What Does It Mean To “Eat Like Our Ancestors Ate”?

Why do we keep talking about “eating like our ancestors ate”? What does that make you think about? What kind of food did your ancestors eat? Lamb? Pig? Fish? 

If you’re looking for nutrient-dense food, going back a generation or two (or 10) might enlighten you on how much our food has changed in recent years. We believe in the importance of considering how our ancestors ate as we navigate how to live a much healthier lifestyle as well as working through challenges like food transparency and food freedom. 

Understanding how our ancestors ate will also help you understand our farm and why we’ve chosen to farm regeneratively. It’s a priority for us at 1984Farms to produce meat like our ancestors ate… nutrient-dense, clean, and natural.

What we mean by “ancestors” is both our personal genealogy and the early history of human survival. We can go back a couple of generations, before food like Lucky Charms and Ramen were in every household, and recognize that human diets were simple and natural. 

My grandmother and grandfather on their wedding day.

May I tell you about my own lovely grandmother? She grew up on a dry farm in Utah and ate a lot of meat and raw dairy. Growing up, she and her family had a family milk cow, and would eat or use all the parts of the meat animals. She loves pork rinds, and was raised knowing how to fry up pig skin. It’s her 96th birthday TODAY and she’s just starting to slow down. I consider her the epitome of health! 

When we consider the way meat was raised or hunted historically, there are 4 specific things we are trying to simulate with regenerative farming here at 1984Farms.

1. Pure, Clean meat. Animals were not affected by synthetic toxins like pesticides, medications, or vaccines. 

2. Wild game and meat animals naturally ate grasses, not grain. It has only been since the 1960’s that feedlot operations and vitamin-infused grain have been introduced to farm animals, affecting the animals who literally do not have the stomach for it. 

3. Wild game and meat animals lived out in the open. They were free to roam in the sunshine, and they instinctively foraged for what they needed. Animals moved around and some migrated, leaving the grass to regrow before returning to an area. 

Ancestral Foods vs Ultra-processed foods of today. Which do you think is killing us?

4. Our ancestors diets prioritized animal foods. Their diets consisted of nutrient-dense food like meat and dairy. (Their diets also lacked the amount of chemicals, synthetic vitamins, preservatives, and fillers that most store-bought food contains today.) 

It doesn’t take much to look around and recognize that the health of our society is struggling. The diet of the average American is so far from the way our ancestors ate, even just a hundred years ago, and we’re paying for it in our physical, mental, and emotional health. 

We believe that eating the way our ancestors ate promotes healthier individuals, healthier families, communities, and ultimately a healthier world. 

We dedicate blood sweat and tears to provide truly clean meat for not just our own family but yours as well. 

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3 EASY Steps to Seriously Nutrient-Dense Meals (+ Recipes!)

When you hear “family meal” what comes to mind?

Do you imagine a family happily gathered at the table with a 3-course meal? Or does it make you think of figuring out what to feed your family (again) and have you thinking about what you “should” be feeding them, worrying about all the crap in today’s food that you’d almost rather feed them nothing than put more junk in their bodies? No?

I know from personal experience just how overwhelming it can be to make a meal for your family when you’re busy, have a big family, or just don’t know what else to make! After years of feeding my children all the things under the sun, I’ve figured out 3 steps to seriously nutrient-dense meals and I want to share it will you because this will save you so much time and energy AND provide the people you love most with the nutrition their bodies need. 

And I promise, it’s so simple. (I’ve even included a few of our favorite meals!)

Step 1: Make quality meat the center of the meal.

Step 2: Include lots of good, healthy fat.

Step 3: Salt it well.

Meals don’t have to be a banquet! Nutritious meals can be very simple. Sometimes, we sit down for dinner and just have roast and butter, and sometimes the kids put BBQ sauce on it. 

Does that sound crazy to you? It sounded crazy to me too. Where are the veggies and carbs? Where are all the food groups?!

