spices were used in Native American dishes and most meals were eaten with ingredients that were as fresh as possible. Meat was roasted above fires, fish was baked or steamed, and cornbread was baked in clay ovens. Soups and stews were also popular dishes.
Many of the health problems plaguing the Native American community today – namely diabetes, hear problems and strokes – are attributed to the changes in diet. In the past, Native Americans were known to live in excellent health for the entirety of their lives and they often lived very long lives compared to other people during those times. Europeans introduced things like bananas, wheat, cows, and sheep. The most significant change for many of the Plains tribes was the sudden rapid decline in the number of buffalo available for hunting. Many tribes had made buffalo meat a staple in their diet and when buffalo became scarce, they had to find new food sources.
- Native American Food Menu And Resources
- Native American Nutrition Resource List
- The Diet Of Native Americans
- Native American Food Guide Pyramid
- Native American Food Stories
- The Diets Of Native Americans Before The Colonial Period
- Native American Food Report
- Indigenous Food And Traditional Recipes
- Brief History Of Native American Food
- Native American Food Culture
- Native American Food And Recipes
- NativeWeb Food Resources
- Native American Food Resources
- Native American Food Technique: Sun Drying
- Native American Cuisine
For the most part, except during special occasions, most present-day Native Americans eat modern food. They buy the same foods at grocery stores, and even use Nutri system coupons.