--- title: "9 foods you didn’t know came from wartime rationing" description: "The United states is still feeling the effects of wartime rationing, even 80-plus years later. It's most apparent in the food we eat. " date: "2025-11-26" modified: "2025-11-26" authors: - name: "Bethaney Phillips" job_title: "Contributor, Veteran Spouse" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/bethaneyphillips/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-milspouse/foods-from-wartime-rationing/" categories: - "History" - "War History" - "World War II" tags: - "Food" - "Milspouse" - "World War II" --- # 9 foods you didn’t know came from wartime rationing ![ebruary 1943: Someone reaches for a can of orange juice from a grocery shelf during World War II. Cards indicating 'Ration Points Required' for various canned foods helped America's wartime marketers in using War Ration Book Two.]() *Some products sold during World War II required a number of ration point along with the cash to buy them. (Anthony Potter Collection/Getty Images)* During World War II, the United States and Britain underwent extreme food rationing, where many food staples were prioritized for soldiers first, and the general public second. In Britain, some foods simply weren't available. In the U.S. it had a profound effect on American culture. Wartime rationing caused many to change up the way they cooked, notably cutting back on sugar, flour, and eggs. While not all of their recipes were a success (re: parsnip pudding), there were several that stuck around long after rations were gone. Take a look at these modern-day favorites that came to be in times of cutting back. ### 1. Meatloaf Goes to War ![Wartime rationing meatloaf used oats]() *No better friend. No worse enemy.* #### Related: [The 9 worst creations Americans called food during World War II]() Ever had oatmeal in your meatloaf? It began as a way to cheaply add filler that would bolster ground meat but cooks soon realized that oatmeal not only helped bind the meat together, it also added moisture in the process. It remains a modern step for making meatloaf today. ### 2. "Cream of" Soups By making a “cream of” soup, one could get the flavor of a vegetable without having to actually use much of it. These were created by chopping a half cup of any vegetable and cooking it down, then adding a bouillon cube, seasoning, and powdered milk (regular milk was rationed) with water. Viola: a thin soup that tasted of veggies. Today they’re used to [cook or flavor]() food rather than eat on their own, but it’s still a staple we’re glad came to be. ![wartime rationing campbells cream of soups]() *Yes, this means you could technically make a "Cream of Lettuce" but why would you do that to yourself?* ### 3. Crumbles and Crisps Apple pie was once a favorite among the American people, but with rations on things like eggs, butter, and flour, it was almost impossible to make a “real” pie. Homemakers instead came up with a concoction of apples and honey or molasses that was topped with an oatmeal mixture with weak tea, cinnamon, and margarine. Then the whole thing was baked. Easier than apple pie and still tasty, which is likely while it’s still [around today]() (albeit minus the tea). ![wartime rationing apple crisp apple crumble shutterstock]() *Meemaw was onto something here.* ### 4. Low-Carb Options Though they went heavy on the potatoes, ration meals were often served without bread of any kind. This is due to fluctuating flour rations, or times when a flour allotment was used up too quickly. This led to trends like sandwich “bowls” or using lettuce instead of slices of bread, truly a trend ahead of its time. ![wartime rationing apple crisp apple crumble shutterstock]() *Remember Jersey Mike's Sub-in-a-Tub in case of World War III.* ### 5. Cottage Pie With little meat to go around, families got creative with cottage pie. It was often used with small, leftover meat cuts and whatever the family had on hand. Potatoes were heavily added as filler, as there were no potato rations and plenty to go around. They added a “crust,” which was either a light crust made of wheat flour (white flour was reserved for soldiers), or a thin layer of mashed potatoes, and baked it until hot and steamy. Today’s versions almost always come in a flaky pastry, but most enjoy the addition of [potatoes]() to their shepherd’s pie. ![wartime rationing cottage pie]() *The difference between Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie is meat. Shepherd's Pie traditionally uses ground lamb, while Cottage Pie uses ground beef.* ### 6. Creamed Chipped Beef Also known as either "Sh\*t on a Shingle or the abbreviation "SOS", it’s a meal that is still eaten today. It dates back to World War I and was eaten throughout rations due to the ability to stretch preserved meat, namely dried beef. A thin white sauce is made, mixed with the meat, then the entirety of it is slapped on a piece of toast or cracker. Remember, white flour was for the front lines, but homemade breads of wheat flour could be made for meals like this. #### Also Read: [5 meals that won wars (and how to make them)]() ![wartime rationing creamed chipped beef shutterstock]() *Don't pretend like you don't like it.* ### 7. Meat Substitutes Rationing often meant [creating fake meat]() out of vegetables or whatever was on hand. There were faux recipes for beef, pork, and chicken alike, most of which included beans, seasoning, a little flour, and margarine for cooking and/or flavoring. Lard was also used to help improve the taste. Then it was done out of necessity, but today it’s a precursor to vegetarian options or more lifelike meat substitutes for those who do not eat meat by choice. ![A wartime rationing meat case]() *Meat cuts with ceiling prices and point values per pound properly displayed in a butcher's case, March 1943. (Anthony Potter Collection)* ### 8. Corndogs and Fried Spam While rations were set on meat, that did not include processed versions, so bring on the fake pork. Corndogs were turned into a meal by placing a dough on the outside of a hot dog. The novelty of a food on a stick also took off, and they became more [widely spread](). In addition, Spam was also at-the-ready with its long shelf life. With plenty of cooking lard rations, homemakers began slicing and frying spam as a regular main dish. ### 9. Boxed Cereals ![A 1944 newspaper ad for Cheerioats, later called Cheerios.]() *A 1944 newspaper ad for Cheerioats, later called Cheerios.* Cheerios was one of the first boxed cereal to be marketed after it was released in 1941. The goal was to create a morning go-to while supplies of bacon and eggs were rationed. Starting as Cheerioats, the brand took off like wildfire. Competitor Quaker Oats challenged the name, which dubbed Cheerios as we know them today. ### Don't Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty: #### • [10 food favorites invented by the U.S. military]() #### • [5 times using food as a weapon helped turn the tide of a battle]() #### • [6 surprising foods people ate on the homefront of World War I]() ## Author Bethaney Phillips has contributed to We Are the Mighty and MilSpouseFest since 2015, covering history and military family topics. She also served as the Interim Content and Digital Manager at MilSpouseFest in 2021. Now a veteran spouse, she spent six years in an active duty family and served as an SFRG leader. With a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing, she has more than 15 years of experience in digital and print writing, focusing on researched pieces and human interest stories. She is also a regular contributor to Business Insider, covering family and parenting topics. Her work has been included on Business Insider, Yahoo, Military.com, and Manhattan Magazine. While continuing to freelance, she works as the founding editor of the Clay County Regional, a print and digital newspaper delivered to more than 5,500 recipients. She also serves as the Digital Director/News Director for Taylor Communications out of north-central Kansas. Bethaney spends her free time chasing her two elementary-aged boys, raising chickens, and reading fiction. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [WWW]()