> Salt, on the other hand, is something that I do seem to need.  My dad's
side
> of the family (mostly Scandinavian ancestry) LOVES salt.
-----
>Perhaps my ancestors lived by the ocean and
> salt was an integral part of their diet for ages

Scandinavia has very large differences when it comes to climate and eating
is therefore very different in different parts. Denmark in the south by
Germany; Sweden and Norway north of it, goes as far up as the Arctic Sea far
north of the Polar circle. All these countries have been dependant on
fishing and using salt. Almost all meat and fish used to be dried, smoked
and/or salted down in big bins to use in the winter, spring and part of the
summer. This applies to the inlanders as well as the coastal people.
Unsalted meat and fish you would get from hunting in the winter and fishing
from a hole in the ice.

> love fish, both freshwater and seafood.  We all comment that we could eat
> fish every day and be happy.

Sweden too has enormous amounts of fresh water lakes and large rivers coming
from the mountains separating us from Norway. There has been lots of fish.
Salmon and heering and perhaps mackerel has been the most important kind of
fish in all Scandinavia.

The drying goes for peas and beans as well - we had only two or three kinds.
Other vegetables were kept in clamps. You would have to go out once a week
to prize loose the earthy cover to take out what you needed.
Traditional foods are sour dough bread, dried bread, salted and desalted and
smoked meat and fish. In August we gorge on crayfish - special party. Some
of the crayfish ar nowadays imported from Louisiana, dead, boiled and deep
frozen with flavored with dill. Potatoes, dairies, different brews of beer,
and lingonberries (mountain cranberry, red wortleberry, cowberry?) were
staples. Before people could afford sugar all berries were dried and then
put in porridge and bread.

>  I'd also love to find out foods native to my area of ancestry.

In prehistoric times in Europe people ate fish, seal and reindeer. We still
eat fish and reindeer but I've never heard of anyone having seal for dinner.
Rather a lot of roe deer and moose is being eaten as well. More selldom we
eat fallow deer or red deer. Fowls from the woods and of course all the
domesticated animals that are used in agricultural societies. Lots of people
dislike lamb.

>People who are allergic
> to fish may have ancestry that's been landlocked and never had the
> opportunity to have it as a staple in their diets.

I have only heard of one person being allergic to fish. Besides that, we
found out that my husband could react badly on fish that was not absolutely
fresh. He'd swell up and could hardly breath and had to go to hospital so
nowadays we are very careful what fish we eat.

So, finally, if you come from the North of Scandinavia your ancesters would
have had more wild game and reindeer, wild berries, oats and rye and if your
from the South more of agricultural meat, dairies, all kinds of cereals,
more berries, more fruit, more veggies and hazelnuts.

Hope that this is not more than you hoped for!?
Eva