What did people eat during World War One?

Why was there less food during World War One?

A government poster from World War One encouraging people to eat less bread

The cost of food more than doubled during the war years.

Lots of food was sent away to feed soldiers fighting in the war.

There was less food arriving, as ships carrying supplies were attacked by German submarines.

Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and bread were hard to find. There were long queues outside shops.

In 1918 the Government brought in rationing.

What was rationing?

Rationing made sure everyone in the country got some food.

People could only have certain amounts of sugar, meat, butter and milk.

Richer families discovered what it was like to go hungry. Some of the poorest families found rationing left them better-fed than before.

Watch: How did rationing work?

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Watch our video to find out more about rationing during World War One.

What was the impact of rationing?

Skip image gallery

Image caption,
Ration cards could only be used at certain shops
Families had to say which butcher, baker and grocer they would buy their food from.
Image caption,
Rationing was not a popular idea with the British public
As the war went on and food became harder to find, the Government had to introduce it. Pictures like this helped people to work out their rations.
Image caption,
Anyone found cheating could be fined or sent to prison
The government also controlled the price of food. Anyone who sold above the set price could also face fines.
Image caption,
The government did not control the price of vegetables
Because of this they became very expensive and most people had a lot less fresh fruit and vegetables in their diet.
Image caption,
Wartime rationing led to new foods being produced
One food advertised as 'quite new' in Britain was tinned tuna.
Image caption,
National Kitchens were opened for war workers and poorer people
They served cheap, healthy meals for those most affected by high prices and shortages. Charities also opened soup kitchens to help people.

What were shops like?

Skip image gallery

Image caption,
The grocer sold shoppers many of the everyday things they needed
Their packed window displays were a common sight. Among the things they sold are a few brands we still have today.
Image caption,
The butcher was an important part of the high street
People bought pork, beef, tripe (part of a cow's stomach), pigs' trotters (feet), mutton (older sheep) and rabbits.
Image caption,
The poulterer sold birds like chickens, ducks and geese
They often had large displays with rows of all the different types of birds hanging from the shop front.
Image caption,
Sweets like chocolate, fudge and liquorice allsorts were available
Sweet shops and tearooms stayed open. Sugar was hard to find, but the government thought family businesses were important.
Image caption,
People read newspapers to keep them up-to-date
The papers didn’t always tell the whole story. Soldiers on leave often noticed how little people at home understood about the war.
Image caption,
The ironmonger sold tools, buckets, pans and other items
By the end of the war, ironmongers had less to sell because lots of metal was needed to make weapons.

What did children eat?

Children eating school dinner in a classroom during World War One — Image caption,
Children ate their midday school dinner, back in the classroom, under supervision of their teachers.

From 1906, many schools served a midday meal.

These were solid, heavy, belly-filling meals such as:

Bean soup and bread, followed by treacle pudding.
Toad-in-the-hole (sausages in batter) and potatoes.
Mutton stew and suet pudding.
Fish and potato pie, then baked raisin pudding.

In the war, schools also had food shortages and had to cut back.

Sadly, there were a lot of poor families who ate only one meal a day. They got by on tea, bread and jam. They may have had only one meal a week with meat, usually on a Sunday.

Sweets

Sweetshops in the early 1900s sold hard-boiled sweets such as humbugs, peppermints and pear drops.

Sweets were kept in big glass jars. The shopkeeper would weigh them out and hand them to customers in a paper bag.

How did life change?

It was important not to waste anything.

Women repaired socks and stockings. Men hammered new soles and heels onto their boots and shoes.

Mothers had to be inventive in the kitchen with meals like 'potted cheese': crumbs of cheese, mixed with mustard, baked and served with toast.

Everything was focused on the war effort. Life became harder for everyone, even those who stayed at home.

A march for prohibition with men, women and children during World War One

Activities

Activity 1: What shops were on the high street?

During World War One shops looked very different from today.

There were no supermarkets or shopping centres. Shops were smaller and many were named after the families who owned them.

Explore our interactive high street and click on different people to find out more about them.

There are ten different people to find. You can use the question mark button to highlight them all.

��tv