Diet and Health Aspects.

P1 D: Demonstrating I can investigate the diet of medieval times and assess the health aspects.

The wealthy nobles ate few fresh vegetables and little fresh fruit - unprepared food of this variety was viewed with some suspicion.
Fruit was only usually served in pies or was preserved in honey. Vegetables and fresh fruit were eaten by the poor - vegetables would have been included in some form of stew, soup or pottage. Vegetables which came from the ground were only considered fit to feed the poor.
Only vegetables such as rape, onions, garlic and leeks graced a Noble's table of the Medieval era. Dairy products were also deemed as inferior foods and therefore only usually eaten by the poor. Little was known about nutrition and the Medieval diet of the rich Nobles lacked Vitamin C and fibre. This led to an assortment of health problems including bad teeth, skin diseases, scurvy and rickets.

Middle Ages Food and Diet of the Lower Classes / Peasants.
The Middle Ages food and diet of the peasants was very much home grown. They were unable to afford luxury items such as spices and only Lords and Nobles were allowed to hunt deer, boar, hares and rabbits. The punishment for poaching could result in death or having hands cut off. The staple diet of the lower classes included:

Rye or barley bread bread
Pottage ( a type of stew)
Dairy products such as milk and cheese products
Meat such as beef, pork or lamb
Fish - if they had access to freshwater rivers or the sea
Home grown vegetables and herbs
Fruit from local trees or bushes
Nuts
Honey

Middle Ages Daily Meals Royalty and the nobility would eat their food from silverware, and even gold dishes. Lower classes would eat their food from wooden or horn dishes. Every person had their own knife. Spoons were rarely used as any liquid food, such as soups, were drunk from a cup. Forks were introduced in the late 14th century. The kitchens in large houses or castles were usually situated some distance from the Great Hall and therefore food was often served cold. The number of daily meals eaten during the day by the Upper Classes were as follows:
Breakfast - Food and drink generally served between 6 -7
Dinner - Food and drink generally served at mid-morning between 12 - 2
Supper - Was a substantial meal and food and drink was generally served between 6 -7 and accompanied by various forms of entertainment

Both the Upper and Lower classes generally had three meals a day but the commoners obviously far less elaborate than the Upper Classes. Menus for the wealthy were extensive, but only small portions were taken. A change in culture emerged during the Middle Ages when the travel prompted by the Crusades led to a new and unprecedented interest in beautiful objects and elegant manners. This change extended to food preparation and presentation resulting in fabulous food arrangements and exotic colors and flavorings.