Seeds, Berries, and Nope: Food Through the Eyes of Cave Woman Heather

I am a picky eater. I always have been. Although, now that I’m the adultier adult (HA! HA!), I’m a little more willing to try new things. Well… most days.

Trying new foods isn’t that big of a thing for me, because I’m gluten-free. So it’s not like a family member is going to scrape something off their dinner plate and say, “Here, try this!” But that’s fine. I’ve never been a fan of the whole “Here, try this” scenario anyway.

Being a picky eater, I often wonder: what made early humans want to try new “foods”? How many times did they bite into something before realizing it wasn’t edible?

I can totally understand reaching for an apple or orange. But digging up and eating something like a potato? That would’ve been a hard no from Cave Woman Heather.

Until fire came along (invented? discovered?), early humans mostly ate seeds, fruits, and vegetables. So imagine this: you’re a Caveman, your stomach is growling, and you grunt to let your Cave Wife know. She grins, grunts back, and holds out her cupped hands. Excited, you lean in—only to find what looks like a small, lumpy rock. You grunt again, this time in protest. Thankfully, she also has carrots, berries, and seeds to calm your rumbling stomach.

What you didn’t realize was that Cave Wife was holding a potato. And you were about to be the first to try it! Which makes me wonder—who was the poor unfortunate cave person who had to taste-test new foods? Was it the women? The children? Or maybe just the most annoying guy in the clan?

Sure, some food knowledge came from watching animals eat different plants, and some from the wisdom of elders. But still—someone had to be the first.

I can understand apples. I’ll even give you potatoes. But things like puffer fish? Puffer fish, which is poisonous raw. Puffer fish, which is poisonous cooked. Why did that get multiple chances? Who looked at a fish that’s trying so hard to kill you and thought, “Eh, maybe third time’s the charm”? I just don’t get it.

Thankfully, Cave Woman Heather wasn’t in charge of taste-testing. If she had been, humanity would still be munching on berries and nuts—and side-eyeing everything else!

Author’s Note: For the history sticklers—yes, I know early humans ate more than fruits and veggies (they had raw meat, shellfish, bugs, and tubers too). Oranges and potatoes came much later, and puffer fish isn’t poisonous in all of its flesh—just in the parts with tetrodotoxin. But hey, “Cave Woman Heather” is not an archaeologist, she’s just a picky eater with questions.

⭐ Not everyone was born to be a food pioneer.
If it had been up to me, we’d still be living off seeds and berries, politely declining anything that looked “experimental.”
Hit that ⭐ Like button, follow Brain Fog & Brilliance, and share this with someone who’s also suspicious of anything new on the menu.
Because culinary courage clearly skipped a few generations. 💭