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By Lisa Sharp1 Comment
These 1940s ration recipes are a look into the past and the struggles of rationing during WWII. Try one of these vintage desserts or dinner recipes today!
During World War II rationing was implemented by many governments in an effort to make sure that military and civilians had fair access to scarce resources.
Rationing systems varied by country buttypically involved the government issuing ration books and coupons or stamps to households that could be exchanged for specific goods at designated shops. The number of coupons or stamps a household received was based on its size and composition, and they were typically limited to a certain amount per week or month.
In the United States, rationing began in 1942 and lasted until 1947, though most ended in 1945. Sugar was rationed until 1947. The rationing system covered a wide range of goods, including meat, dairy products, sugar, coffee, and gasoline. Families were issued ration books, which contained stamps for each type of product. The stamps had to be used to purchase the corresponding item, and once the stamps were used up, families had to wait until the next month to receive their next ration.
In Britain, rationing began in 1940 and lasted until 1954, long after the end of the war. The system covered a similar range of goods as in the United States, but the British government also rationed clothing and household goods such as soap and washing powder. Families were issued ration books and had to register with a local shop to exchange their stamps for goods.
Rationing was a significant hardship for many people during the war, as they had to adapt to a restricted diet and limited access to essential goods. However, it was also seen as a necessary sacrifice for the war effort, and many people supported the system as a way to ensure that resources were fairly distributed.
In addition to rationing, many countries also implemented other measures to conserve resources during the war. For example, governments encouraged people to grow their vegetables in victory gardens, people were also encouraged to keep animals like rabbits and hogs for food, and they introduced recycling programs to collect scrap metal and other materials for use in the war effort.
Reading wartime cookbooks is a really good way to see what it was like to try and feed a family with rations. It could be very hard and often people were left feeling hungry and many didn’t agree with how food was rationed. Some even bought extra food on the black market.
Many ration recipes have survived and are still enjoyed today. They are still a great way to save money and make your food go further.
1940s Ration Recipes
Give these ration recipes a try for a look at our past and a time when people had to get creative to feed their families while helping the war effort.
This old-fashioned ice box cake uses chocolate wafer cookies and whipped cream to make a delicious “cake”. Also known as “Zebra cake”, these types of cakes became popular during the war era because of sugar rations.
Also known as War Cake, Wacky Cake is mixed in the pan that it's baked in. And it has no eggs, milk, or butter due to the rationing of those ingredients. It's moist and tender and perfect with a cup of coffee.
A British dish that is eaten for breakfast, lunch, a snack or dinner, beans on toast has kept UK families sustained for years. It was very popular during wartime.
The classic World War 2 cheap vegetable pie with a delicious shortcrust pastry crust and loaded with lots of seasonal root vegetables. One of the best rationing meals during World War 2.
This is a recipe much like the National Loaf which was a bread made from wholemeal flour with added calcium and vitamins. It was created to help with the shortages of white flour and sugar.
Grandma's War Time Orange Drop Cookies are an old family favorite dating back to the second world war when rationing was in force. Grandma always came up with a great cookie for everyone enjoy!
I have ordered some wartime cookbooks and will be sharing more ration recipes over time so be sure to stick around. If you sign up below you will not only get a vintage dessert e-cookbook for free, but you will also get to see more vintage recipes and homemaking.
A weekly adult ration during the war allowed for 100g of Bacon and Ham, up to 226 grams of minced meat, 50g of butter, 50g of cheese, 100g of margarine, 100g of cooking fat and three pints of milk. It also included 225 grams of sugar, 50 grams of tea and one shell egg or one packet of dried eggs every four weeks.
A typical weekly ration per person, when at its lowest level, was butter 4oz; bacon and ham 4oz; loose tea 4oz; sugar 8oz; meat one shilling-worth; cheese 1oz; preserves 8oz a month. By 1942, most foods were rationed except vegetables, bread, and fish.
World War II put a heavy burden on US supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. The Army and Navy were growing, as was the nation's effort to aid its allies overseas. Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well.
Food rationing was introduced in January 1940. Everybody was issued with a ration book. This contained coupons that had to be handed in to the shops every time rationed food was bought. As well as the basic ration everybody had 16 coupons each month that they could spend on what they wished.
The wartime food shortages forced people to adopt new eating patterns. Most people ate less meat, fat, eggs and sugar than they had eaten before. But people who had a poor diet before, were able to increase their intake of protein and vitamins because they received the same ration as everybody else.
The first C-ration consisted of a 16 ounces (450 g) 'meat' unit (M-unit) (reduced to 12 ounces (340 g) after being field tested during the 1940 Louisiana maneuvers). In the initial C-ration, there were only three variations of the main course: meat and beans, meat and potato hash, or meat and vegetable stew.
The 1940s were marked by the austerity of World War II, with food rationing imposing a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fats. People's diets were restricted but relatively balanced, emphasizing available root vegetables and bread due to the scarcity of meat, cheese, and sugar.
Not all foods were rationed. Fruit and vegetables were never rationed but were often in short supply, especially tomatoes, onions and fruit shipped from overseas. The government encouraged people to grow vegetables in their own gardens and allotments. Many public parks were also used for this purpose.
Rationed Foods. The categories of rationed foods during the war were sugar, coffee, processed foods (canned, frozen, etc.), meats and canned fish, and cheese, canned milk, and fats.
A: Millions of ration books were issued during World War II. They were intended to prevent the hoarding of such goods as coffee, sugar, meat and other items in short supply due to the war. Ration books generally sell in the $5 to $25 range, but unlike savings bonds, you can't cash them in as you wish.
Sweet rationing began during the dark days of World War Two on 26 July 1942 when people had a weekly ration of just 2 ounces of sweets or chocolate. A month later the ration was doubled for eight weeks and then cut back to 3 ounces a week.
Other favorites of the time were Bazooka Bubble Gum, Licorice candies, Turkish Taffy, DOTS Candy, Jolly Ranchers, Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, Mike & Ike, and Rain-Blo Bubble Gum. Snacks that emerged during the '40s include Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Chiquita Bananas, Junior Mints, Almond Joy, V8, and Cheetos.
In the 1940s, the number of food groups expanded to 7 through “The Basic 7” (green and yellow vegetables; oranges, tomatoes, and grapefruit; potatoes and other vegetables and fruit; milk and milk products; meat, poultry, fish, or eggs; bread, flour, and cereals; and butter and fortified margarine) (10).
1940s. In the 1940s, the Second World War was ongoing and food rationing was introduced. Meat, cheese, butter, cooking fats and sugar were heavily restricted, but potatoes, other root vegetables and bread were freely available. People ate a diet much higher in carbohydrates and lower in fats than we do today.
Also known as the 14-Man Ration, the 'compo' ration came in a wooden crate and contained tinned and packaged food. A typical crate might include tins of bully beef, spam, steak and kidney pudding, beans, cheese, jam, biscuits, soup, sausages, and margarine.
Two ration books were distributed to "every eligible man, woman, child, and baby in the United States." One contained blue coupons for processed goods while the other contained red coupons for meat, fish and dairy products. Each person started with 48 blue points and 64 red points each month.
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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