Do Amish People Eat Healthy? A Look at Traditional Diet vs. Modern Health

December 2, 2025 •

4 min read

Despite consuming high amounts of fat and sugar from traditional foods, the Amish population generally exhibits low obesity rates, with one study finding a rate of only 4%. This raises the question: do Amish people eat healthy? The answer is more complex than a simple yes or no, involving a unique blend of diet and extreme physical labor.

Quick Summary

Amish eating habits blend nutrient-dense homegrown foods with dishes high in fat and sugar. Their overall health, including lower obesity rates, is largely attributed to an exceptionally high level of daily physical activity that counteracts dietary downsides.

Key Points

Dietary Paradox: The Amish diet is a mixture of nutrient-dense homegrown foods and high-fat, high-sugar traditional dishes.
Physical Activity is Key: Extremely high levels of daily physical labor are the main factor keeping obesity rates low, balancing the caloric intake from their rich diet.
Low Obesity Rates: Despite a heavy diet, the Amish population maintains a very low obesity rate (around 4%), contrasting sharply with the US average.
Varied Health Outcomes: The community shows lower rates of some diseases like Type 2 diabetes but has complex and sometimes inconsistent data on other conditions like heart disease and cancer.
Lifestyle vs. Genetics: While diet and exercise are crucial, genetic isolation and other factors also play a role in their health profile.
Reliance on Unprocessed Food: A foundational element of their diet is the avoidance of heavily processed, modern foods in favor of homemade meals.
Evolving Food Habits: In some areas, Amish communities are consuming more store-bought and processed foods, potentially impacting their long-term health trajectory.

The Amish Dietary Paradox

At first glance, the Amish diet seems to offer the best of both worlds. Many families grow their own fruits and vegetables, raise livestock, and prepare meals from scratch using fresh, unprocessed ingredients. This approach aligns perfectly with modern nutritional advice that emphasizes whole foods and local sourcing. However, a closer look reveals a diet that is also traditionally very high in saturated fats and refined sugars, challenging the simple assumption that they eat healthy. Their unique health outcomes, which include lower obesity rates, are not purely a result of their diet but are heavily influenced by a demanding, physically active lifestyle.

The Strengths of Traditional Amish Eating

Homegrown and Locally Sourced: Food production is often done on the family farm, meaning fruits, vegetables, and meats are fresh and of high quality. This reduces exposure to industrial pesticides and hormones.
Emphasis on Unprocessed, Fresh Ingredients: Meals are typically made from scratch, avoiding the preservatives and additives common in modern packaged foods.
Fermenting and Preserving Foods: Traditional preservation methods like canning, pickling, and cellar storage are widely used to make food last through the winter, providing access to nutrient-rich vegetables like sauerkraut and pickled beets.
Nutrient-Dense Dairy: Dairy products like milk, butter, and cheese come from grass-fed cows, resulting in products higher in Omega-3s and CLA.
Communal, Mindful Mealtimes: Family meals are a central part of Amish life, promoting a slower, more mindful approach to eating and strengthening social bonds, which can contribute to overall well-being.

The Nutritional Challenges

High Saturated Fat Intake: Many traditional dishes rely heavily on animal fats, such as lard and butter, resulting in a higher percentage of calories from saturated fat compared to the general American population.
Prevalence of High-Sugar Desserts: Amish cooking is famous for its delicious baked goods, but this includes a lot of pies, cakes, and other desserts high in sugar. These are consumed regularly, not just on special occasions.
Lower Vegetable Consumption: Some studies show that Amish adults consume fewer daily servings of vegetables than their non-Amish neighbors.
Increasing Reliance on Store-Bought Goods: In some communities, there is a growing trend of purchasing convenience foods and junk foods from local supermarkets, supplementing or even replacing some traditional homemade foods.

The Balancing Factor: A Life of High Physical Activity

The most critical and often overlooked element of the Amish health profile is their extremely high level of physical activity. A 2004 study on an Amish community found men walked an average of 18,425 steps a day, while women logged 14,196 steps, significantly higher than the 10,000 steps often cited for an 'active lifestyle'. Their daily life is filled with manual labor, from farming fields with horses to household chores done without modern machinery. This level of caloric expenditure is the primary reason that low obesity rates persist despite a calorically dense diet. This intense, consistent physical exertion effectively counteracts the high fat and sugar intake, preventing weight gain.

