12 forgotten foods from the past that this dietitian wants to bring back

Find out how adding more plant foods to your diet increases your gut health, or check out our collections of recipes for damsons, celeriac or sardines…

While many of us may be on the lookout for the next new thing in the culinary world, one of the biggest trends right now is grounded in the past. A desire for food that conjures up nostalgic memories means retro dishes like prawn cocktail, toad in the hole, and bread and butter pudding are back on the menu.

It’s an easy trend to introduce into our own kitchens – and one that can help to add nutrients to our diet if we choose well. Many foods that were popular with our grandparents – but rarely make it into our shopping trolleys nowadays – are full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. They’re often cheaper than more exotic ‘superfoods’ too. So why not take a step back in time with some of these old-school ingredients?

Barley

It may not be as fashionable as buckwheat or quinoa, but this grain is inexpensive and a great way to boost fibre. A 100g serving of boiled pearl barley has around 5g fibre – three times more than the same amount of boiled brown rice. It’s particularly rich in a specific fibre called beta-glucans (the same type in oats), which lowers LDL or bad cholesterol and maintains steady blood glucose levels. Add barley to soups and stews, use as the base for a satisfying salad, or use it in place of rice to make a creamy risotto (just be aware it’s not gluten-free). Try this Mushroom pearl barley risotto with roasted carrots.

Liver

Once a popular meal choice, liver rarely appears on dining tables now – there was a 92% fall in purchases between 1974 and 2014 with today’s households buying an average of just 156g liver a year! Liver is exceptionally high in vitamin A, which can be harmful to unborn babies so NHS advice is to avoid liver and liver products when pregnant. Excessive vitamin A may also increase the risk of bone fractures, so the NHS recommends limiting liver to once a week if it’s a menu regular. However, enjoying liver occasionally is a great way to benefit from the many nutrients it contains, which include protein, zinc, copper, folate, vitamin B12 and particularly iron, a nutrient that 34% of women have very low intakes of. Try this modern take on liver and bacon: Calf’s liver with pancetta and rosemary.

Radishes

They might be small but they’re mighty when it comes to nutrients. These crunchy veg add folate and vitamin C to diets, both of which help to reduce tiredness and support the immune system. They also contain naturally occurring plant compounds called anthocyanins (it’s what makes them red), which studies suggest may help keep the heart and brain healthy. Add to salads, stir fries or pasta dishes, enjoy as a snack served with a dip, roast with a little olive oil, or try our Spiced radishes on preserved lemon yogurt recipe.

Split peas

Once a regular in soups, stews and broths to make them go further when meat was in short supply, these dried, skinless peas that ‘split’ naturally, rarely make it into modern-day kitchens. It’s unsurprising as we now eat far fewer peas overall. In the mid 1970s, on average, each person ate around 150g of fresh, frozen and canned peas a week. By 2021 this had dropped to around 50g. With a 100g serving of cooked split peas containing 7g of gut-friendly fibre, they’re perfect for helping us get closer to the recommended 30g a day – a target 96% of Brits currently fail to meet. They’re a great source of plant protein, too, so perfect for vegan diets. Simply add split peas to soups, stews and curries (no need to soak or boil them first). Alternatively, purée and serve like mash, or use in place of chickpeas in hummus.

A platter of hummus topped with green olives

Sardines and herring

The last few decades have seen the oily fish tide turn from sardines and herring to salmon. It’s estimated that salmon now accounts for 43% of all fish sold in supermarkets, while sardines and herring each make up less than 1% – in fact, 12% and 23% of Brits have never even tried sardines or herring, respectively. All oily fish are rich in omega-3 fats for a healthy heart and brain, and vitamin D for strong bones, teeth, muscles and immunity. But an over-reliance on salmon is less sustainable and means missing out on the significantly higher levels of nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, selenium, iodine and various B vitamins found in sardines and herrings. Enjoy both tinned and fresh – grill and serve with salad, and add to pasta dishes, pilafs, fishcakes, scrambled eggs, omelettes, sandwiches, curries. Or, try this Sardine spaghetti recipe.

Cottage cheese

A staple of old-fashioned weight loss diets, cottage cheese began slipping off menus in the 1980s. But thanks to a huge social media presence and a desire for more protein, the last few years have seen a resurgence of this nutritious dairy food. At the start of 2023, we bought the equivalent to around three million tubs (300g each) of cottage cheese a month. That increased to 5.7 million tubs a month by the end of 2025. It’s great for nutrition as cottage cheese is packed with protein, and provides calcium, phosphorus and vitamins B2, B3 and B12. It contains iodine, too, which is vital for cognitive function, yet 13% of adults have very low intakes so are at risk of deficiency. While still a great topping for jacket potatoes and salads, jump on the TikTok trend and get cottage cheese creative with pancakes, muffins, cheesecakes and dips. Try this Salmon and spinach filo cottage cheese quiche.

