Somewhere between protein shakes, superfood powders, and grocery store aisles filled with products our great-grandparents wouldn’t recognize as food, we may have forgotten something important:

Some of the healthiest foods have been sitting quietly in the pantry all along.

Before chia bowls became Instagram famous and wellness influencers started putting butter in coffee, people were eating simple foods like sardines, cabbage, lentils, beets, and prunes. They weren’t necessarily trendy, but many were inexpensive, nutrient-dense, and surprisingly good for us.

Modern nutrition research continues to show that diets rich in whole and minimally processed foods are associated with better cardiovascular and metabolic health. Meanwhile, ultra-processed foods now make up a substantial portion of calories consumed in the United States.

Maybe better health doesn’t always require discovering something new.

Sometimes we just need to remember what we stopped eating.

Here are 9 old-fashioned foods that deserve another spot on your plate.

1 Sardines

Sardines may not have the marketing department that salmon does, but nutritionally, these tiny fish are impressive.

Sardines provide omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B12, selenium, and—when eaten with their soft edible bones—calcium.

Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA have been extensively studied for their role in cardiovascular health. Research has associated fish consumption with cardiovascular benefits, and major health organizations continue to recommend eating fish as part of a heart-healthy dietary pattern.

Sardines also have an advantage over many larger predatory fish: because they’re small and lower on the food chain, they generally accumulate less mercury.

Try them on whole-grain crackers, tossed into salads, mixed with avocado, or served with lemon and herbs.

Your grandmother may have been onto something.

Just maybe open the can before your guests arrive so you can decide which ones are truly your friends.

2 Cabbage

Poor cabbage.

It has spent decades being treated like the boring relative of kale.

But cabbage belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family alongside broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. These vegetables contain glucosinolates, compounds that can be converted into biologically active substances that researchers have studied for their potential roles in cellular health.

Cabbage is also a source of vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and other plant compounds.

And unlike many foods wearing a “superfood” label, cabbage is usually inexpensive.

Red cabbage adds anthocyanins—the same family of colorful plant pigments found in foods like blueberries—while fermented cabbage foods such as sauerkraut can provide beneficial microorganisms when they contain live cultures.

Roast it.

Shred it into slaw.

Add it to soup.

Ferment it.

The humble cabbage has been patiently waiting for its comeback tour.

3 Lentils

Long before plant-based protein became a marketing category, humans were eating lentils.

These tiny legumes provide plant protein, fiber, folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients.

One cooked cup can provide roughly 18 grams of protein and around 15 grams of fiber, depending on the variety and preparation.

That’s impressive for something that costs less than many fancy protein bars.

Higher dietary fiber intake has been consistently associated with better cardiovascular, metabolic, and digestive health. Research published in The Lancet examining data from numerous studies found that higher fiber intake was associated with meaningful reductions in the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer.

Lentils are also incredibly versatile.

Add them to soups, curries, salads, tacos, or pasta sauce.

Your gut bacteria will probably send you a thank-you card.

Eventually.

After they adjust.

4 Beets

Beets have been eaten for centuries, but modern research has given us a new reason to appreciate them.

They’re naturally rich in dietary nitrates.

The body can convert dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, a molecule involved in blood vessel function and circulation.

Studies have investigated beetroot juice and nitrate-rich foods for their potential effects on blood pressure and exercise performance. Research has found that dietary nitrate may support vascular function and, in some circumstances, modestly reduce blood pressure.

Beets also provide folate, manganese, potassium, fiber, and colorful betalain pigments.

You can roast them, grate them raw into salads, blend them into smoothies, or pickle them.

One warning: beets can temporarily turn urine or stool reddish.

This is generally harmless.

It can, however, produce approximately three seconds of absolute panic if nobody warned you.

Consider yourself warned.

5 Prunes

At some point, prunes were apparently fired from the wellness industry and replaced by the much more glamorous phrase “dried plums.”

But whatever you call them, they deserve another look.

Prunes are well known for supporting regular bowel movements because they contain fiber and sorbitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol.

But their benefits may extend beyond digestion.

Several clinical studies have investigated prunes and bone health, particularly in postmenopausal women. Research has suggested that regular prune consumption may have beneficial effects on certain markers related to bone health, although more research is needed to understand the long-term implications.

Prunes also provide potassium, vitamin K, and polyphenols.

Try chopping them into oatmeal, adding them to yogurt, or pairing them with nuts.

