Medieval peasants had meat and two veg diet

Medieval peasants mainly ate stews of meat and vegetables, along with dairy products such as cheese, scientists have found.

Food residues were extracted from the remains of cooking pots found at the small medieval village of West Cotton in Northamptonshire. Experts from the University of Bristol used chemical techniques to identify lipids, fats, oils and natural waxes from the ceramics.

They found stews of mutton and beef with vegetables such as cabbage and leek were the main stay of the medieval peas ant diet. Dairy products such as cheese also played an important role.

Dr Julie Dun ne, of the University of Bristol, said: “Food and diet are central to understanding daily life in the medieval period, particularly for the peasant .”