Wondering how homemakers across the country managed to get food on the table during WWII food rationing? Here’s a quick roundup of meal planning and rationing tips from this era in our history. This is the first post in a series highlighting food rationing and meal planning tips from the WWII era. In this post we share tips from the Health-For-Victory Meal Planning Guide from June, 1943.
Why WWII?
I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, specifically I focus on collecting books printed between 1900-1960. Many of vintage cookbooks I own include meal planning and rationing tips from the WWII era. I’m excited to share these tips with you!
Why ration food?
Right now, at the time of this publication, our world is going through a major shift because of the coronavirus outbreak. Residents worldwide are being asked to stay home and shelter in place to prevent the spread of this disease. Grocery stores are still stocked with food, however they are rationing the food so they can feed everyone. During a time like this, it is important to think about conserving our food incase another emergency arises, or food continues to be rationed. We must ration food at home to ensure we can feed ourselves in the coming weeks and months.
- [Printable] Here’s what to purchase for your emergency food pantry.
- [Printable] Here’s how to meal prep for self quarantine.
- [Printable] Here’s a list of what we need to eat everyday.
- [Printable] Here’s a 31-day food ration chart with these foods.
Meal planning and rationing tips from WWII
Below is a list of quotes and tips from the Health-For-Victory meal planning guide printed June 1943. These guides were printed specifically during wartime. Here’s how homemakers in the 1940s did it:
Health-For-Victory Club: Meal Planning Guide, June 1943
About Health-For-Victory Club
“The chief aim of Health-For-Victory, you know, is to show you how to serve balanced, nutritious meals–in spite of shortages and other food problems. The first Health-For-Victory Club was formed to help the wives, mothers and landladies of our own war workers plan health-building meals to keep their families “rarin’ to go.” Now Health-For-Victory Clubs have been organized in over 750 war plants and other groups all over this country.”
We’re in for a hard fight. Meal planning never was an easy job but now that food is scarce, more than ever we’ll have to use all our wits, all our knowledge–and all our ration points–to give our families health-building meals. But we’re equal to it!”
Tips from Health-For-Victory:
- Eat some of each food group…every day.
- Dehydrate or brine perishable foods.
- Plan ahead and meal prep ahead to get dinner on the table quicker.
- Use a monthly meal plan.
- Use fresh vegetables whenever possible. Save the canned ones for emergency meals.
- Save and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator any excess water from cooked vegetables. Use to flavor soups, gravies, and stews.
Plan ahead:
“No one knows how plentiful fresh fruits and vegetables will be next winter. But chances are they’ll be a problem because of the overtaxed railroads and lack of labor for harvesting fruits and vegetables. So it’s a wise homemaker who takes steps now to assure a winter supply of these foods needed daily.”
Stay healthy:
“With food scarce and rationing making meal planning harder than ever, lots of us would like to forget health rules and just take the easy way out. But Uncle Sam needs us strong to win this war! Since there’s less food, it’s doubly important that we get the right food.”
Learn more about WWII food rationing >
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