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The object of this study, taken from an inter-disciplinary standpoint, is to examine how dietary habits of a population of industrial workers in an agrarian environment have changed during the last hundred years, from a qualitative rather than a quantitative point of view. Of particular interest is to ascertain the values which "the common man" has held regarding his dietary and food habits. To ascertain his endeavours in pursuit of the quality of life, his "dream of the good life".

Material and method: The empirical material comprises documentary material from different archives, eg. local press, Provincial Governors. The interview material consists of more than 50 interviews lasting between 1-3 hours. The nutritional analysis interestingly revealed that there were no essential deficiencies in the content of nutrient in the diet of the Stocka families. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, the diet was still dominated by cereals and contained very little fat. Lack of energy is presumed to have been a problem only in families with many children.

The culturalanalysis: The food culture of the Stocka people was dependent of the local food availability. The company shop, the fishing, and the agrarian environment created their "life-style room" and their tastes. The "poverty cycle" was a determining factor for choice of food items in the working-classfamilies. The Stocka families, as other workers’ families in Sweden, strove single mindedly toward theend of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th to increase their standard of living and the quality of their lives by "dreaming about the good life", the "dream of superabundance and riches" being the most central idea. This included food items of better quality, but above all about the ability to choose fattier, less fibrous, and more sweet foodstuffs as well as more animal products. Theworking class in Sweden has reached its "dream of the good life". Today, groups of people with lower educational levels eat more fats and less fibre compared with university graduates. The process of civilization has brought with it material improvements in most areas, likewise within the area of food culture. The industrial workers do not however demand as much energy input as previously.