Well Nourished

Nutrition in foods wasn't really thought about until the turn of the century.  Diet was pretty much routine.  Bread was considered the mainstay of every diet - the staff of life.  Milk, fruit,  and vegetables were luxuries eaten by those who could afford them and only when they were fresh.   A person was considered "nourished" by the quantity of food eaten, not by the quality. The poor suffered because they survived on bread alone.  Fruit was considered a medicine for the sailor to prevent disease.

It wasn't until the 20th century that it was discovered that certain foods were beneficial to the body, but it would be years before "the science of nutrition" and a well-balanced diet were considered important to health.  The science of nutrition became a business in America, and gave the name "dietitian" to a whole new profession.  Diet + Physician = Dietitian

Those attitudes, however evolved very slowly.  Back in the early 1800s colonists turned their noses up at anything but the basics of meat and bread.  Patrick Henry accused Thomas Jefferson of having a feminine taste for "French Cookery."  Independent thinkers like John Adams considered such prejudice belonging to the past and helped open the minds of many - albeit the wealthy only.

However, for the common everyday American, the basic diet was thought of as the "American way."
In the presidential campaign of 1840, called the Log Cabin and Cider campaign, William Henry Harrison was touted as living on a wholesome diet of "raw beef without salt" while his opponent, Martin Van Buren ate luxurious foods like strawberries, raspberries, celery and cauliflower.  It was not considered a compliment, but a wealthy indulgence, unlike the normal family would ever have.

Crude and tasteless foods were a virtue to the everyday American, while preferring to delight the palate was considered Old World indulgence.

Next time...Sophisticated dining circa the 1800s
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On October 21, 1959, the New York City's Guggenheim Museum of contemporary art open its doors.  Shaped like an upside down cupcake, it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and considered one of the most bizarre buildings at that time.