Of course, you can add those if you want, BUT if you only did these three things your meals would still be packed with nutrition. 

1. Make quality meat the center of the meal.

You already know how passionate I am about food freedom, and as long as you know what’s in your food you can make an educated decision. If you choose to eat plant-based or lab-grown meat, that’s you’re right. But while you’re here, let me tell you a little more about why we choose pasture-finished meat for our family.  

Most people don’t know there’s a difference between pasture-finished meat and grain-finished meat. Our society is used to grain-finished meat and it can take some people a minute to adjust to the stronger meat flavor and the level of tenderness that is pasture-finished meat. Pasture-finished meat has a higher nutritional profile and will support all levels of your body’s function in ways no other protein can. 

Pasture-raised and finished meats are the highest quality meat available. If you include this nutrient-dense protein in your meals, you’re already ahead of the game in terms of long-term health and sustenance.

2. Include lots of good, healthy fat.

Fat provides energy. Not the short-term kind of energy burst you get from carbohydrates, but a longer-lasting fuel source for your body to function on. Fat will help you feel more satiated and less hungry.

Grass-fed butter, cheese, tallow or lard (corn & soy-free are best for your body) are what our family uses most.

Get your vitamins A, D, E, and K2 from a natural source. Your fat-soluble vitamins make all the minerals you consume work the way they’re supposed to. When you don’t have those vitamins you might be getting nutrients from other places, but the vitamins you get from good, healthy fats help your body absorb nutrients and use them. 

3. Salt it well.

Salt has minerals and is necessary for good health! I know this sounds contrary to mainstream health advice, but much evidence proves the contrary. You want to consume fat and salt together for optimal efficiency. (mmmm… salted butter!) Not regular table salt though, but sea salt like Baja Gold or Redmonds Real Salt. 

Did you know sea water has the exact same 90 minerals and balance that your blood does? When we have a good quality mineral salt, we are building our blood and making our bodies a more alkaline ph (meaning making it more disease resistant!) 

Good minerals and salt is what we depend on for the health of our animals and always the first thing we go to if they experience any imbalance. It holds true for humans too! 

Keep your meals simple and nutritious.

Pick your meat.

Pick your fat.

Salt it well.

If you’re skeptical, I encourage you to at least try it! See what you think and how you feel. You can always add your favorite veggies and carbs as sides, but please don’t overthink it. 

As promised, here are 3 nutrition-packed meals we really enjoy…

[RECIPE 1: Roast and Squash] Add your frozen 1984 Farms beef chuck roast to your slow cooker. Add in desired seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Set on low and let cook for 6-8 hours. An hour before your roast is done, prepare your preferred winter squash. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds, place on baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes or until it is fork tender and browning. Serve with lots of butter and salt! Simple yet so delicious!

[RECIPE 2: Simplest Burgers and Fries] Mix 1 pound of 1984 ground beef with 1 egg or 1/8 cup of rendered tallow/lard, salt, and pepper. Form into patties and cook in a skillet or on the grill. Bring a pot of water to a boil while you peel and cut red potatoes into fry shapes. Place in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Heat a cup of tallow/lard in a deep saucepan or frying pan. Once hot, add sliced potatoes and cook until desired golden brown. remove from pan to paper towels and salt liberally. Pull out your condiments – pickles, mustard, ketchup, whatever you have on hand – no buns necessary.

[RECIPE 3: Cheesy Squash Bake] Prepare your acorn or butternut squash like you would in the roast and squash recipe. Brown, salt, and chop 1 lb of 1984 ground beef. Peel and slice 1-2 apples. Scoop out all the squash leaving the shells intact. Mix squash, beef, and apples together then fill the squash shells. Shred raw cheese and make a a good layer on the top of each filled squash. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

What do you think? Would your family go for this? Can you think of quality meat-centered meals you’d like to try? Tell me on Instagram, or send me an email!