CAMBRIDGE CARBON FOOTPRINT
PRESENTS
Challenge
Start date: .................
Challenge
End date:...................
F O O D R AT I O N S P E R P E R S O N P E R W E E K
SUGAR
8oz/227g
MARGARINE
4oz/113g
BACON AND HAM
4oz/113g
CHEESE
2oz/57g
OIL / LARD
2oz/57g
TEA
2oz/57g
MEAT
12oz/350g
BUTTER
2oz/57g
MILK
3pints (1.71 litres)
SWEETS (per month)
12oz/340g
JAM/PRESERVES (per month)
Marmalade 2lb/900g, OR
Preserve 1lb/450g, OR
Sugar 1lb/450g
EGGS
1
H O W T O U S E YO U R R AT I O N C A R D
Plan out your meals for the week and tick off each ingredient as you buy it. This is
how rationing worked during the forties and fifties.
OR
Weigh the amount of each ingredient as you prepare your meals (or estimate when
eating out) and make a note of the amounts on your ration card. Total up the
amount of each ingredient at the end of the week to see how you did.
W H Y ( A N D H O W ) W E A R E R AT I O N I N G
W H Y R AT I O N I N G ?
2015 is the 70 year anniversary marking the end of
WWII. It is an opportunity to remember some of the
hardships that people endured in their daily lives
during and after the wartime years. Rationing in
Britain was unpopular, in other countries food shortages and rationing were a matter of life and death.
all around the world have a huge impact on our carbon emissions - an eye watering 30% are linked to
food.
Very little food went to waste during the war years,
so the challenge will share tips on making the most
of everything.
HOW IT WORKS
The challenge will give you a window of opportunity
to try returning to a diet largely based on seasonal
fruit and veg, grains and pulses. We do not expect
participants to only eat the types of food available in
1945 and you can eat as much as you like of everything else (though we strongly encourage you to exLEARNING FROM THE PAST
plore local, seasonal produce as much as possible).
This food challenge explores the common ground
We do ask you keep to the correct amounts for any
between a diet from the forties/fifties and eating
food rationed e.g. cheese 2oz, sugar 8oz, 1 egg. You
sustainably today. Our current consumption of meat can choose whether to take part for a week, a fortand dairy products, processed goods, out of season night or for the whole month.
fruit and vegetables and foods that are flown in from
A rather surprising outcome of rationing in Britain
was that despite the queues, shortages and lack of
variety, people were healthier during the war years
than they are today! They consumed less meat and
dairy products, fewer processed and out of season
foods.
ON THE KITCHEN FRONT
Rationed foods and the amounts available changed constantly throughout the war continuing until 1954. As you can see from the timeline below, more items were added to the ration list as the war went on. For
our ration challenge the amounts are equivalent to those in 1945 when
rationing was at it’s height.
1939
petrol rationing
1939
WWII begins
JAN 1940
MAR 1940
all meat rationed
rationing of bacon,
sugar, butter
JULY 1940
MAR 1941
tea and margarine
added to the list
jam now rationed
MAY 1941
JUNE1941
cheese was
rationed
clothes are rationed
JUNE 1941
JULY1941
eggs put on ration
coal rationed—
miners called up to
FEB1942
soap rationed, to
save oil for food
JAN 1942
rice and dried fruit
added to the list
MAR 1942
JULY1942
rationing of sweets
and chocolate
1943
coal, gas and
electricity rationed
AUG 1942
biscuits rationed
In addition to rations, a monthly points system was also introduced to ensure that everyone had the same fair access to extra
items. Some goods cost more points than
others. For example,16 points allowed you to
buy one can of fish or meat or 2 lb (900g) of
dried fruit or 8 lb (3.6kg) of split peas.
Although fruit and vegetables were not rationed, supplies were limited. Citizens were
strongly encouraged to grow as much produce as they could and use this to bulk out
their meals. The Ministry of Food shared
many tips, recipes and techniques to help
housewives preserve and cook every scrap
of food available.
For this challenge we encourage you to use
as much local, seasonal veg as possible and
keep an eye out for alternatives to rationed
foods. For example beans and pulses are an
alternative source of protein and there are
many varieties grown in East Anglia. Why
not consider joining a local veg box
scheme? Or do your weekly shop at the
Cambridge Sunday Markets to buy local
veg, meat, bread, eggs and oil?
TIP: The ‘Local Producers & Retailers’
resource page on the CCF website can
point you in the direction of some
great local suppliers.
Besides food many other things were also
rationed both during and after the war, including petrol, soap, clothes, coal, gas and
electricity. Interestingly neither alcohol or
tobacco were rationed in the belief they
would help maintain morale!
ON THE WIRELESS
sausages rationed
1945
WWII ends
The ministry of food made a
special radio broadcast ‘the
kitchen front’ every day at
8.15am. It was full of useful
hints and recipes.
WAR-TIME COOKERY
Apart from the rationed items you can eat what you like while on the rationing challenge. If you would like to try some wartime recipes we’ve listed a few below. The full
recipes can be found online on the ration challenge website.
RECIPE SUGGESTION
WHY COOK IT?
WASTE TIP
Woolton Pie (vegetable pie)
The vegetables in this pie can all
be grown in the UK. Eating locally
and seasonally reduces waste - up
to 40% of fruit and veg is wasted
before it’s eaten.
