Rationing

Also worth noting that the health of lots of people improved massively because the amount they could get on their ration was more, and better balanced, than they could afford before the war.

I have my nan’s ration book, and her id card. She stayed in London during the war, making parachutes at her normal place of work. She lived in two rooms in someone else’s house, and I think there was precious little homegrown stuff to supplement her rations. And, of course, it wasn’t just food that was rationed. To almost their dying days, my nan, many of my aunts, and my mum died could draw a straight seam down the back of their legs with eyebrow pencil!

I think you need to make a clear division between food that was on ration and food that wasn't.

When you see a photo of food rations, this is only the ration of food that was rationed, if you see what I mean. the rationed foods were supplemented by all the food that were off ration - fruit and veg, fish, bread, and most people had access to supplemental food; home grown, foraged, gifted or extras a friendly food retailer would pass on to favoured customers. You did better in the country than the town.

My dad was the British Liaison Officer on a USAF facility in Somerset. He used to drive round all the local farmers when they complained about low flying aircraft, upsetting their cows.

The farmers soon discovered my fathers love of bread, cheese and cider, and as he drove down the farm drive they would disappear into a barn to pull a jug of strictly illicit home brewed cider, while the farmer's wife produced some equally illicit home made cheese and butter, plus a freshly made loaf.

In the days before drink driving regulations, he would drive back to his office in the afternoon, sit at his desk and fall asleep while he recovered from the (strong) cider he had imbibed.

I still have the ration book I had as a baby and it is beige. Maybe the colour varied depending on where or when it was issued.

People had to exist on very little unless they had access to home grown or the black market. There were still loads of hens in back gardens where I grew up and the cockerels all crowed as soon as it was light.

Same here, AGAA4. All our veg and soft fruit, plus a couple of apple trees came from the garden. Agree, there were no overweight children
I remember having a blue ration book which changed to an adult beige one when I was older. Sweets came off ration when I was about 14 I think.
As I was born at the beginning of the war rationing was just the norm and growing up it was all I knew. It was an exciting moment though when sweets were finally off ration.

I remember our meals were based mainly on vegetables that my dad grew in the garden. There wasn't much meat. We had lots of home grown fruit too.
We thrived on the diet and stayed slim.

I can certainly remember rationing. We lived in a small village and got produce eg eggs, potatoes from the local farmers, plus Dad grew some fruit and vegetables. Later I can remember shopping with my Mum with coupons, and the last ones to go were the sweet coupons. My sister and I each had 2 oz of sweets a week and Mum sometimes bought a Mars bar which she cut into four pieces, one for each of us.
It was actually a healthier diet than now and you did not see any overweight children.

MOnica we lived in Lewisham as well in the 50s. I dont remember rationing as I am 75 but I think sweets were the last to be taken off rationing. My grandfather had chickens so I expect we had eggs. We were all very slim. And we benefited from the post war orange juice snd malt.
I think the basic ration was very little, but just about enough. It must have been so difficult to feed a family. We probably eat a weeks ration of cheese now at one sitting grat4d on our spaghetti.

Rationing was finally brought to an end in July 1954.

I don't remember anything about it as I was only 2 but my Mum and my Nan certainly knew how to feed a family with little or no waste!

I was a toddler when rationing ended so do not remember it, but my mother told me that having a baby was quite good as babies got a ration card so she got extra food from my ration. She particularily mentioned tea.

I am 81 and I certainly remember rationing. It went on until the early 1950s. I can remember going with my father to collect my baby sister's ration book, after she was born in january 1950.

Not all food was rationed. Fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and fish were off ration, as was liver, kidney and game. Many butchers had access to rabbits, which ere not rationed and, in the country other game as well. Plus many people grew their own fruit and veg, kept chickens and even pigs.

We lived in Lewisham, in London and my mother and grandmother had about a dozen chickens in a coop in the garden. Ones that stopped laying were slaughtered for Christmas.

The other source of food was food parcels. The Americans sent lots over to us. Servicemen serving overseas, but not necessarily on fighting fronts would send food parcels home.

My father was in India from 1945-48 and was entitled to send home one parcel a month, but some how managed to send one parcel a month to everyone in the household. including my baby sister and I, my grandmother and an aunt. My parcel would always include some sweets but also tins of salmon, sausages and butter.