WWII Rationing

Two-fer Tuesday!  This morning was a typical laid-back cardio workout: 20 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the recumbent bicycle, then stretching.  I had one of the ellipticals right by the window, so I got to spend my exercise time looking out at the morning and generally letting my mind wander, which is very healthy.  Tonight is folklorico!  That will be very interesting, with these sore calf muscles of mine.

Lacking a TV, I use Hulu when I want a television fix.  One of the shows I tend to watch over and over is The Supersizers Go...  They're good about giving you a dose of history, but their attempt to spend a week eating a typical diet of the time period needs to be taken with a grain of salt.  They tend to show a range of meals, from the highest austerity to the greatest hedonism.  For example, in the first episode, The Supersizers Go...Wartime, while one actor is grubbing about the countryside for a meal of nettles, bracken, and rabbit, the other is slurping down champagne, venison, and ice cream in Churchill's underground dining room.

There have been some attempts by bloggers to follow the WWII rationing diet in an effort to lose weight and improve health.  One of those has a blog called The 1940's Experiment.  Britain's Ministry of Food was very focused on ensuring a healthy diet for everyone, even with rationing, so the pamphlets and cookbooks of the day are focused on balanced eating, with emphasis on vitamins and minerals and lots of vegetables.  I've got the ingredients for Woolton's Pie, so I may give that a go tomorrow evening.