Three foods that were very likely eaten at the 1621 “first Thanksgiving” are venison (deer) , wild fowl (such as turkey, duck, or goose) , and corn prepared as porridge or bread , based on the few surviving eyewitness-style descriptions from that time.

Quick Scoop

What was actually on the table?

The 1621 harvest feast in Plymouth was a three‑day celebration shared by the English Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, and the menu looked very different from a modern Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of today’s buttery mashed potatoes and sweet pies, the meal centered on game, grains, and seasonal produce available in coastal New England at the time.

The 3 key foods

  • Venison (deer)
    Wampanoag guests are recorded as bringing several freshly killed deer, making venison one of the main proteins at the feast. It was likely roasted or stewed and shared widely because it was a prized meat in both Native and English traditions.
  • Wild fowl (turkey, duck, goose, etc.)
    Contemporary accounts mention “wild fowl,” which probably included turkey along with birds like duck and goose rather than a single, centerpiece roast turkey as seen today. These birds would have been spit‑roasted or boiled, seasoned simply with herbs rather than rich gravies or stuffing.
  • Corn (as porridge or bread)
    Corn, or maize, introduced and taught by the Wampanoag, was central to the colonists’ survival and would have appeared as ground meal in porridges, breads, or simple “hasty puddings,” not as corn‑on‑the‑cob. This corn‑based food likely served as the starchy base of the meal in place of the wheat bread and dinner rolls common on modern tables.

Other likely dishes around the edges

Beyond those three foods, historians point to seafood such as cod, bass, clams, and mussels, along with squash, beans, and wild fruits or nuts as very plausible additions to the spread. Pumpkin or other squashes may have been stewed or roasted, but there is no good evidence for sweet pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, or fluffy biscuits at this early feast.

Today vs. 1621: why it matters

Modern Thanksgiving—with its pies, casseroles, and sugar‑heavy sides—grew out of later regional American cooking and 19th‑century tradition, not the original 1621 gathering. Remembering that first table as one of venison, wild birds, and corn helps highlight Native contributions and the harsh realities of early colonial life more clearly than the idealized images that circulate each November.

TL;DR: The best‑supported answer to “3 foods that were eaten at the first Thanksgiving” is venison , wild fowl (including turkey) , and corn in porridge or bread form , with many of today’s favorites—like pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce—arriving much later.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.