2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

maryb

I've been thinking about how much meat was included in the ration and how it compares to the Planetary Health Diet.
To recap the PHD (produced by the EAT-Lancet Commission) suggests the amounts should be

• 100g red meat a week
• 200g chicken a week
• 250ml milk a day
• 200g fish a week
• 1 egg a week
• The majority of our protein should come from pulses and beans - 500g a week.

It was when I was looking at this I recognised that the amounts are very similar to 1940s rations.  It suggests more chicken than red meat but chicken was much more expensive than red meat in the 40s so I added the two amounts together to come up with 300g of meat.  From what I can gather, the meat ration in 1940 would have been about this if you went for mince or stewing steak type cuts.  Because it was rationed by price it would have bought a lot less of the prime cuts.  

I found a recently published book on Amazon where someone challenges herself to live on WW2 rations for Lent
The Rations Challenge by Claud Fulwood.  I think she's allowing herself about 1lb of meat a week based on what you could get in 1943 but only 1 shell egg a month!!  EEK!  I haven't read it yet but it looks interesting.

I've found a pair of sandals on the Hotter site which look like they might tick a lot of boxes for me - moderate sturdy wedge heel, smart but comfortable  so I'm earmarking 5 coupons for those.  I'll wait until the shops reopen to try them on - I'm sick of queuing at the Post Office to send things back and by the time you take the cost of postage into account, it's an expensive trying on charge.  The queues are WW2 proportions at our local PO and everyone is sick of online shopping.  I can see Click and Collect being here to stay but I think predicting the death of physical shops is a bit premature

Cherryfudge

dolly84 said:

I watched an interesting video on YouTube a few days ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMCsRd3Rfgg.  I hope the link works, it is post war but interesting to watch.

I watch an American youtuber sometimes called Closet Historian, she makes a lot of period clothes and also alters second hand and vintage clothing to suit her style, some of you might find her videos interesting.

Thank you for those @dolly84 - they are so different and both so fascinating! I now have sewing envy, big style, and am consoling myself by knitting a few more rows of my net bag.  

fiwen30

Will keep you all posted re. weighted blanket. Have heard some very good reports, so I’m looking forward to it.

Cast an eye over my mending and alterations pile last night, and was dismayed to find that a couple of soft chambray dresses which had been earmarked for taking in now fit me a lot better than they did 18 months ago!  On the plus side, they won’t need as much work now before they join my wardrobe!

CraftyLittleLisa

I don't know whether anyone with a fabric stash would be interested but I saw this in my sewing magazine which I thought would certainly be useful for me.  I may well buy one later on.
https://www.patterntrace.com/product/fabric-swatch-book/

Laura_Elsewhere

@CraftyLittleLisa - golly £16 is a bit steep! Most of the dress fabrics, afaik and ime, you won't find in the same shop a year later, whether bricks-and-mortar or online, so I'm not sure about the usefulness to me of building up a sample library of those. 
For things like upholstery fabrics, or Wolfinn's staple fabrics, which *are* stocked over years, I can see the point of keeping a note of which is which, but then most places send out the sample with a label firmly attached, stapled on or stuck firmly, that gives the details (Wolfin definitely does), so again, I'm not sure I would find any use for it there either... 

Mind you, I don't quilt - if quilting fabric ranges stay in stock for years, then I could see how it might be useful there? 

TwibbleDee

Well, not going to be buying anything not strictly necessary for a few months.  Found a class that I seriously want to take and will have to save up for, so practically all my spending money will be squirreled away for that.  Cross your fingers that they offer a good discount!

Cherryfudge

maryb said:

I've been thinking about how much meat was included in the ration and how it compares to the Planetary Health Diet.
To recap the PHD (produced by the EAT-Lancet Commission) suggests the amounts should be

• 100g red meat a week
• 200g chicken a week
• 250ml milk a day
• 200g fish a week
• 1 egg a week
• The majority of our protein should come from pulses and beans - 500g a week.

It was when I was looking at this I recognised that the amounts are very similar to 1940s rations.  It suggests more chicken than red meat but chicken was much more expensive than red meat in the 40s so I added the two amounts together to come up with 300g of meat.  From what I can gather, the meat ration in 1940 would have been about this if you went for mince or stewing steak type cuts.  Because it was rationed by price it would have bought a lot less of the prime cuts.  

