Even once they were settled, the pioneers still had to be resilient.  A single storm could take out half a year's of food supplies.  There wasn't any refrigeration and even canning didn't become common until later (which, of course, you'd need access to jars to do!).

I personally find all aspects of pioneer life fascinating: how they organized labor, how they handled medicine, how they built their homes…

But how the pioneers ate is one of the most fascinating aspects of their life.  It gives you insight into how creative and hard-working they were in their endeavors to sustain their families in tough situations.

Below are some of the foods that the pioneers ate – and what we might be eating again if a disaster strikes.