Grow more, save more, eat less, deny yourself. Nationalism abound, for the first 50 years of the 20th century, there was a call for patriotic participation among Americans to consume less in order to feed US troops and allies during World War I and World War II. Post WWII, advances in food technology, commercial canning, freezing and processing along with the availability of refrigeration in the home ushered in the period of bounty, and ultimately excess, through the second half of the century.
Wheat-less Breads and Cakes—Save the Wheat for Victory, United States Food Leaflet No. 20, page 2, The National Archives at Philadelphia, The United States Food Administration, 1918, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Pamphlets and cookbook inserts were distributed through the 1940s with recipes that helped homemakers "use less" of the foods rationed during war time.
Sow the seeds of victory! plant & raise your own vegetables / James Montgomery Flagg., Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877-1960., 1918, Original Source: Library of Virginia
Victory gardens, or war gardens, were an individual's way of reducing reliance on the public food supply, making it possible to send more overseas.
Cottage Cheese Poster, ca. 1918, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Use More Fish, Fish in place of meat—Real Food Conservation, United States Food Leaflet No. 17, page 1, The National Archives at Philadelphia, The United States Food Administration, 1918, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Eat Nutritional Food Poster, 1942, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Food Group Poster, ca. 1945, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Wanna Keep Em Healthy? 1944, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Soybeans Poster, 1944, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
Frozen Foods, Nina Leen, 1950-06-06, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
Albert Fenn, 1952-03, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
Atomic Food Kit, George Skadding, 1951-01, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
Illustration Of Bomb Shelter Supplies, Hulton Archive, 1960-01-01, From the collection of: Getty Images
Dmitri Kessel, 1962-11-23, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
Ted Thai, 1986, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
Time For Kids 9/17/99, Ted Thai, 2002, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
2006-01-20, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
2001-11-19, From the collection of: LIFE Photo Collection
Credits: All media
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