How do traditional and contemporary diets differ around the world?

Traditional food patterns are often defined by FAO as staple foods, those “eaten regularly and in such
quantities as to constitute the dominant part of the diet and supply a major proportion of energy and
nutrient needs.” Traditional food practices arose from agriculture’s humble beginnings , a result of
what the climate offered, in season, as a function of air temperature and humidity, soil quality, and
proximity to water (notably, the coastline). Celebration, season, culture, and religious beliefs also
shape traditional eating behaviors. Hindus, for example, do not eat beef, while Muslims do not
consume pork.
Cereal grasses were among the first crops cultivated during the agricultural revolution and include
sorghum (Africa), rice (China), maize (Central/ South America), and wheat (Middle/ Near East).
These four grains still characterize traditional diets and remain a staple of contemporary meals around
the world; oats, rye, barley, and millet also contribute and vary globally according to regional growing
conditions. Rice paddies predominate in lowland tropical environments and prevail in South and
Southeast Asia.
Maize (corn) can grow in tropical as well as temperate areas and is common in South and East Africa
as well as Central America.
Africa’s large semiarid Sahelian region (including western and north-central Africa) favors millet and
sorghum. Wheat is suited to temperate environments and is common in some regions of Europe and
Central Asia but absent in sub- Saharan Africa. Places with diverse geographic conditions produce
several cereal crops, like wheat and maize in both North and South America. Still today, cereal grains
contribute more than half of the world’s total daily energy intake (i.e., calories). Rice, wheat, and
maize alone contribute approximately 60% to energy intake worldwide and are vital protein sources
in cultures where animal consumption is limited.
Vegetables further characterize traditional diets, predominantly roots and tubers but also leafy greens;
species vary by climate. Beans, legumes, and nuts are part of many traditional diets around the world,
including Central America and Africa in particular as well as North America though the type of bean
varies. Peanuts are prominent in traditional African cuisine, for instance, while soybeans reign
supreme in Asian diets. Traditional crops still characterize diets across the world, whether coffee,
okra, and palm oil in Africa; bamboo, tea, and peach in China; eggplant, chickpea, and mango in
South Asia; squash and sweet potato in Central and South America; or fig, pistachio, and almond in
the Near East.
Fruits contribute to global diets to a smaller degree due to their narrower growing season (and
relatively low calorie content, perhaps); they are also expensive relative to other foods. Herbs and
spices give traditional diets their flair, again related to the environment hat originally provided them
naturally prior to cultivation.
Interestingly, of the estimated 400 000 plant species on Earth, at least half of which are likely edible
for humans, only a tiny fraction are regularly consumed both traditionally and still today. While
difficult to quantify, a 2007 analysis using FAO data (based on food weight, calories, protein, and
fat) estimates that only about 25 foods comprise 90% of the world’s diet (Table 1.1). Like plants, the
contribution of animal foods and products to traditional diets is also dictated by geography. Fish and
seafood only characterized meals in coastal areas and those near freshwaters.
These foods thus became a part of both traditional Mediterranean (e.g., Greece, Spain, and Italy) and
Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) diets, for example. While both include an
array of grains and vegetables, Nordic diets feature oats, rye, cruciferous vegetables, native berries,
and rapeseed oil, while the warmer Mediterranean diet boasts a wider array of vegetables and fruits,
olive oil, and wheat. Both diets include seafood like salmon; there are different salmon species
indigenous to each region. Though relatively few in numbers, the diet of the Arctic- dwelling Inuit is
a notable exception to the world’s many traditional diets that are otherwise plant- based. The frigid
climate is unsuitable for cultivating crops; hence, a food culture arose based on hunting, fishing, and
gathering that includes sea mammals (like whale and seal), land mammals (like caribou), and birds.
Animals (meat, dairy, eggs, and the like) gradually became a part of many other traditional diets to a
small degree, especially goats and their milk. (Goat remains the most commonly consumed animal
globally) Animal foods provide essential nutrients on family farms, particularly for subsistence
farmers in the developing world.
Elements of traditional diets remain in many regions around the world, especially in rural and remote
regions of low and middle income nations where infrastructure, income, and policies are prohibitive
and diets are limited to foods locally available and affordable. A major difference is the quantity of
animal products consumed. In western Europe, for instance, 33% of energy intake on average comes
from animal products compared to cereals (26%) and roots and tubers (4%). In contrast, cereals are
the largest contributor to African diets on average (46%) compared to roots and tubers (20%) and
animal products (7%). Meat and dairy are a hallmark of contemporary diets, a historical marker of
wealth that still resonates today; and consumption is increasing alongside growing incomes,
particularly in China.
Over time, humans learned to press oils from a wide range of crops, like palm, soy, and olive,
gradually incorporating them to a small degree into traditional diets. (The cost to produce them was
greater than consuming the plants whole.) Sugar was likewise cultivated and used in confections that
varied culturally, though it contributed only when technology allowed. And alcohol made from local
crops, including rice (sake) or millet (brandy) in Asia and grapes (wine) in the Mediterranean, also
contributed moderately to some traditional diets.
Traditional food and drink habits were diluted over time when invading cultures brought their own
plants, animals, and food traditions to new lands, whether forcibly or through trade. Tea came to India
by way of the British Empire, for example, which before then arrived in England from China via the
Silk Road. Centuries- old influences like these can shape how “traditional” diet patterns are
conceived. A traditional Latin American diet, for example, is often characterized not only by the
indigenous diets of native Aztec, Incan, and Mayan cultures but also by more recent Spanish,
Portuguese, and African influences.
In more recent history, improvements in food processing and quicker transportation have created a
global food system, enabling food habits independent of season or tradition.
The later decades of the 20th century hence saw the increasing prevalence of the so called Western
diet pattern, characterized by highly processed and refined food and beverages rich in sugar, sodium,
and calories and high intakes of meat, dairy, and fast food.
Fizzy drinks and fast food are hallmarks of Western diets. Coca-Cola (which means “delicious
happiness” in Mandarin, according to the company’s website) manufacturing began in 1886, and 1.9
billion people today enjoy Coca-Cola beverages daily across 200+ countries. And McDonald’s is the
largest food franchise globally, present in 36 000 locations across 100+ countries. Thus, some of the
unique local customs and practices that once defined traditional diets around the world have been
crowded out as globalization, acculturation, and urbanization have made westernized food culture
pervasive. These dietary changes pose risks to both human and environmental health and threaten the
existence of age old vibrant food cultures.