St Patrick revealed as lean, mean preaching machine

It is little wonder St Patrick was able to wander all over Ireland spreading the Christian message as he was centuries ahead of his time when it came to a healthy diet, according to University College Cork food historian Regina Sexton.

According to Ms Sexton the fermented and wild foods that St Patrick would have eaten in fifth century Ireland as he travelled the country converting the pagan Irish to Christianity are now among the “hottest food trends internationally” .

“This was neither a throw-away nor a take-away society. And people took good care to preserve and conserve for future use foods that could not be consumed immediately,” said Ms Sexton before she outlined what St Patrick’s typical diet would have included.

“It would have been high in fibre, Omega-3 fatty acids, fermented milks, low GI grains, protein, minerals and vitamins, but low in sugars and meat. It is safe to say that obesity was not a problem in those days and that the fare was seasonal, wholesome and modest by today’s standards.

Optimal health

St Patrick’s diet was rich in oily fish like salmon and trout while he would also have eaten, oats, seaweed, nuts and wild vegetables, soured and fermented milk and curds but little in the way of meat and full-fat cheeses and butter.

“Items like soured milk drinks, oatmeal, seaweeds and wild fruits and vegetables were staples in the Irish early medieval diet and they are also some of the foods recommended by contemporary nutritionists for optimal health,” said Ms Sexton.

“Much of this is known because with the coming of Christianity, monastic settlements encouraged learning and record keeping and those records have come down to us. Ironically, much of the food available then is what we call ‘health food’ now, which comes of course at a premium price!”

Ms Sexton explained that a wide range of wild foods, notably watercress and wild garlic which were used to garnish dishes were also on the menu while St Patrick could also have tucked into hen and goose eggs, honey, curds, seaweeds and apples.

“Cereals, most commonly oats and barley, a little rye together with more prestigious and high-ranking wheat, were used in the production of flat breads and it is also likely that leavened wheat loaves were on offer,” she said.

Various wet preparations such as porridge, gruel, meal pastes and pottages as well as cereal-milk and fruit-nut combinations were also being eaten on the island when the young Patrick arrived in Ireland from Britain following his capture by Irish slave traders.

“St Patrick would have consumed lots of fresh milk, sour milk, thickened milk, colostrum, curds, flavoured curd mixtures and soft cheese, particularly during the summer months with butter and hard cheeses saved for the leaner months of winter and spring,” she added.