Ancestry Magazine

Besides conserving metal, paper, and rubber products, during World War II, people worldwide were expected to do their part on the home front through conserving food.

In America, beginning in 1942, families were issued coupon books containing stamps, both red and blue, that correlated to specific types of items. The system was complicated by expiration dates on coupons, point systems, and food shortages—even commodities that were coupon-controlled weren’t always accessible. And coupons weren’t the same as tender—even with the right stamps, Americans still needed cold, hard cash to obtain the goods. Suffice it to say, it was sometimes easier to make do without than it was to struggle through the hassles of getting that one ingredient.

Red stamp commodities included meats, oils, butter, and certain hard cheeses; blue stamp items included frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, juices, dry beans, and processed foods. Other commodities including coffee, sugar, clothing, gas, tires, and shoes had their own unique stamps. So what did that leave? Eggs, milk, soft cheeses, chicken, dried and fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and most fish were not rationed.

The hassle of rationing had an affect on more than just the pantry—scarcity of items, particularly sugar, meat, and gasoline, triggered brisk black-market business. At the same time, rationing spurred backyard Victory Gardens—estimates are that during World War II, home grown vegetables accounted for as much as 40 percent of the produce consumed. Today nutritionists believe that rat ioning during World War II resulted temporarily in improved nutrition stateside as well as a reduction in obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Wartime rationing ended in America in 1946, sending citizens back to their more traditional diets, but not without leaving a lasting legacy: foods including margarine and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese can both thank rationing for helping them carve niches in the American pantry.