I just read through this article (it’s really a slideshow) of twenty WWII-era foods that civilians ate due to shortages and rationing. Several of the foods sounded horrible, while more than a few seemed perfectly fine, possibly even preferable. How desperate would you be, and what would you eat if you had to?
The slideshow starts:
When food rationing took hold during World War II, people found themselves forced to adapt their diets in ways that would seem unthinkable today. With essential ingredients like fresh meat, sugar, butter, and coffee reserved for soldiers, civilians had to get creative – sometimes too creative. What emerged were survival foods that, while they kept people fed, weren’t exactly enjoyable.
Some dishes tried to imitate the real thing (with varying degrees of success), while others were completely original creations born of necessity. From meat substitutes that barely resembled meat to desserts made from beans, the WWII diet was all about making do with whatever was available.
Interestingly, the article starts with powdered eggs. I thought, “What’s wrong with that? I use powdered eggs sometimes.” But it seems these eggs were different than what is available today, having a texture of sawdust. I assume we’ve gotten better at making powdered eggs because the freeze-dried stuff is pretty good!
The second item discusses a mock apple pie made with Ritz crackers in place of apples. Apparently, some folks thought it tasted like the real thing, other’s did not. I’m not sure how I feel about ruining one of my favorite deserts, but I do enjoy an occasional Ritz cracker.
Coffee is discussed next (and it shows up again later) but the article states that:
“Roosevelt Coffee” was a desperate attempt to make the most of what little coffee was available. People would reuse old coffee grounds multiple times, resulting in a weak, flavorless brew that barely resembled coffee. Others tried mixing their coffee with chicory, barley, or wheat-based Postum – all of which made the drink even more bitter.
I’m not a coffee drinker, so this doesn’t bother me at all. That said, I can see how people would be desperate for their morning coffee, even if it’s weak or bitter. If that’s you, I recommend stocking up coffee grounds and even having the ability to grind your own since coffee beans last longer.
The fourth item, and an interesting one, was “spit soup” where people literally had to spit out half of it because the barely used was unprocessed, meaning it contained husks that couldn’t be eaten. So, they literally spit the husks out. I didn’t know people did that, which certainly makes this soup sound far less appetizing.
Spam shows up next. Personally, I’d eat spam, and I’m pretty sure the recipe hasn’t changed if ever. Still, some folks thought it was “greasy, slimy, and overwhelmingly salty.” Yeah, that’s fairly accurate. 🙂
The next item, sawdust bread, is something I hadn’t heard of. Apparently, civilians in Germany got desperate enough that they started mixing all sorts of barely edible items together (rye grain, beets, and even straw) to make something that resembled a dense, barely edible bread. No thanks. I’ll pass.
Another item on the list are Victory garden vegetables. Aside from the monotony of eating the same vegetables routinely, I don’t see a problem here. I mean, fresh vegetables? Really? (This person must have never grown a garden before.)
Depression cake is something I’d heard of before. Instead of butter and sugar, it used substitutes like spices and raisins. Apparently, it was edible but not “indulgent.” Honestly, this doesn’t sound bad at all. It might actually be wise to find some recipes online (or maybe older recipe books) that show how to make non-traditional foods like this.
Meatless meatloaf comes next. “Instead of ground beef, cooks used mashed potatoes, peas, condensed tomato soup, and breadcrumbs to create something that looked like a meatloaf but tasted more like a vegetable mush.” Honestly, that’s not so bad either, but I can see how the “no meat” part was annoying.
In England, due to fish scarcity (really, fish were scarce in England?) they made mock fish fillets, which mixed rice, eggs, and seasonings that were subsequently deep fried and cut to resemble fillets. That’s an interesting idea, and not entirely horrible if that’s all you had. But considering that they had eggs, seasonings, and I assume oil to fry the fish, this feels like an entirely unnecessary action. But I guess the English couldn’t live without fish in their diets, so I understand the desire for normalcy.
Walnut cheese patties was another one that stood out. With meat being rationed, people got creative. “Made from ground walnuts, cheese, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, these patties were dry, crumbly, and far from satisfying.” Yeah, I’ll bet!
You’re welcome to read the rest of the slideshow. Other foods not discussed include: chipped beef on toast, braised beef tongue, margarine, fried leftover mash, Grape-nut stuffed onions, bean cake, chopped liver (without the liver), another coffee substitute, and an emergency “tropical” chocolate bar made by Hershey’s that was designed for heat-resistance and a longer shelf life but lacked the taste expected from chocolate. Hard pass! I need my chocolate fix.
My question for you is: what would you be willing to eat were you forced to choose something besides your current options? After all, most of us are accustomed to heading to the grocery store whenever we want. Even though food prices continue to rise, the shelves are still full. At some point, either because of inflation or civil strife or possibly other reasons, you may have to do without such abundance. What might you do without? And what can’t you live without? (That’s the real question!)
Clearly, people did a lot during the WW2 era to replace meat (or make meat-like substitutes), though I suspect meat will be less important today. Regardless, there are certainly staple foods in your diet, and I’m willing to bet it’s not all long-term, shelf-stable rice and beans. If you’re like me, you have these types foods stockpiled for “just in case” but there’s always a lot more that you can do if you want the most nutritious foods as I discuss in my food storage book.
Still, even my recommendations don’t account for everything that you expect to eat. What’s the plan to keep those foods coming? If there is no plan, what’s the alternative? Now, we’re asking what you’re willing to do without. And if you have dietary restrictions, what’s the plan if those very specific foods are unavailable?
While we shouldn’t expect that we’ll live through another WW2-era or Great Depression rationing, we should plan for it. I’m not saying you must stockpile years of beef or tofu or coffee grounds or whatever it is you simply must have, but you can’t expect it to always be available either. Stockpile what you can, consider alternatives if you must. But take action now while they’re still available and not astronomically expensive.
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