![]() Recent studies on Palaeolithic hunter–gathers in Grotte des Pigeons in Morocco suggest that acorns were a major food item in their diet. Farm animals-particularly hogs in Europe-have been fed a diet of acorns for centuries.Īlthough acorns rarely feature in today’s diet, their appeal was not lost on our human ancestors. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, says that “oak species with their large, nutrient-rich acorns, may be the single most important genus used by wildlife for food and cover in California forests and rangelands.” Acorns are also an important food source for some domestic livestock. In fact, Janet Fryer, a plant ecologist with the U.S. With a growing interest in foraging for local, edible wild plants, eating new and ever-more exotic food items and the need (both real and imagined) for gluten-free ingredients sweeping through parts of the Western world, is it possible that acorns-small nuts that fit all of these criteria-could be on the verge of a dietary comeback.Ĭlearly, acorns have always been a major component in the diets of various species of wildlife insects, birds and mammals obtain much nutritional value from ingesting them. Over the past decade various Web sites, magazines and newspapers have recommended that the occasional acorn-based items be reintroduced into our diets. Could acorns, the fruits of the oak tree, be the answer? Certainly, they are beginning to draw renewed interest in the hunt for sustainable alternative food sources. ![]() ![]() As the world’s breadbaskets strain to meet the demands of the Earth’s growing population, already more than seven billion strong, we could use another nutritional, ecologically friendly food source. ![]()
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