And yes, they may help you poop.

Sometimes Grandma’s health advice didn’t need a podcast.

6 Oats

Oatmeal has been quietly sitting in kitchen cabinets while increasingly complicated breakfast foods have come and gone.

But oats remain one of the best-known dietary sources of beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber.

Research has shown that oat beta-glucan can help reduce LDL cholesterol when consumed as part of a healthy diet.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has even authorized certain health claims related to soluble fiber from oats and the risk of coronary heart disease when specific dietary criteria are met.

Oats also provide manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, thiamine, and plant-based protein.

Choose less processed versions when possible and dress them up yourself.

Add berries.

Add walnuts.

Add cinnamon.

Add seeds.

Just remember that oatmeal stops being quite as humble when it is buried under enough brown sugar to qualify as cake.

7 Sauerkraut

Fermentation was helping preserve food thousands of years before refrigerators showed up.

Sauerkraut is simply fermented cabbage, but traditionally fermented versions containing live cultures may provide microorganisms that interact with the gut microbiome.

The human gut contains trillions of microorganisms involved in digestion, immune function, metabolism, and other biological processes.

Research into the microbiome is still rapidly evolving, and scientists are continuing to investigate how fermented foods influence microbial diversity and health.

A small Stanford University study published in Cell found that participants consuming a diet high in fermented foods experienced increased microbiome diversity and reductions in several markers of inflammation during the study period.

Not every jar of sauerkraut contains live cultures, however.

Shelf-stable products may be pasteurized, which can destroy many living microorganisms.

Look for refrigerated varieties labeled as containing live cultures if probiotics are your goal.

Your ancestors fermented cabbage because they needed food to last through winter.

Your microbiome may simply be grateful they did.

8 Liver

Before you skip directly to number nine, hear this one out.

Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods humans traditionally consumed.

It provides substantial amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin A, copper, iron, riboflavin, folate, and other nutrients.

For people who enjoy organ meats, relatively small portions can provide concentrated nutrition.

However, more is definitely not always better.

Because liver is extremely high in preformed vitamin A and copper, excessive consumption can lead to excessive intake of these nutrients. Pregnant individuals, people with certain medical conditions, and those taking particular medications should seek individualized medical guidance about liver consumption.

In other words, liver is a food where the phrase “a little goes a long way” is quite literal.

If you grew up eating liver and onions, congratulations.

Your childhood dinner has officially entered the superfood conversation.

9 Beans

Beans may be one of the least glamorous longevity foods on Earth.

They are also one of the most consistently present foods in traditional diets around the world.

Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and other legumes provide fiber, plant protein, resistant starch, folate, potassium, magnesium, and numerous plant compounds.

Observational research examining dietary patterns in long-lived populations has frequently noted legumes as a common dietary component.

Beans are also remarkably affordable.

Replacing some highly processed foods or processed meats with beans can increase fiber intake while providing satisfying plant protein.

Add them to soups.

Put them in salads.

Make hummus.

Mash them into tacos.

Toss chickpeas in the oven until crispy.

Yes, beans have a reputation for producing a certain musical side effect.

Your digestive system may adapt as fiber intake gradually increases.

Until then, perhaps avoid introducing your new bean-heavy lifestyle immediately before a long car ride with friends.

The modern wellness world is constantly searching for the next miracle food.

But maybe some of the best foods never disappeared.

They simply became unfashionable.

Sardines, cabbage, lentils, beets, prunes, oats, sauerkraut, liver, and beans won’t arrive in glamorous packaging promising to transform your life in seven days.

They don’t need to.

These foods have nourished generations of people, and modern research continues to uncover reasons many of them deserve a place in a healthy diet.

Of course, no single food determines your health or guarantees longevity. The overall pattern of what you eat matters far more than whether you occasionally add sardines or sauerkraut to your plate.

But bringing back a few simple, nutrient-dense foods could be one of the easiest—and most affordable—ways to improve the quality of your diet.

Sometimes moving forward means looking backward.

Your great-grandmother’s pantry may have known more than we gave it credit for.

At MindBodySpiritLife.com, we believe better health doesn’t always have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes the simplest traditions can teach us the most. Visit MindBodySpiritLife.com often for research-inspired ideas for nurturing your body, mind, spirit, and life. If you have a personal wellness story, traditional remedy, healthy recipe, or knowledge that could inspire others, we invite you to share your story or become a contributor.

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