erogenouszone
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Alot of global cusine's developed the way they did due to lack of meat, it was a luxury.Fascinating stuff here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_cuisine
The Church
The Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and their calendars, had great influence on eating habits; consumption of meat was forbidden for a full third of the year for most Christians. All animal products, including eggs and dairy products (during the strictest fasting periods also fish), were generally prohibited during Lent and fast. Additionally, it was customary for all citizens to fast before taking the Eucharist. These fasts were occasionally for a full day and required total abstinence.
Calorie structure
The calorie content and structure of medieval diet varied over time, from region to region, and between classes. However, for most people, the diet tended to be high-carbohydrate, with most of the budget spent on, and the majority of calories provided by, cereals and alcohol (such as beer). Even though meat was highly valued by all, lower classes often could not afford it, nor were they allowed by the church to consume it every day. In England in the 13th century, meat contributed a negligible portion of calories to a typical harvest worker's diet; however, its share increased after the Black Death and, by the 15th century, it provided about 20% of the total.
And from our chatGPT friend.
How much meat compared to now did medieval people eat in Europe?
Short answer: most medieval Europeans ate much less meat than people in Europe do today, and for most people it was an occasional food rather than a daily one.
Here’s the clearer breakdown.
Average meat consumption: medieval vs today
Today (modern Europe)
- Roughly 70–90 kg of meat per person per year
(varies by country, but that’s a good ballpark)
- Meat is daily, often multiple times per day
- Beef, pork, poultry are all common
Middle Ages (c. 1000–1500)
Peasants (≈80–90% of the population)
- 10–20 kg per person per year on average
- Meat eaten:
- On feast days
- After slaughtering an animal (rare)
- Occasionally as bacon, lard, or scraps
- Diet dominated by:
- Bread, porridge, legumes
- Cheese and milk (more common than meat)
- Many weeks had no meat at all
Roughly ¼ or less of modern consumption
Townspeople / artisans
- 20–30 kg per year
- More access to:
- Pork
- Sausages
- Salted or smoked meat
- Still far below modern levels
Nobility & monasteries
- High meat intake, sometimes daily
- Beef, pork, venison, game birds
- BUT:
- This group was tiny
- Their diets are over-represented in surviving records
- Even monks followed strict meat-free fasting rules
A big factor: religious fasting
Christian fasting rules dramatically reduced meat consumption:
This alone cut annual meat intake by 30–40%.
- No meaton:
- Fridays
- Lent (40 days)
- Advent
- Numerous saints’ days
- Result: 100–150 meat-free days per year
- Fish was allowed, so it often replaced meat
What kinds of meat were eaten?
- Pork – most common (easy to raise, preserves well)
- Mutton – common in sheep regions
- Beef – expensive, older animals
- Game – illegal for peasants in many places
- Chicken – eggs were more valuable than meat
Regional differences
But nowhere approached modern levels.
- England – slightly higher meat intake than southern Europe
- France – strong grain-based peasant diet
- Mediterranean regions relied more on olive oil, fish, legumes
Big picture comparison
Group Meat vs today Peasant 20–30% of modern intake Townspeople 30–40% Nobility Similar or higher Population average ~25–35% One surprising twist
Although medieval people ate less meat, their meat was:
So nutritionally, it wasn’t “worse”—just far rarer.
- Free-range
- Grass-fed
- No antibiotics or industrial feed
