How a Special Diet Kept the Knights Templar Fighting Fit Silent meals, a buddy system, and wine “in moderation.” by Natasha Frost, May 8, 2018 In the 13th century, the average life expectancy was a mere 31 years, yet, miraculously, many members of the fabled Knights Templar lived long past 60. Even then, they often died at the hands of their enemies, rather than from illness. The knights’ good health seemed like a divine gift, but modern research suggests an alternative: The order’s compulsory dietary rules may have contributed to their long lives. Teaser Image: Meals were eaten communally and may have looked rather like this feast scene from the Bayeux tapestry—albeit rather less raucous. Public Domain "So three times a week, the knights were permitted to eat meat—even though it was “understood that the custom of eating flesh corrupts the body.” On Sundays, everyone ate meat, with higher-up members permitted both lunch and dinner with some kind of roast animal...but on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, the knights ate more spartan, vegetable-filled meals....Otherwise, they might eat potage, made with oats or pulses, gruels, or fiber-rich vegetable stews. In their gardens, they grew fruits and vegetables, especially Mediterranean produce... Once a week, on Fridays, they observed a Lenten fast—no eggs, milk, or other animal products. For hearty fare, they relied on dried or salted fish, and dairy or egg substitutes made from almond milk."

How a Special Diet Kept the Knights Templar Fighting Fit Silent meals, a buddy system, and wine “in moderation.” by Natasha Frost, May 8, 2018 In the 13th century, the average life expectancy was a mere 31 years, yet, miraculously, many members of the fabled Knights Templar lived long past 60. Even then, they often died at the hands of their enemies, rather than from illness. The knights’ good health seemed like a divine gift, but modern research suggests an alternative: The order’s compulsory dietary rules may have contributed to their long lives. Teaser Image: Meals were eaten communally and may have looked rather like this feast scene from the Bayeux tapestry—albeit rather less raucous. Public Domain "So three times a week, the knights were permitted to eat meat—even though it was “understood that the custom of eating flesh corrupts the body.” On Sundays, everyone ate meat, with higher-up members permitted both lunch and dinner with some kind of roast animal...but on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, the knights ate more spartan, vegetable-filled meals....Otherwise, they might eat potage, made with oats or pulses, gruels, or fiber-rich vegetable stews. In their gardens, they grew fruits and vegetables, especially Mediterranean produce... Once a week, on Fridays, they observed a Lenten fast—no eggs, milk, or other animal products. For hearty fare, they relied on dried or salted fish, and dairy or egg substitutes made from almond milk."