European naval diets in the sixteenth century: A quantitative method for comparative and nutritional analysis

Abstract

This paper develops and utilizes novel methods that combine historical records concerning the diets of European naval mariners in the sixteenth century with modern information on the nutritional content of food. Energy, vitamin, and mineral intakes were compared to modern recommended values. Calorie provisions were sufficient and relatively constant in all Western European fleets. The absence of vitamin C was a universal failure of the naval diet. The limiting factor to variety and balance in the naval diet was the demands of preservation with limited technology. Fish declined in importance between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries while beef increased in importance. A database structure that allows for calculation of nutritional information was designed and utilized in this research and is provided online for future reference and calculation of diets.