Amish Diet vs. Standard American Diet (SAD)


Feature	Traditional Amish Diet	Standard American Diet (SAD)
Food Sourcing	Primarily homegrown, locally raised	Primarily mass-produced, industrial
Food Processing	Simple, from-scratch preparation	Highly processed, with additives
Saturated Fat	High (from lard, butter, meat)	Variable, but often high in fast food
Sugar Intake	High (from homemade desserts)	High (from processed foods, sodas)
Physical Activity	Extremely high (daily manual labor)	Extremely low (sedentary lifestyles)

Health Outcomes: A Complex Picture

The high physical activity levels among the Amish, combined with other lifestyle factors, contribute to a unique health profile. Lower rates of Type 2 diabetes have been observed, possibly linked to their active lifestyle and some genetic resilience. However, cardiovascular outcomes have yielded inconsistent results across different studies and communities. While overall cancer rates are often reported as lower, there are specific exceptions, such as higher rates of breast cancer among women and juvenile leukemia, possibly linked to genetic isolation and delayed health screenings. Some researchers note that under-screening may contribute to lower overall cancer rates reported. The notion that the Amish are 'immune' to modern disease is a myth; instead, their disciplined lifestyle demonstrates that high physical activity can significantly mitigate the negative effects of a diet that would be unhealthy for a sedentary population.

The Evolving Amish Diet

The Amish diet is not static. As communities interact more with the outside world, some traditional practices shift. Increases in income have led to more purchasing of packaged foods from grocery stores and meals from restaurants. This potential erosion of traditional dietary patterns, combined with shifts away from purely agrarian lifestyles, could have future health implications. The robust health observed in many Amish communities serves as a powerful testament to the protective effects of a physically demanding lifestyle, even when the diet itself has flaws.

Conclusion: A Complex Health Profile

To answer the question, "Do Amish people eat healthy?" is to confront a complex reality. Their diet contains highly nutritious, homegrown elements, but is also rich in fats and sugars. The key to their low obesity and high overall fitness lies not solely in their diet, but in their physically demanding, pre-industrial lifestyle. While they have enjoyed significant health advantages in the past due to this lifestyle, the increasing influence of modern food choices and the sedentary habits of mainstream society present new challenges. Their story reminds us that health is a holistic outcome of both diet and physical activity, and one can often compensate for the other, for better or for worse.

For a detailed look at the nutritional content of the Amish diet compared to a non-Amish diet, see this study from the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

It's a complex comparison. While the Amish consume fewer processed foods, their traditional diet is often very high in saturated fats and sugars. The health benefits observed are primarily due to their extremely high physical activity levels, which counteracts some of the diet's less healthy aspects.

Their lifestyle requires significant physical labor and movement, with many walking over 10,000 steps a day. This high caloric expenditure effectively balances out the high-calorie, high-fat content of their diet.

While traditionally they rely on homegrown food, it is a misconception that they never eat processed food. Modern Amish people do visit supermarkets and may consume junk foods, including ice cream and processed cheese, especially in communities with greater exposure to mainstream culture.

The primary differences are food sourcing and processing. Amish food is often homegrown, unprocessed, and made from scratch, while the modern diet is dominated by industrially produced, convenience foods.

Studies have shown lower rates of Type 2 diabetes among some Amish communities, possibly due to their consistently high physical activity and genetic factors, which seem to offer some protection despite a diet heavy in sugars and fats.

Historically, the Amish had a longevity advantage. However, as the lifespan of the general US population has increased, this advantage has largely disappeared. Some specific genetic subgroups may still show longer lifespans.

Amish diets can vary significantly between different settlements and affiliations. Factors like local resources, occupation, and adherence to tradition can influence specific dietary habits, with some communities leaning more towards modern conveniences.

Amish cooking methods are traditional, often relying on large cast-iron skillets, wood-fired ovens, and recipes passed down through generations. Preservation methods like canning and pickling are also common for seasonal produce.