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Aztec Daily Eating Habits

Daily Meals

Commoner Diet

Food

As previously shown and mentioned, maize and beans were a very important part of the everyday diet for commoners.  With a lack of animal protein available, maize and beans were the best alternative in the Aztec environment.  Maize was already a fairly healthy option, and when prepared in a lime solution (which was common), it releases niacin for the consumer and provides significant amounts of calcium (Kiple 2000:1248).  The primary deficiencies of maize, which were of importance without animal protein, are lysine, isoleucine and tryptophan and with the combination of maize products and beans, these deficiencies were overcome.  And the two goods combined to provide a pattern of amino acids quite similar to that found in animal protein (Kiple 2000:1248).

While maize and beans may have been a foundation for general meals, it was by no means all that was consumed.  The Aztecs had an extraordinarily long list of spices and flavorings they would use, although the extent of there use in commoner meals is somewhat unknown (Davidson 1999).  But there are a number of clues that point to broader diet.  For one there is the account by Sahagun of the many, many varieties of chili's available by the chili seller (Davidson 1999).  Aztec diets featured a wide variety of these chilis, which featured a wide range of flavors and hotness (Townsend 2000:180).   Sahagun also gives an account of the market and rambles off a very long list, featuring immense variety in the types of food available at the market (Coe 1994).  Also at the market there appears to have been ready made dishes on top of the raw materials used for cooking.  And these appear to be more associated with maize products rather than sauces or casserole dishes (although this could be an illusion) (Coe 1994).
Eating Times

Although there is some debate on the average eating times of commoners, one case states that: "In Aztec times most Mexicans breakfasted long after they had begun the day, stopping only at about 10 a.m. for a bowl of maize porridge flavored with honey or capsicums, which sustained them until the main meal taken in the early afternoon, when it was too hot to do anything else.  This consisted of tortillas, a dish of beans and a sauce made from tomatoes or peppers" (Tannahill 1988:208).  This idea of daily meals further illustrates the importance of maize to the Aztec diet.  And this likely could of been a common set of meals for a day, with variety thrown in with the sauce (seasonings, vegetables, meats, etc.) and with other food goods consumed in addition, such as fruits and vegetables.

Drinks

Atole or Atolli was a common form of drink (or porridge type mixture) available at the markets and one that could of at times constituted almost an entire meal (Coe 1994).  Other drinks would have included aquamiel and polque from the maguey plant (Berdan 2005:23).