In today’s fast-paced world, it’s so easy to lose touch with the soul-satisfying ways of eating. But here’s the good news: you can prevent that from happening, and the secret lies in the food habits of generations past. Yup, these 10 old-school eating habits may have been ahead of their time, and they now deserve a comeback.
10. Drinking Bone Broth
The origins of bone broth can be dated back to the Stone Age but the first recipe for it didn’t appear until late 1700s. Around 19th century, “beef tea” was prescribed in Britain to treat different ailments. Today, bone broth is already experiencing a resurgence (thankfully) as a superfood. Perceived benefits include increased collagen levels and gut-healing properties.
9. Salad Bars
Salad bars were popular back in the 70s, and they were the center point of almost any chain restaurant. While you can still get a custom-built salad online or via an app these days, nothing beats walking up to a buffet, piling on ingredients (your imagination is your only limit), and drizzling on every sauce you could find. That’s total customization!
8. Cooking from Scratch
One of the vintage skills that should be revived is cooking from scratch. Simple meals made by someone who cares—what’s not to love? When you cook from scratch, you’re also offering your body a healthier alternative to convenience meals. Even more important is you can eliminate both known and unknown food dangers.
7. Seasonal Eating
We know it could be tempting to eat mac and cheese as many times as possible in a week, but it’s not sustainable. Seasonal eating is. This habit is a healthy delight because foods in season contain the most nutrients, and they’re also at their peak flavor and freshness. Meaning, you can maximize all the health benefits from eating fruits and veggies.
6. Regular Mealtimes
People from older generations recall a time in their lives wherein snacks are a foreign concept. They ate at consistent intervals (often three times a day only), and right now this would be a habit worth reviving to prevent overeating and increased risk of chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
5. Eating Meals at the Table
Eating on the go or in front of screens is quickly becoming the norm due to the rise of technology and busy lifestyles. However, sitting down at a table, with no distractions, is still the best way to focus on the simple pleasure of eating. This article from Harvard also mentioned that regular family dinners are linked to lower rates of anxiety and depression.
4. Growing Your Own Food
The garden of our grandparents were more than pretty; they’re practical, filled with herbs, veggies, and fruit trees. You don’t need much land to revive this habit, though. A small backyard vegetable patch or a couple of pots of herbs on the windowsill would be a great starting point. Doing so also sets you up for consuming organic, chemical-free produce.
3. Fruits for Snacks
Because fruit trees were everywhere back then (and fast foods were occasional treats), fruits became popular options for snacks, if snacks were even necessary. Some of the healthiest fruits out there are lemon, apples, and blackberries. If you want to keep this habit along with seasonal eating, you can’t go wrong with getting some strawberries right now!
2. Bread with (Almost) Every Meal
Contrary to popular belief, bread isn’t the enemy. In fact, older generations grew up eating bread with every meal. Unless you have a medical condition like wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity, there’s no need to avoid bread. They can be a good source of protein and fiber, especially whole grain options. They can also help you feel full for longer, which means less snacking.
1. Smaller Portions
Food portion sizes today are larger than in the past. They began to grow in the 70s and rose sharply in the 80s. Since then, people have been eating more calories per day. However, many of us also became less physically active compared to those who were raised decades ago. This double threat undoubtedly contributes to unwanted weight gain.