The 1950s housewife diet plan is a fascinating subject that offers insights into the eating habits, culinary trends, and lifestyle of women during that era. This article explores various aspects of the 1950s housewife diet plan, drawing from vintage cookbooks, homemaking magazines, and personal experiences of individuals who have experimented with this retro way of eating.
The Importance of Meal Planning
In the 1950s, home economists believed that meal planning was essential for the health and satisfaction of the family. Meal planning was seen as the first step in addressing "family food problems," which included planning, purchasing, preparing, and presenting meals.
Diet Patterns and Daily Requirements
Mid-century cookbooks emphasized planning meals to fit a specific diet pattern that met the recommended daily requirements. Cookbook authors like Betty Crocker, Ruth Berolzheimer, and Meta Given all had their own diet patterns. A typical pattern included one serving of meat, fish, or cheese, with additional foods for variety, energy, and palate appeal.
Adjusting Menus to Fit Your Family
While using pre-made menus could be helpful, it was crucial to adjust them to fit the specific needs of your own family. Factors to consider included the ages, sexes, and occupations of family members, as well as income and cost. Menu planning was also influenced by the number of people to be served, the climate and season, available equipment, experience and preparation time, and the appearance and variety of the food.
The Art of Menu Planning
Menu planning was considered an art, requiring careful consideration of various factors. A successful family cook would shop in her own pantry first and plan to use leftovers before they spoiled. Knowing your recipes and choosing them well was also essential.
Read also: Eating Habits in the 1950s
Planning Sheets and Daily Diet Sheets
To effectively plan meals, it was helpful to use planning sheets, whether planning for one day or eight weeks. Taking stock of what you have on hand or what you'll be getting on sale was an important first step. Then, you could fill out the meat column for every meal where you were having meat. Finally, you would evolve each day's food to meet all the daily dietary requirements, paying attention to variety and appearance.
Recipe Lists and Cookbooks with Menus
Having lists of recipes or dishes you can use in each category was a helpful tool when planning meals. Cookbooks with menus for every day of the year were also popular in the 1930s and 1940s, such as "What Will We Have for Dinner," "Alice Bradley's Menu Cook-Book," and "The Modern Family Cookbook." By the 1950s, these books were becoming less popular, but some, like Meta Given's "The Modern Family Cookbook," still offered approachable menus that could be easily adapted.
A Sample 1950s Meal Plan
Here is a sample 1950s meal plan from a 1952 homemaking magazine, offering a glimpse into the thrifty and easy-to-prepare meals of the era:
- Monday: Skillet Sparerib Dinner, Pickled Beets, Enriched Bread, Winter Fruit Medley (diced apples, grapefruit, oranges, and bananas), Crisp Cookies, Tea or Coffee
- Tuesday: Quick-Fried Liver and Franks, Creamed Potatoes, Popovers, Lettuce with French Dressing, Orange Gelatin with Diced Oranges and Chopped Walnuts, Tea, Milk
- Wednesday: Casserole of Shoulder Pork Chops and Butter Beans, Rye Bread, Cabbage Salad, Warm Gingerbread, Milk
- Thursday: Chicken-Fried Round Steak, Fluffy Rice, Parsley Carrots, Sliced Onions in Vinegar, Apple-Strudel Pudding, Coffee (Instant), Milk
- Friday: Broiled Fish Fillets or Slices with Golden Rice Cakes, Broccoli with Mustard Sauce, Hard Rolls (heated), Canned Plums, Coffee or Tea, Milk
- Saturday: Beef Stew with Tomatoes, Enriched Toast, Pickles, Coconut Layer Cake, Coffee or Tea, Milk
- Sunday: Baked Ham Slice, Iowa Succotash, Baked Squash Squares, Enriched Rolls, Canned Cranberry Sauce in Lettuce Cups, Coconut Layer Cake Alamode, Coffee
These meals typically included a main dish, a side dish, vegetables, and dessert, with smaller portion sizes but more items per meal compared to modern eating habits. Fruit-based desserts were common.
Activity and Moderation: The 1950s Housewife Workout
Staying fit and healthy like a 1950s housewife was all about eating in moderation and being more active. No fad diets and extreme exercise were needed. A study by the women's magazine Prima found that housewives burned more than 1,000 calories a day doing housework, compared to around 560 calories today. Smaller plates and moderation in desserts were also common.
Read also: Real Housewife's Health Journey
Here are some ways to incorporate the 1950s housewife "workout" into your daily routine:
- Vacuum More Often
- Try a 1950s Cleaning Routine
- Cook from Scratch
- Start a Garden
- Use a Clothesline
- Do Some Spring Cleaning
- Walk or Bike More Often
- Try a Vintage Workout
Experimenting with a 1950s Diet: A Personal Account
One individual experimented with a 1950s diet and lifestyle, following the regime and diet of a 1950s housewife to see if it would lead to weight loss. The experiment involved careful meal planning, shopping for ingredients at the market, and preparing meals from scratch. The meals consisted of whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, with limited amounts of sugar and processed foods.
The individual followed a specific meal plan for the week, which included:
- Breakfast: Wholegrain cereal with milk or oatmeal with milk
- Lunch: Cheeseburger with half a bun, sandwich on rye bread, or onion soup
- Dinner: Baking potato, corn, and meat, spaghetti and salad, or steak with chips and string beans
The individual also incorporated more physical activity into their daily routine, such as housework, charity shopping, and running errands on foot.
After a week of eating mindfully at the table and following the 1950s meal plan, the individual was surprised to find that they had gained weight. However, after a change of batteries in the scale, it turned out they had actually lost weight.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
The individual's thoughts on the experiment were that they were grateful for the variety of food choices available today and realized how active the lifestyle was in the 1950s and how convenient shopping is in the modern day.
Recreating 1950s Meals: A Modern Cook's Perspective
Another individual recreated meals inspired by a vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, recipes from their grandmother, and input from their parents. They tried to choose recipes reflective of the times but not too "weird," such as congealed salads.
Some of the meals they made included:
- Spaghetti with Meatballs
- Braised Pork Chops
- Cauliflower with White Sauce and Cheese
- Baked Apples
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Swiss Steak
- Pot Roast
They found that 1950s food was rather bland and lacking in herbs and spices, so they added extra seasoning to the recipes. They also noted that many of the recipes made 6-8 servings, requiring advance preparation.
Despite some initial reservations, the individual and their family enjoyed the meals, and they found themselves setting the table early each day, a habit they'd like to keep. They concluded that while they didn't want to limit themselves to 1950s cookbooks for meals, there were some really good recipes, especially with some extra herbs and spices added.
Vintage Menus for October: A Themed Meal Plan
For a fun and nostalgic twist, one individual created a month of vintage menus to use as a 1950s meal plan for October. The menus were inspired by the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book and incorporated elements of California Mid-Century Modern Cuisine and white-bread Americana.
The meal plan included themed nights like "Taco Tuesday" with traditional New Mexican recipes and "Pizza Night," as well as special menus for events like Columbus Day and Halloween. The individual also planned for lighter meals during the week and heavier meals on the weekends, with an early afternoon dinner and pottage or nursery food for Sunday supper.