10 Weird Wartime Recipes and Trends

It's hard to imagine a time when you couldn't have just about anything delivered to your door in a matter of hours. But during two world wars, generations before us lived the reality of food rationing, which fundamentally changed how we ate. From the practical to the downright strange, here are 9 wartime recipes and trends we dare adventurous at-home cooks to tackle.

Maybe one of the most delightful food trends to come out of rationing was all of the “mock” options. No meat or sugar available? That won’t stop the most resourceful of cooks, who will always find a way to have their pancakes with “maple syrup” and "sausage" and eat it too.

Many of us have grown up with the vague notion that eating carrots is good for your eyes and may even improve your vision. While carrots have lots of vitamin A, which is good for eyes, it was a WWII propaganda campaign by the British Ministry of Information that took this fun fact to the level of myth.

Intending to send the German military on a wild goose chase, they floated the idea that their sharpshooters’ increased accuracy was the result of eating lots of carrots. It was actually new radar technology they were trying to keep under wraps, but the notion stuck, and recipes of the time reflect the wide availability and reported life-changing health benefits the carrot.

Like the scene in Forrest Gump where Bubba lists the types of shrimp, this Army cookbook from 1944 has a comparable potato section. Baked potato, French baked potato, hashed brown potatoes, Franconia potatoes, potatoes in a jacket, French fried potatoes, potato puffs, potatoes O’Brien, Lyonnaise potatoes, potatoes baked in milk, potatoes au gratin… 

Looking at cookbooks of the day, it seems there was a real fear that there would be a cake shortage during WWII. Sugar was one of the most rationed items, but that didn’t stop the demand for sweet treats. Luckily, there were ample recipe options made to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Not every recipe needs to be clever or complex, and these recipes try to be neither.

All you have in the pantry is eggs and rice? No problem - you have Eggs in Rice Nests just waiting to be made.

Inquiring minds want to know: How do you eat a cottage cheese sandwich? During wartime, cottage cheese was touted as "one of those most important meat substitutes." While aseptically not the most appetizing option, we beg you, give cottage cheese a fair trial!

When in doubt, stretch it out by adding some Wheaties.

This story is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.