A Healthy Childhood – 1920’s Style - The Food Teacher (2024)

The modern world is overloaded with information and advice about all aspects of how to live. We can readily access research, our lives are filled with many distractions and the pressure to compete and succeed has become entrenched. Alongside all of these changes our diets have altered and convenience foods and snacking have become part of the mainstream to support our modern, fast paced lives. Times haven’t always been like this and the opportunity to reflect on the past can enlighten and provide valuable insights.

I had an amazing opportunity to spend a morning with a gent of 97 to chat about his life, diet and memories. 2 hours merely felt like 2 minutes and every time he exclaimed, ‘This must be boring you” he couldn’t be further from the truth. I was fascinated to capture any nuggets of information that might have the potential to transform the way people think about food.

Below I have captured the top five tips for a healthy childhood in the 1920’s:

1. Locally Sourced Food: Most of the food he consumed came from within a few miles of his house. The local farm was within walking distance and fresh milk straight from the cow was delivered in a milk churn with a ladle twice a day. His mother would prepare the bread dough and he would carry it down to the baker who would bake it for them. Dad would also grow vegetables at his allotment and during the winter there would be plenty of potatoes, cabbages and brussel sprouts, which were preserved in a clamp to last the winter.

2. Unprocessed: All food was prepared from scratch by Mum and nothing came wrapped in plastic. Meat, including rabbit and game, was cheap during this time, and the whole of the animal was eaten. This included tongue, sheep’s head, ox tail and liver. Once a week they would also eat fa*ggots and tripe. All carcasses and bones were always boiled up to make broths and soups and stews were a regular favourite.

3. Regular Meal Times: The main meal of the day was eaten at lunchtime and portion sizes were considerably smaller than those we eat today. He has continued to eat meals of this size and when he eats out a starter size portion satisfies him. The evening meal would usually include leftovers or bread and butter with jam and a real treat on a Saturday night was a portion of chips from the fish and chip shop. His Mum would also bake 2/3 cakes each Saturday, which would last the week.

4. Family Focus: Family time featured heavily throughout his childhood and has left him with many happy memories. All regular mealtimes were shared together with the Sunday roast being a really special time of the week. After lunch they would enjoy a long family walk, which often included some foraging for berries or nuts that would then be consumed at dinnertime.

5. Balanced and Nutritious: The types and range of food was very different and some of these have been out of vogue with modern society for a number of years though many of these traditional foods are once again gaining popularity for their health benefits.

• Organ Meats: From grass fed animals organ meats are a high-quality source of protein and are dense in nutrients including iron, choline, B vitamins, vitamins D, E, A and K2. Liver is natures most concentrated source of vitamin A, which is vital for immune health, hormone production, thyroid health, digestion, vision and healthy bones and blood. It’s highly usable form of iron is a fantastic tonic for the body and can help to reduce fatigue and improve energy levels.

• Bone Broth: Boiling bones to make a stock which can then be consumed daily in stews, soups and gravies is easily digestible by the body promoting a healthy digestive system and provides a rich source of nutrients.

• Butter/Full Fat Milk: Butter from grass fed cows contains fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and a whole host of different fatty acids including conjugated linoleic acid which is thought to support weight management and has also be linked to cancer prevention. Current research around full fat dairy suggests it no longer contributes to obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular disease but in fact may help to prevent it.

• Greens (daily): The nutrients in greens include vitamin C, magnesium, folate, calcium, potassium, antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein and a range of plant chemicals. The health benefits of a daily portion or two of greens may support digestion, the livers detoxification mechanisms, immunity and reduce inflammation in the body.

• Fish: This is a great source of protein rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health, reducing inflammation, supporting heart health, skin health and contains vitamin D.

• Lard: As lard is typically 40% saturated fat its very stable at high temperatures, therefore making it a safer option than heating plant-based oils which oxidise rapidly and create trans fats. It’s also a rich source of vitamin D and cholesterol.

Listening to him explain how life was and how important food was, where it came from and how it was treated made me think about how much we can learn by listening to the amazing people we cross paths with in life. Many of these traditional foods and approaches are often overlooked as we follow media trends and react to the marketing campaigns of the large corporates who dominate the modern airwaves. Maybe we should listen more to those who have been there, seen it and done it and lived amazing long lives more and take some of the 1920’s into the 2020’s.