What Did People Eat in the 1700s?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 27, 2020

The types of food eaten in the 1700s differed from one country to another. The colonists in New England mostly ate wheat; rice; barley; oats; vegetables such as potatoes, mushrooms, legumes, beans and onions; various types of fish such as cod, mackerel and halibut; poultry such as turkeys, quails and geese; as well as food imported from Europe, such as beef, pork and cheese.

In other countries such as France, the diet was slightly different. During the 18th century, French people ate soups, rabbit, vegetables and fruit. The upper-class enjoyed delicacies such as fried capon, breast of veal, suckling pigs, ducklings and more.