Book excerpt: Provides a historical overview of the food habits of human beings over time, with special emphasis on American dietary habits from Columbian times through the present. Addresses food habits within the context of the relevant events, developments, and circumstances associated with each era. Introduces the reader to the essentiality of food as a source of nourishment for all living things; describes the various traditional methods of obtaining food, the characteristics of food-gathering and food-producing societies, the elements of food processing, and the universal foods and food products that have been used by human cultures across time; focuses on the early dietary patterns of the ancestors of post-Columbian North Americans; discusses factors that influence food habits; provides an in-depth characterization of contemporary American food habits; assesses the nutritional adequacy of American diets during various periods from prehistoric times up to the present; and makes predictions regarding the American diet of the future.