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. Rob Z Tobor4 April 2014 at 10:05

    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. Unknown4 April 2014 at 10:27

    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. Colin Smith4 April 2014 at 13:35

    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. Alex J. Cavanaugh4 April 2014 at 13:35

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

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  5. Tasha Duncan-Drake4 April 2014 at 13:46

    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. Julie Flanders4 April 2014 at 14:27

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

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  7. S. L. Hennessy4 April 2014 at 14:54

    Garlic was medicinal? I had no idea.

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  8. Anonymous4 April 2014 at 15:34

    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. Anonymous4 April 2014 at 16:01

    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
    Writing Tips
    Effectively Human
    Lots of Crochet Stitches


    ReplyDelete
  10. Huntress4 April 2014 at 16:15

    Interesting. wonder if they had drive-thrus like us, LOL. Good post for D.

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  11. Bish Denham4 April 2014 at 16:31

    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. SK Anthony4 April 2014 at 17:15

    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. Michael Di Gesu4 April 2014 at 17:23

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

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  14. Chrys Fey4 April 2014 at 17:44

    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. L.G. Keltner4 April 2014 at 18:43

    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. Crystal Collier4 April 2014 at 19:05

    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. cleemckenzie4 April 2014 at 19:16

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

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  18. Susan Gourley/Kelley4 April 2014 at 22:16

    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. Sharon Himsl4 April 2014 at 23:16

    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. Sheena-kay Graham5 April 2014 at 08:26

    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. Heather Musk7 April 2014 at 12:31

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

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  22. Anonymous9 April 2014 at 17:50

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

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  23. Sophie Duncan13 April 2014 at 14:13

    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
    Fantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic

    ReplyDelete

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