I found a recently published book on Amazon where someone challenges herself to live on WW2 rations for Lent
The Rations Challenge by Claud Fulwood.  I think she's allowing herself about 1lb of meat a week based on what you could get in 1943 but only 1 shell egg a month!!  EEK!  I haven't read it yet but it looks interesting.

I wonder, with a number of recent posts being about food rations, if it might eventually be an idea to link to them from the start of the thread? I know we are officially about textile and clothes rationing (well, and village gossip), but wartime diet is clearly an interest too.

Speaking of which, it reminded me of the mighty @weezl74's several threads about living healthily off the equivalent of American food stamps. She was fascinating, though some of the photos are not for the squeamish as she carved up lesser-used parts of a pig to get the meat our ancestors would have used! Great reading, though, and there was a walnut pastry I still have the recipe for...

PS. See what else I found from long ago!  - then realised Pip linked to it recently...

PipneyJane

Cherryfudge said:

maryb said:

I've been thinking about how much meat was included in the ration and how it compares to the Planetary Health Diet.
To recap the PHD (produced by the EAT-Lancet Commission) suggests the amounts should be

• 100g red meat a week
• 200g chicken a week
• 250ml milk a day
• 200g fish a week
• 1 egg a week
• The majority of our protein should come from pulses and beans - 500g a week.

It was when I was looking at this I recognised that the amounts are very similar to 1940s rations.  It suggests more chicken than red meat but chicken was much more expensive than red meat in the 40s so I added the two amounts together to come up with 300g of meat.  From what I can gather, the meat ration in 1940 would have been about this if you went for mince or stewing steak type cuts.  Because it was rationed by price it would have bought a lot less of the prime cuts.  

I found a recently published book on Amazon where someone challenges herself to live on WW2 rations for Lent
The Rations Challenge by Claud Fulwood.  I think she's allowing herself about 1lb of meat a week based on what you could get in 1943 but only 1 shell egg a month!!  EEK!  I haven't read it yet but it looks interesting.

I wonder, with a number of recent posts being about food rations, if it might eventually be an idea to link to them from the start of the thread? I know we are officially about textile and clothes rationing (well, and village gossip), but wartime diet is clearly an interest too.

Speaking of which, it reminded me of the mighty @weezl74's several threads about living healthily off the equivalent of American food stamps. She was fascinating, though some of the photos are not for the squeamish as she carved up lesser-used parts of a pig to get the meat our ancestors would have used! Great reading, though, and there was a walnut pastry I still have the recipe for...

PS. See what else I found from long ago!  - then realised Pip linked to it recently...

That’s a good idea, @Cherryfudge.  I will try to remember to link to the food posts when next I’m on a proper computer.  I love my iPad but it doesn’t always play kindly with the Forum.  (I track my Grocery Challenge spend using a Numbers spreadsheet.  The amount of times I’ve lost a post because I went to check my spend in Numbers, come back to Safari, only for Safari to refresh and wipe everything.  It does it inconsistently and I can’t figure out the trigger.  Tonight, I had no problems flitting back and forward, when I wrote my latest GC post.)

- Pip

thriftwizard

Oooh, I have a coupon spend to declare! 5 coupons spent on a new pair of slippers. The DDs have insisted that I buy some new ones for indoors, relegate my current ones to outdoors (letting the chickens "out" etc.) and throw the old outdoor ones away. To be fair, on the old ones, the sole had not just parted company with the uppers, they'd worn right through underneath as well; no wonder my feet kept getting so muddy! But I'd had those for about 10 years (Celtic & Co outdoor mules)  and the newer ones (Kirkland Shearlings) for 5, so a purchase was perhaps overdue. I've bought some of the lighter-weight Celtic & Co ones, as there don't seem to be any Kirklands available in the UK in a 6 just now. Next up - new walking boots, when I can finally try them on!

TwibbleDee

New shoes!  But I think I'll wait to test them outside until next week.  Y'know, after it gets above freezing again.  5 coupons. 

https://shammasandals.com/collections/sandals-elite-collection/products/chargers-sandals

They were $25 cheaper when I bought them...