Native Indians, also called Native Americans, are descendants of the indigenous tribes that lived in North America before Europeans settle the continent. While the native diet may seem lacking by current nutritional standards, it may have been healthier than European diets before and during the Colonial period. Today, Native Americans enjoy modern foods, but an American diet may not be as healthy.
Early Native Indian Diet
Because mass transport of foods was impossible, native Indian diets varied by the geographical region in which the individual tribes lived. Vegetables and berries provided the main sources of food for most tribes who were adept farmers and gatherers, while tribes who lived near large bodies of water enjoyed diets rich in fish. Meat was a treat when available, but it wasn't limited to bison and deer. The "Gale Encyclopedia" reports that succotash, a traditional Narragansett Native Indian dish, contained corn, beans, bear fat and dog meat.
The Three Sisters
Three vegetable crops formed the basis of the Native Indian diet throughout areas of the United States where crops could be grown. These included beans, squash and corn, which contain a variety of nutrients. Native people ate corn fresh or dried. It was stored and ground for later use in making corncakes, corn mush and grits. Beans, also easy to dry and store, offered a vegetable source of protein when meat sources were unavailable. Tribes ate squash varieties either fresh or dried and stored for later use. Their hardened shells offered temporary eating and drinking containers.
Modern Native Indian Diets
Native Indian diets have changed drastically, and not always for the best. As much as 62 percent of modern Native Americans eat a diet too high in fat, while as few as 10 percent consume a relatively healthy diet, according to the "Gale Encyclopedia." Today, a majority of Native Americans report going hungry at least some of the time.
Pros and Cons
Modern American Indians are at a higher risk of developing heart disease than are non-native Americans, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes among Native Americans in on the rise, with as many as 12 percent of Native Americans over the age of 19 suffering from the disease, although individual tribe rates vary. Obesity may be a contributing factor to the rise in diabetes and heart disease. There is a need to bring health and nutritional education to today's Native Americans.
References
- University of Alabama: Native American Foods
- "The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition"; Jacqueline L. Longe, 2008
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