D is for Diet


Due to the Nile and the rich, fertile soil it offered, the ancient Egyptians were able to eat relatively well. Agriculture existed early on in Egypt, and cereal foods such as bread formed the main backbone of the ancient Egyptian's diet. Beer was also a staple for both the rich and the poor.
Taken from here
Vegetables, fruit and fish were consumed by both the rich and the poor, thanks to the Nile river. Beans, chickpeas, lentils and green peas were also eaten. Garlic and onions were popular, as they were thought to be medicinal. Dates were probably the most popular fruit, and were used as a sweetener for the poor, while the rich used honey. It is likely that only the rich regularly consumed meat, while the poor only ate it during festive occasions.

The ancient Egyptians certainly had good diets, and there has been evidence that obesity was a problem in ancient Egyptian times. Obese mummies have been found, as well as many statues and pictures of overweight ancient Egyptians.


Comments

  1. I believe the Egyptians liked purple a lot and if stuff turned up another colour they used to Dye It . . . . . . . . HA HAH AH HA HAH HA HAH HA HAH AH Hha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    Well done Miss Laura . . .

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  2. I knew about the beer, but not the obesity! So it's not just a 21st century phenomenon. But wait, maybe the beer gave them beer bellies and that's the cause of the obesity...

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  3. This reminds me of Israel's complaint in the wilderness, recorded in Numbers 11:5-6: "We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna."

    At least obesity wasn't an issue for them! ;)

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  4. Even with a good diet, it's all about moderation.

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  5. Didn't they have a problem with tooth decay because of diet as well? I seem to recall some documentary about a mummy who had probably died from abscesses in her teeth. As ever, thanks for all the info.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)

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  6. Obese mummies? I had no idea. Kind of funny that beer was a staple in the ancient world too.

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  7. Garlic was medicinal? I had no idea.

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  8. I suppose one good thing we can learn from ancient Egyptian culture, at least all walks of life were well fed. We can't say that about today, now can we!
    Great post. Have a lovely day. :)

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  9. They certainly have some fertile soil in those parts, and I'll bet they eat like kings and queens because of it. All that fresh produce, good meat from animals grazing in abundant fields...oh, it must be so tasty to eat there.

    MJ, A to Z Challenge Co-Host
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  10. Interesting. wonder if they had drive-thrus like us, LOL. Good post for D.

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  11. Fellow AZtech minion here. Your theme is REALLY interesting. For such a narrow strip of fertile land, the Egyptians certainly managed quite well.

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  12. Dates for the poor and honey for the rich...wow! And hardly any meat...another wow. So cool! The obese mummies made me laugh, which is mean, no one likes to be laughed at because of the extra lbs o_o

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  13. Interesting... I had no idea that they had weight issues.

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  14. I didn't know Egyptians had an obesity problem. I picture them as being fit and skinny. Mummies can be deceiving. lol

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  15. It's interesting to think that the ancient Egyptians had an obesity problem. I can see why though, if they had that much yummy food to eat. I've always been fascinated with the Nile River. When I was a little kid, it was my favorite river. Yes, I had a favorite river as a kid. That's not weird, is it?

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  16. You know you're in good company if your ancestry can eat well enough to be chubby even after desiccating. =)

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  17. I'd never heard of fat mummies before. Guess that's what happens in a land of bountiful food.

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  18. I didn't know that about overweight Egyptians. I wondered if they considered it unattractive or as a symbol of prosperity? It sounds like their diets were pretty good.

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  19. Interesting there were obese mummies! Who would guessed? Not surprised they drank beer, which was one way to insure the water was safe to drink.
    Shells–Tales–Sails

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  20. Guessing anorexia wasn't a big topic. Nice to know they ate so well and why are there (practically) no fat ancient Egyptians when depicted on televisions. Sizists! When the poor and rich can enjoy similar beer you know the country is well off.

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  21. I could handle beer as a staple :-) I had no idea about the obesity though, interesting.

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  22. It's hard for me to imagine an Ancient Egyptian drinking beer lol!

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  23. I suppose it was the same in all societies, too much good living for the richer classes could lead to obesity - it also gave them bad teeth.
    Sophie
    Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z Ghosts
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