Monitor what you throw away. Designate a week in which you write
down everything you throw out on a
regular basis.
Cottage pie is a good way to use up
left over meat. 18% of global climate emissions come from meat production and cattle rearing is a major cause of rainforest deforestation.
Buy the funny looking, misshapen
fruit and veg – it helps use up
food that others may not like.
Lentils are great low fat way to
get your protein. Dried pulses mean
little waste too.
Try to go shopping with a list and
stick to what’s on it.
Overfishing is a huge problem –
this recipe uses little fish but
tastes good! The Marine Conservation Society’s website can help you
identify abundant and threatened
varieties.
Practice FIFO. It stands for ‘First
In, First Out’. When unpacking groceries, move older products to the
front of the fridge and put new
products in the back.
Hodmedods grow lots of beans and
pulses in Suffolk. Buying local
keeps cash flowing through the local community.
Extra stew? You can freeze almost
anything apart from soft cheese. It
stores safely for years but quality
will start to deteriorate after 3
months. Best use within 6 months
but don't panic if it's been longer.
Using meat as a treat rather than a
staple can save you lots of money.
An average family of four dropping
meat once a week could save £312
per year.
Extra food or produce? Try pickling
and preserving it or find a local
abundance swapping scheme.
Eating less meat and dairy helps
conserve water. It takes 3x more
water to produce 1kg of chicken
than 1kg of grain.
When you get your food home, keep
it in its original packaging as it’ll
last longer. Gently tie loose veggies in a bag in fridge.
Mocha Pudding
Cottage Pie
Chocolate pudding
Curried lentils
African Delight (date pudding)
Wartime Devilled Fish
(fish gratin)
Patriotic Pudding
Local Bean Stew
Rhubarb & Date Pudding
Sausage Roll with Carrots and
Parsley Potatoes
(ring of sausage meat)
Steamed Jam Pudding
Vegetable Ragu
Bare Cupboard Cake
OTHER RESOURCES
You can find more recipes online at
www.recipespastandpresent.org.uk and
www.lavenderandlovage.com. Marguerite
Patten’s book ‘We’ll Eat Again’ is also a
great resource.
THE BUTCHER SAYS...
During the war housewives were
encouraged to eat every bit of meat
available. The Ministry of Food encouraged Britons to “introduce into
the menu as often as possible…
tripe, cow-heel, ox-tail, liver, kidney,
hearts, tongues, rabbits, calves’ and
sheep’s heads, fresh bones’ and to
save all dripping and fat from
boiled meats.”
FOOD FROM THE PAST, FOOD FOR THE FUTURE
Food. Is it really that crucial in the bigger scheme of things? Well, actually yes and on two important fronts. A good diet is important for human health, and also for the health of our planet– food is the second
largest contributing factor to climate change. Nutritionists have observed that the foods that we should eat more frequently for our health
are also those that have a lower environmental impact.
The double pyramid from the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition
(above) shows the environmental food pyramid as the inverted image
of the classic food pyramid. The pyramid on the left has much in common with the diet of rationing times. By trying this WWII rationing
challenge we hope that you’ll:



Be reminded in a small way of some of the hardships that people endured in their daily lives
Shift your diet so it is more in proportion with the food pyramid
Consider how much power you have to make a real difference
with your food choices
Good luck with the challenge!
F O O D O R G A N I S AT I O N S A N D C A M PA I G N S
CAMBRIDGE CARBON FOOTPRINT
Cambridge Carbon Footprint helps people to reduce carbon emissions. They run many events and activities, including sustainable food challenges (like the WWII rationing challenge) and low carbon cooking
workshops.
website: cambridgecarbonfootprint.org
CAMBRIDGE SUSTAINABLE FOOD
A network of individuals and organisations in Cambridge supporting local sustainable food.
website: cambridgesustainablefood.org
FOOD CYCLE
Combines volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create tasty, nutritious meals for people
at risk of food poverty and social isolation.
website: foodcycle.org.ul/location/cambridge/
TRANSITION CAMBRIDGE
Aims to help Cambridge make the transition to ways of life that are more resilient in the face of rising
energy prices and a changing climate. They have a variety of food and growing projects.
website: transitioncambridge.org
CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL
Cambridge City Council delivers a wide range of services aimed at protecting and enhancing the local
environment and improving the quality of life for the people of Cambridge.
website: cambridge.gov.uk/sustainability
LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE
Practical advice and information we can all do to waste less food.
website: lovefoodhatewaste.com
THE PIG IDEA
Campaign to encourage the use of food waste to feed pigs. They aim to lift the EU ban on feeding catering waste and swill to pigs.
website: thepigidea.org
THE GLEANING NETWORK
Coordinates volunteers, farmers and food redistribution charities in order to salvage the thousands of
tonnes of fruit and veg that are wasted on farms every year and direct this fresh, nutritious food to people in need.
website: feedbackglobal.org/campaigns/gleaning-network
FOOD FOR FOOD
a social enterprise, providing work experience to vulnerable people. They run a community café from St
Andrews Hall, and have a professional catering business. They use donated food and locally sourced
where possible, and locally sourced products where possible.
website: www.food4food.org.uk
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
CAMBRIDGE CARBON FOOTPRINT
The Wharf, Hooper Street
Cambridge, CB1 2NZ
01223 301842
www.cambridgecarbonfootprint.org
[email protected]
IN COLLABORATION WITH