Evolution of the Human Diet

You’ve heard me say, “Eat like our cavemen ancestors ate.” Well, how exactly did our ancestors, within the past million years, eat?

Early Man (from the Pleistocene Era) ate: 40% Protein from herbivores (Plant eating animals) – 10% Plant and animal fats – 50% Leaf & fruit-based carbohydrates (no grains).

Hunter-Gatherers (150,000 years ago) ate: 40% Protein from herbivores and vegetables (but no legumes) – 10% Plant and animal fats – 50% Leaf and fruit based carbohydrates (no grains).

Agricultural Revolution (10,000 years ago) ate: 30% Protein from legumes and grazing animals – 25% Animal fats – 25% Whole and stone-ground grains – 20% Vegetables, tubers and roots, dried and occasional fresh fruits.

Modern Era (from 1900 to Today) eat: 15% Processed foods – 25% Protein from animals fed grain and legumes – 30% Animal fats and grain based oils – 25% Refined carbohydrates and sugars, fruit and fruit juice – 5% Vegetables.

Wow! So, starting 10,000 years ago, man changed his eating habits, quite dramatically.
If you stop to think about it, we evolved as a being eating mostly fruits and vegetables at 50%, 40% protein from plant eating animals and 10% plant and animal fats.

Down through the ages, our diets have increased in caloric density and decreased in micronutrients, leaving us in the condition we now experience. Let’s learn a lesson from our ancestors! Eat more like a caveman!