Food Rationing During World War 2
One problem that many people have is determining how much food to store. One source that I have used is information on the rationing in England during World War 2. I have included a table showing the food rationing in England during World War II.
The average food rationing for one person were as follows. The quantities are per week unless otherwise stated.
Food Rations
Item / Maximum level / Minimum level / Rations (April 1945)Bacon and Ham / 8 oz (227 g) / 4 oz (113 g) / 4 oz (113 g)
Sugar / 16 oz (454 g) / 8 oz (227 g) / 8 oz (227 g)
Loose Tea / 4 oz (113 g) / 2 oz (57 g) / 2 oz (57 g)
Meat / 1lb3oz / 1lb3oz / 1lb3oz
Cheese / 8 oz (227 g) / 1 oz (28 g) / 2 oz (57 g)Vegetarians were allowed an extra 3 oz (85 g) cheese
Preserves / 1 lb (0.45 kg) per month
2 lb (0.91 kg) marmalade / 8 oz (227 g) per month / 2 lb (0.91 kg) marmalade
or 1 lb (0.45 kg) preserve
or 1 lb (0.45 kg) sugar
Butter / 8 oz (227 g) / 2 oz (57 g) / 2 oz (57 g)
Margarine / 12 oz (340 g) / 4 oz (113 g) / 4 oz (113 g)
Lard / 3 oz (85 g) / 2 oz (57 g) / 2 oz (57 g)
Candy / 16 oz (454 g) per month / 8 oz (227 g) per month / 12 oz (340 g) per month
Notes:
1 egg per week or 1 packet (makes 12 “eggs”) of egg powder per month (vegetarians were allowed two eggs)
Arrangements were made for vegetarians so that their rations of meat were substituted by other goods.
Milk was supplied at three imperial pints (a little larger than a US pint) each week for expectant mothers and children under five. Each consumer got one tin of milk powder (equal to 8 imperial pints every 8 weeks.
There were no ration restrictions on fruit, potatoes, fish, or vegetables. Most types of fruit and vegetables were hard to find, especially onions. Most fruits and vegetables that were available were locally in England grown, because shipping was limited. This greatly limited the types of fruit that you could get. Bread was not rationed, but no white flour was available. The “national loaf” of wholemeal bread replaced the ordinary white variety, to the distaste of most housewives who found it mushy, grey and easy to blame for digestion problems. People were encouraged to dig up their lawns and flower beds to create “victory gardens”, and grow their own vegetables.
Any left over fat or drippings from cooking the meat was spread on bread like butter. Nothing was wasted. My grandfather always had a large garden and because of it they got by well. Even so I can remember my mother crying in 1947 when she arrived in Canada and saw all the meat for sale.
The good effect of food rationing was that by the end of the war the poor people of Britain had never been so healthy!