Lloyd,
Yes, of course the Irish lived almost totally on potatoes. Because they were starving to death and had no other options.
And, even when times were good, did this diet keep them fit and healthy? No. Their health was horrible, they suffered mass malnutrion, and many of them died like flies. Read the biography of a child who grew up in Dublin Ireland in the 1930s, called Angela's Ashes. They survived mainly on potatoes, bread, peas, and tea. Both the children and adults were disease ridden and miserable, dying very early deaths. They lost almost all of their teeth, they were riddled with parasites, they were covered with rashes and sores, they suffered from scurvy and rickets, and deaths by heart failure and pnuemonia were rampant.
In a true shtf scenario, where the only other option would be starvation, of course I would eat potatoes too. Yet, that doesn't make them a healthy staple.
Take a trip through poor Appalachia in America today, and look at the folks who live on lots of of potatoes and corn. Their health and weight is shockingly bad. It is third world.
Thanks to all for asking for bean recipes, but I must confess that for almost all beans I cook, I just soak them soft before cooking, cook them really slow with a little salt, and sometimes a scrap or two of very lean ham, and put a small bit of healthy oil on them before eating, such as grapeseed oil. I am sure that most of you guys could make them taste alot better than I can.
If you have never tried cowpeas (also called purple hulled peas), these are among my very favorite. Similar to a black eyed pea, but a little less bitter and a little more sweet.
Give up totally white bread, potatoes, pasta, pizza, ice cream and soft drinks (except diet), and butter and bad margerine.. Substitute lots of high protein foods (beans and lean chicken), plus whole wheat bread, plus olive oil, grapeseed oil or a healthy blend margarine, plus your favorite green or yellow vegetables. Eat oatmeal and Cheerios and other whole grain breakfast foods. Eat all of this stuff you want!
If you do this, a miracle happens in very short order: you are not hungry all of the time, you are not sleepy all of the time, the weight comes off at the rate fo 2 to 4 pounds a week and stays off, and you become very mentally alert.
The easiest way for me to go this route was simply to never buy the bad items and never have them in the house. The battle is won or loss at the grocery store or when you plant your garden. I found that if I ever had them in the house, it was extremely hard to resist eating them. I weigh the same today as I did 25 years ago. 150 pounds. You can do it too!
Best,
Mannyrock
