Well I did it! I’ve been struggling with portion sizes but mostly evening junk food, so I am THRILLED that I managed to “Go Back to Rationing” yesterday and successfully completed my 1st day.
Breakfast
I almost forgot how little tea was available in the typical weekly British WW2 ration! Three flat teaspoons of loose leaf makes a whole pot of tea which is about 3 mugs and THAT IS IT!!! My weekly ration is around 20 teaspoons of tea. Not a lot and for some reason, anytime I’m back on rationing, I want to drink LOADS of tea. It is like I am possessed with the spirit of Mrs Doyle from Father Ted.
Luckily, I do have the perks of working from the office Mon-Fri mornings (and I work from home the afternoons). During those mornings I drink another 3 mugs of tea or coffee making the most of the canteen (our works kitchen).
With my pot of tea on the go I am also back to enjoying porridge for breakfast! I’m rationing it out at 50g/1.7 oz dried weight of porridge oats plus a teaspoon of milled flaxseed for good luck! I mix it with water and a splash of milk (3 pints doesn’t go far!!). I actually also added in a teaspoon of sugar. Couldn’t resist. I wanted to feel naughty!
Lunch
For lunch basically threw all the salad stuff I could into a bowl with beans for protein. I had romaine lettuce, cucumber, spring onions, a little bit of tomato, parsley and beetroot plus salad cream. I also had a slice of bread with margarine. I felt pretty hungry and ate every single bit! The rest of the beans I am using tomorrow. (I used a tin of beans from my store, as months go on I’ll be having to cook all my beans from scratch I think!)
Dinner
Honestly, by dinner time I felt like I hadn’t eaten in 2 days! I must have been nibbling a LOT between meals without realising it before! I’m purposely trying NOT to eat inbetween meals. Luckily, yesterday I made a Parsnip Pie so all I had to do was heat it up in those lovely modern things we call microwaves! I guess if it had been 1940 I’d have had to put the plate over the top of a saucepan of boiling water or put the pie back in the oven.
To accompany the Parsnip Pie, I made creamed cabbage! I found the recipe in Ambrose Heaths “Vegetables for Victory” but rather than make a sauce I used up some of the thick “Peasant Soup” I made at the weekend to braise it in. I added extra salt and pepper and some parsley and it was filling and delicious!
Supper
Once again, my stomach started rumbling around 8pm so I succumbed to a slice of bread and raspberry jam, AND a date from my rationing cupboard. I also rehydrated the used tea leaves in the teapot and squeezed a rather weak looking mug of tea out of the pot to take to bed with me.
My calories for the day? Around 1940, yes 1940, that is true and it is also true that 1940 calories was what the Ministry of Food felt the average sized woman/housewife would need every day to sustain her weight.
Funny that, C xxxx
I like my tea strong, so I can’t even get a decent cup everyday out of the tea ration! I have to say I could have managed rationing if it hadn’t been for tea.
Love a cup of tea. And I just love Mrs Doyle and Father Ted! “Would you have some cake? It’s got cocaine in it. Ah, I didn’t mean cocaine. Raisins! “ 😂
Haha yes Mrs Doyle was classic!!!!! Loved her!! Xxx
Where did you get the book? Ita about £50 on Amazon!!
I was very lucky to be gifted a collection of books and pamphlets by Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, I am so grateful for these as I would never have been able to buy these xxx C
Hi Carolyn, I understand the desire to follow rations, but the goal is to lose weight. Since tea has no calories why can’t you have as much tea as desired? It is the sugar in it which provides the calories. Use ration sugar but buy more tea? You would feel less deprived…..Good luck, Ann Lee S in BC Canada
I do have a ton of tea bags as extras should the occasion arise when I REALLY need some extra 🙂 hehe! I don’t use sugar in any drinks but the milk in drinks soon adds up xxxx thanks Ann xxx
Tea bags? As a kid, neither my Mum or Gran would have tea bags in the house! They used to say bags contained the sweepings off the factory floor. LOL!
That belief must have rubbed off, because I still use loose leaf to this day. 🙂
Oh well done Carolyn, I’m impressed you sticking to the rations, I’m trying to follow suit but not as strictly, I’ve a holiday coming up so am aiming to be totally strict when i come back, Regards Richard.
Thank you… it will get tougher before it gets easier! I’ve managed OK today too. Good luck with yours too xxx C
I have to admit I’m in the same boat as most people posting here. I’d be absolutely lost without me cup of tea at various points throughout the day.
If this was actually wartime though, I’d have a slight advantage, as the profession I retired from late last year after forty-years, was allotted an extra ration of tea each week.
Interestingly, there was a handful of reserved occupation jobs up and down the country (decided upon by the Ministry of Food I guess) that had this little weekly benefit, whether it was extra tea or cheese.
Since you were getting hungry, I wonder if you need to add some fat to the meals, or protein of some kind. That’s what keeps me feeling full even at 1200 calories. Can you make broth soup for snacking like I do? T
I would be OK with the tea as I like mine weak. One spoonful in a pot at breakfast and after dinner gives me 3 good mugs of tea. I have one weak coffee every morning. My problem would be the milk as I like milky drinks. I tend to eat very similar meals to your wartime diet except I like lots of fresh fruit. I’m enjoying your channel. Thankyou
Thank you for sharing your journey with us, S.B. from Calif.