The Ration Book Diet

Talitha · 12 July 2006 at 4:21PM

I saw a reference to this on an indexed thread and wondered if the book would be worth buying.
If anyone's got it I'd appreciate their opinion.
Thanks.

flourgirl · 12 July 2006 at 4:30PM

I saw this book advertised and wondered about buying it. Then quite by accident came across it at our local library, after looking at it I was glad I didn't waste my money.. Maybe you could order it from your library and see what you think.

Talitha · 12 July 2006 at 4:43PM

Thanks Flourgirl,

I will have a look in the library. I've just sold some cook books I never used on Amazon Marketplace - so I don't want to start accumulating more useless ones!

Old_Joe · 12 July 2006 at 4:48PM

The Ration Book

Aaahh memories of the ACTUAL books.

Bogof_Babe · 12 July 2006 at 5:11PM

Is it a "diet" as in losing weight, or just recipes that can be made from wartime rations?

I would have thought it was quite difficult to put on weight, given the restrictions!

thriftlady_2 · 12 July 2006 at 5:40PM

I have this book and although it has some really interesting info on rationing and some nice pictures I wouldn't waste your money.

Firstly it is not a diet in the weight loss sense.It does have lots of stuff on how the wartime diet differs from today's diet and how it was better for you,but it doesn't have meal plans for every meal,just a week's worth of main meals.

Secondly, a lot of the recipes are modern ones using the principles of wartime diet but including foods that just weren't available then.

Thirdly, nowhere in the book does it list what the actual rations were,which seems very odd to me.

If you are interested in genuine wartime recipes and info on what was available and what the actual rations were,then get hold of these books by Marguerite Patten;

We'll Eat Again
The Victory Cookbook
The Postwar Kitchen

They are also available as a single volume called Feeding the Nation.

brokenwings · 12 July 2006 at 5:50PM

i agree with the above
have just sold my copy on amazon.

FunkyFairy · 12 July 2006 at 5:51PM

I feel a trip to the libary coming on

thriftlady_2 · 12 July 2006 at 5:55PM

I shall keep mine because I'm obssessed with the homefront and I like the introductory chapters.But, as a recipe book and a diet book it's pants;)

doddsy · 12 July 2006 at 9:41PM

thriftlady if you log onto acountrylife.com there is a forum there on the 1940's diet. A friend of mine is living for a year on rations to try and get down from 23 st to 18st. She has put the recipes on there and is doing really well so far. She is also obssessed with the homefront!
regards
doddsy

thriftlady_2 · 13 July 2006 at 8:15AM

Thanks for that link doddsy,that's right up my street:j I need to lose weight too and would love to be able to do it following a 'traditional' diet.

Do you frequent the River Cottage forums? Some familiar names appearing on Countrylife.com ?

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The Ration Book Diet

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