World War II: Causes & consequences
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*Annotations have been made with assistance from Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4-turbo). ChatGPT, OpenAI, Oct. 2025.
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This page was last updated 10/14/2025
Food & diet
Web resources
Food on the Home Front during the Second World War | Wartime Canada
Details the federal government’s extensive efforts to reshape national eating habits through rationing, propaganda, and nutrition campaigns. The article highlights how food was framed as a “weapon of war,” with Canadians encouraged to consume local “patriotic” foods like apples and lobster to support the war effort. It also discusses the economic and agricultural shifts that enabled Canada to supply significant quantities of food to Britain, emphasizing the role of state intervention in farming and food distribution.
WW2: Could the rationing diet make you healthier? - BBC Teach
Examines the nutritional impact of wartime rationing in Britain, highlighting how the limited but balanced diet promoted by the Ministry of Food may have led to improved public health. The piece also explores how families adapted to food shortages by growing their own vegetables and creatively using available ingredients. With reflections from nutritionists and wartime figures like Marguerite Patten, the article suggests that the WWII diet—low in processed foods and high in fresh produce—aligns closely with modern dietary recommendations.
Canadians living with rationing in wartime | The Western Producer
Explores how Canadian households adapted to food and material shortages during both World Wars through rationing, creativity, and community efforts like Victory Gardens. It highlights the social and economic impacts of rationing, including changes in diet, gender roles, and consumer habits, while emphasizing national solidarity and sacrifice. This source is ideal for examining the intersection of war, domestic life, and public policy in Canadian history.
Details the federal government’s extensive efforts to reshape national eating habits through rationing, propaganda, and nutrition campaigns. The article highlights how food was framed as a “weapon of war,” with Canadians encouraged to consume local “patriotic” foods like apples and lobster to support the war effort. It also discusses the economic and agricultural shifts that enabled Canada to supply significant quantities of food to Britain, emphasizing the role of state intervention in farming and food distribution.
WW2: Could the rationing diet make you healthier? - BBC Teach
Examines the nutritional impact of wartime rationing in Britain, highlighting how the limited but balanced diet promoted by the Ministry of Food may have led to improved public health. The piece also explores how families adapted to food shortages by growing their own vegetables and creatively using available ingredients. With reflections from nutritionists and wartime figures like Marguerite Patten, the article suggests that the WWII diet—low in processed foods and high in fresh produce—aligns closely with modern dietary recommendations.
Canadians living with rationing in wartime | The Western Producer
Explores how Canadian households adapted to food and material shortages during both World Wars through rationing, creativity, and community efforts like Victory Gardens. It highlights the social and economic impacts of rationing, including changes in diet, gender roles, and consumer habits, while emphasizing national solidarity and sacrifice. This source is ideal for examining the intersection of war, domestic life, and public policy in Canadian history.
Database resources
A Taste of Food Rationing [EBSCOhost]
Article from The Hamilton Spectator (2010) reflects on how wartime rationing shaped Canadian eating habits, community resilience, and public health during and after WWII. This article offers a valuable lens for exploring the social and economic impacts of government policy on daily life.
Article from The Hamilton Spectator (2010) reflects on how wartime rationing shaped Canadian eating habits, community resilience, and public health during and after WWII. This article offers a valuable lens for exploring the social and economic impacts of government policy on daily life.
need More information?
You can find more information about this topic by searching the library catalogue, the internet, and the databases below:
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EBSCO Host: An academic database with scholarly articles, magazines, and historical journals. It is ideal for in-depth research and citations.
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Gale Canada in Context: Contains articles, primary sources, and multimedia content tailored for students. Good for Canadian content and perspectives.
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CBC Curio: Provides access to documentaries, news reports, and archival footage from CBC.
Useful for understanding historical events through media. |
