Transcript Food in Colonial America

Food in Colonial America
3rd Grade
George Hall Elementary
Food in American:
Colonial Times & Present Day

Colonists got their food
from several places:
◦ People who lived on the
coast often caught fish and
whales.
◦ Farmers grew crops like
wheat, barley, corn,
tobacco, corn and rice.
They would trade with
others in the town.
◦ Families raised pigs, goats,
cows, and chickens.
◦ People would hunt wild
animals and gather fruit
from the wild to eat.
Today people get most
of their food from a
supermarket , store, or
farmer’s market.
 Many people hunt or fish
for some of their food.
 Some people grow
vegetables or fruit in
their garden.
 Most farmers sell their
food to big companies
that process and sell
their food at the grocery
store.

Food in American:
Colonial Times & Present Day

Colonial Breakfast
◦ Eaten early in the day if you
were poor and later in the
day if you were rich.
◦ Early settlers rose early
and went to work on their
chores, then ate breakfast
when they finished.
◦ Many people ate cornmeal
mush, porridge, molasses,
and cider.
◦ Richer people ate bread,
muffins, toast, fruit pastries,
cold meats, and butter.

Breakfast Today
◦ Eaten first thing in the
morning.
◦ Varies from house to
house.
◦ Coffee, tea, milk or juice
are usually served.
◦ Some people eat cold
cereal , breakfast bars, or
toast.
◦ Larger meals are also eaten
and may include: eggs,
bacon, sausage, pancakes,
etc.
Food in American:
Colonial Times & Present Day

Colonial Dinner
◦ Mid-day meal (early
afternoon).
◦ It was the biggest meal of
the day.
◦ Stews(with meat, corn,
cabbage, and other
vegetables) were served in
trenchers or on a piece of
hollowed out bread—then
the bread was eaten as
part of the dinner.
◦ Puddings, pies, fruit, nuts,
salads, gingerbread cake,
spice cake, and cheese
were served in wealthier
families.

Lunch (Present Day)
◦ Served at or around noon.
◦ Lighter meal for most.
◦ Wide variety of foods
served, but could include
something light such as
soup, sandwiches, fruit, or
salad.
Food in American:
Colonial Times & Present Day

Supper (Colonial Times)
◦ Some people did not eat
supper at all.
◦ If supper was eaten, it was a
light meal served at the end
of the day.
◦ Made up of leftovers and
eaten before bed.
◦ Many people ate gruel or
pudding (boiling water mixed
with oats, Indian cornmeal,
or some other grain).
◦ Roasted/boiled potatoes,
eggs, and other egg dishes
were also served at
suppertime.

Dinner/Supper
◦ Main meal of the day.
◦ Served at the end of the day.
◦ A variety of things are
served for this main meal.
◦ It usually consists of more
than one course, and may
include: appetizers, salad,
main course, side items like
vegetables and a starch, and
dessert.
Colonial Food
Colonial food was made from things that
were readily available including: grains,
wheat, certain fruits, meats (if you were
wealthier you ate meat more often),
cheese, eggs, molasses for sweetening
(because sugar was expensive and hard to
get), nuts, and salt. A lot of different spices
were not used because they were hard to
get and cost a lot of money.
Examples of Colonial Foods
Hasty Pudding
 Boiled Potatoes
 Dried Apples & Other Fruits
 Brown Bread (sweetened with molasses)
 Molasses Cookies
 Tapioca Pudding
 Egg Pie (served for dinner)

Examples of Colonial Foods
Onion Pie
 Beef Stew with Vegetables
 Hot Apple Cider
 Homemade Butter
 Goat’s Milk
 Mush (oats or other grains and hot
water)
 Boiled Potatoes with Salt