Dates

In the mid 1970s, people typically ate around 26g dried fruit each week. Today, that’s fallen to just 7g. But dates seem to be bucking the trend. Boosted by social media, they’re back on shopping lists with consumption rising steadily in the last decade. Nutritionally, it’s good news. Dates help to satisfy a sweet tooth, while delivering fibre and potassium, and topping up levels of antioxidants like copper and manganese. Social media sees them being dipped in dark chocolate, filled with nut butter, turned into energy or protein balls, appearing on snacking and cheese boards, and being used in baking. They’re also great for adding to cereal, porridge, yogurt and Middle Eastern and North African dishes. Try this Pepper, date and harissa tagine.

Pepper, date and harissa tagine in a serving bowl

Cress

Growing mustard and cress at school was once popular and provided a tasty addition to salads. These days, supermarkets sell ‘salad cress’ where rape (rather than mustard) is blended with garden cress. Both belong to the same plant family as broccoli, cabbage and kale, so these sprouted seeds have similar nutrients, including immune-friendly vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A. Plus, cress is packed with natural plant chemicals called glucosinolates, which are converted into compounds called isothiocyanates in the body, which research suggests may protect against some cancers. Cress also has the benefit of being eaten raw so its glucosinolates aren’t destroyed by high cooking temperatures. Add salad cress to salads, sandwiches, jacket potato fillings and smoothies, and sprinkle over soups, scrambled eggs, omelettes and even pizza.

Gooseberries

Gooseberries were once common in British gardens. Today, homegrown gooseberries are more niche than normal, with British growers focussing on strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Gooseberries are worth adding to diets if you can find them though. They’re rich in vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron from plant foods like beans, lentils, chickpeas and wholegrain cereals. Plus, they’re naturally high in pectin, a soluble fibre that forms a gel in the digestive system, which helps to bind cholesterol supporting healthier blood cholesterol levels. A classic filling for crumbles and pies, gooseberries are also perfect for sauces to go alongside meat. Or stew with a little sugar and mix into porridge, yogurt or smoothies. You can even roast them and add to salads.

Celeriac

A regular in homemade soups and stews of the past, celeriac was sidelined when carrots, parsnips and potatoes became more popular. But thanks to it being a favourite with some celebrity chefs and promoted as a low-carb alternative to potatoes (celeriac contains 2g carbs versus 20g carbs in potatoes per 100g), recent years have seen a revival of this root vegetable. Sales are up by 41% since 2018 and supermarkets now sell around one million celeriac a year. This knobbly veg is rich in fibre and a prebiotic so feeds good bacteria in the gut, helping them grow and flourish. Plus it adds vitamin C, folate and potassium to diets, the latter of which helps to control blood pressure. Mash or roast, add to curries, stews and casseroles, turn into a soup, grate raw into salads or use in coleslaw. Try these Lamb cutlets with celeriac slaw.

Damsons

Once widely grown at home and in orchards, this stone fruit started to fall out of favour in the 1970s as supermarkets began selling more imported and sweeter fruits. Today damsons remain a niche ingredient and tend to be used to make artisan products like damson gin, wine and preserves. But if you’re lucky enough to grow your own or find them at farmer’s markets, it’s worth enjoying them as they add fibre and potassium to diets and are rich in anthocyanins – naturally occurring plant chemicals that support heart and brain health. Use them in crumbles, pies, baked goods or stew with a little sugar and swirl into yogurt, overnight oats or porridge, or serve with pancakes or on top of cheesecakes. Try this Damson cobbler.

Grapefruit

Recent reports suggest grapefruit juice is disappearing from supermarket shelves and the fruit itself is no longer as popular as it once was. Consumption reached a peak in 2007, before starting to decline – possibly because many of us now prefer sweeter, easier-to-eat fruits like clementines and oranges, and because we are more aware that grapefruit can interfere with some medications. If you can enjoy grapefruit safely, it’s great for boosting vitamin C – half a grapefruit provides more than half of daily needs. Pink and red varieties also provide the antioxidant lycopene and beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A. Grapefruit has also been shown to lower cholesterol with red varieties giving greater reductions than yellow ones – but grapefruit juice may need to be avoided if taking statins. Add grapefruit to salads, yogurt, salsas or roast with a little brown sugar. Try this Thai pink grapefruit and prawn salad.