Early field studies in human nutrition documented the eating habits of African Americans living in a variety of circumstances. We compare the results of these investigations. Our analysis shows systematic differences along a continuum reaching from remote, rural communities in the South toward increasingly metropolitan locations. On the latter end of the continuum, we find diets richer in protein, composed of a wider variety of foods and containing fewer of what we now call "soul foods." Greater market involvement and access to low cost alternatives to more traditional foods help explain these developments.

Dietaries reported by previous generations of researchers, originally collected to advance the science of human nutrition, now have considerable value as primary historical documents. USDA experiment station reports and bulletins represent the single largest collection of such documents. Our annotated bibliography of experiment station studies is meant to facilitate their use in historical and other diachronic studies of American food habits and diet.

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Dietary studies from the early part of the 20th century are a rich source of information about the dietary habits of the people and the science of nutrition. This annotated bibliography is meant to facilitate access to this part of the historical literature for further study.

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