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 but typically 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.
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. This tea bread was popular in the UK during WWII because it uses no butter. It's super easy to make and is perfect with a cup of tea. 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 recipe is straight out of the Ministry of Foods Potato Leaflet from the 1940s. 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. This is an updated version of the WWII recipe but you will find notes on how to make it like the original recipe as well. Eggs were often hard to get if you didn't have your own chickens so mock egg recipes became popular during WWII. This recipe for VE Day Condensed Milk Cake is a slightly adapted version of the original recipe which was published in The Ministry of Food leaflet. 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!1940s Ration Recipes
Deanna Piercy says
One of these days I’m going to try Lord Woolton pie.
JONESCRUSHER says
We shipped SPAM to the british during world war 2. It was not rationed like fresh meat. That’s why the british love SPAM.
Too many Americans want other people to believe that they are wealthy. So they try to only eat trendy foods. Many look down upon certain foods. They believe that only POOR people eat them. SPAM is one of them.
This article is very good. It teachs people how to save money when they buy food.