Rationing, Recipes, and Real-Life Skills

Audio By Carbonatix

We all want to teach our kids about “real life”, and there are so many meaningful (and simple!) ways to do that. For instance, just going to the grocery store and learning to prepare simple meals are important life skills we can teach our kids. Even though going grocery shopping and cooking with kids may be a chore, it’s certainly not like it was during World War II.

WWII Rationing:

During the war, many things were rationed (although I don’t think toilet paper was; looking at you, 2020). This meant families were only allowed a small amount each, and some items we take for granted now weren’t available at all.

If you’re looking for a way to teach cooking and history together, food rationing during WWII is a great way to do it! Check out this website for more information on items rationed in the US.

One of my many books set during WWII, Where Treetops Glisten, places my main character, Meredith, as a nurse on the war front. During Christmas of 1945, she is stationed in The Netherlands, deep in the thick of the Battle of the Bulge. The winter of 1945 in The Netherlands was considered the “Hunger Winter” because there was so little food to go around. Things weren’t nearly as bad here in the United States, but everyone sacrificed so the troops could have enough food.

Here is a list of a few food items rationed during the war:

Sugar: May 1942 – 1947
Coffee: November 1942 – July 1943
Processed foods: March 1943- August 1945
Meats, canned fish: March 1943 – November 1945
Cheese, canned milk, butter, fats: March 1943 – November 1945

Making Recipes Together:

One thing that hasn’t changed about war over the years is that it makes people resourceful. With the rationing came recipes that made the best of what people had on hand.

A typical recipe ad contained between three and six recipes, but sometimes as many as a dozen or more. Some advertisers like Frigidaire and Armour also offered free ration-oriented cookbooks containing, on average, about eighty recipes. Even Lysol, which had nothing to do with food preparation except cleaning up the kitchen afterward, offered its free “Victory Cook Book” of eighty-one recipes with every purchase of the disinfectant.

Chocolate Potato Cake

Want to give a rationing recipe a try with your kiddos? Here’s a recipe you can print for a Chocolate Potato Cake from the cookbook, Dressy Dishes from Your Victory Garden.

This is what the introduction for the dessert section said:

“Guess-Again” Desserts

Desserts from the Victory Garden? Cross our heart … and watch the plates cross the table for “seconds” when you serve such ingenious delicacies as Carrot Pudding, Tomato Spice Cake or Carrot Pie. Their good taste hides their secret, of course … no one would ever guess they’re just bursting with vitamins and came right out of the garden.

Feeling adventurous? Here’s another recipe you can try: Salmon Loaf!

Teaching Real-Life Skills at Home:

So maybe these don’t sound very appetizing. Maybe your kids think you’ve lost it. But if you’re getting weary from cooking three meals a day for your big family, maybe it’s time to teach them how to cook. I used cooking in my homeschooling curriculum over and over through the years to teach my kids valuable lessons. Along with learning to cook, they learn math, science, and cooperation skills. I found several recipes that worked especially well for me in teaching my kids how to make simple, nutritious meals.

Here are a few things that are important to me when it comes to recipes:

1. Recipes should be cost-effective.

2. Recipes should have ingredients I have on hand.

3. Recipes should be easy, things I can teach my kids to make.

4. Recipes should take less than 15 minutes to prepare. (Which means less grumbling

from me AND my hungry kids!)

5. Recipes should be able to feed a lot of people.

6. Recipes should be ones my kids enjoy. (Less whining is always a plus!)

To make this easier, I’ve included a free printable of my family’s favorite recipes!

Download the recipes here for Page 1 and here for Page 2.

For rationing discussion questions and recipes to use in your lessons, download the free printable!

Teaching life skills like grocery shopping, cooking, and meal planning is such a valuable part of homeschooling—and with the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect time to get creative! Whether you’re recreating a WWII-era recipe, teaching your kids how to budget at the grocery store, or simply sharing the responsibility of making a family meal, these activities do more than just fill bellies; they build confidence, create memories, and foster teamwork. Plus, they give us the chance to reflect on God’s blessings, even in these uncertain times.

As Philippians 4:19 reminds us, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” 

Let’s teach our kids not only how to cook, but how to appreciate the blessings we have—and how to use those blessings to serve others. I hope you try some of these ration recipes, and if you do, please share your stories in the comments below! Happy cooking, and happy homeschooling!

Walking in Him,
Tricia Goyer

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