A millennial reporter took on the challenge of following a diet from her grandparents’ era for a whole week but found herself facing a particular struggle. While many may believe that today’s diets are healthier and more nutritious, the question arose – could a 1960s diet actually be beneficial for our health? Venturing into this experiment, the reporter, Emily Craig, encountered a classic breakfast item that she simply could not stomach.
In contrast to the popular image of a modern-day breakfast like smashed avocado on toast, it was revealed that a significant portion of the average Brit’s daily caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods. Foods like ice cream, ham, sausages, and crisps, often enjoyed today, are deemed less healthy by nutritionists. To investigate further, Emily decided to delve into the “Baby Boomer” diet, reflecting the simpler and more wholesome eating habits of the 1960s.
Emily’s exploration revealed that the post-war generation, still grappling with the effects of rationing that continued in the UK until the mid-1950s, consumed smaller portion sizes compared to our current standards. Traditional meals comprised of ‘meat and two veg,’ often featuring cuts of meat such as tongue and offal, which have fallen out of favor in contemporary diets. Moreover, the dietary shift was evident in the reduced vegetable consumption over the years, with experts attributing this decline to factors like the cost of living crisis and evolving eating preferences.
One of the most significant changes noted since the 1960s was in breakfast choices. Emily, accustomed to a modern breakfast of yogurt, berries, and seeds, adopted a more traditional approach during the experiment. Her breakfast now consisted of kippers, a boiled egg, boiled spinach, and seeded toast, offering a substantial and nutritious start to the day. Despite the higher calorie content compared to her usual breakfast, the real challenge for Emily came from the pungent smell of kippers lingering in her home, leading her to reconsider incorporating certain elements of the traditional diet into her routine.
As grandmothers often emphasise the importance of breakfast, the experiment shed light on the considerable transformation in breakfast preferences since the 1960s. While traditional diets may offer certain health benefits, adapting to the eating habits of previous generations can present unexpected challenges, as experienced by Emily during her week-long venture back in time.