1950’s Portion Sizes and Lifestyle

This video will be looking at the 1950s portion sizes and overall lifestyle. Here’s what I found, they were busy. Not by today’s standard of busy. Dad goes to work, kiddies go to school, and mom cleans and preps the house for the family’s return. Mom didn’t just set around waiting for the motivation to clean. NO! She had a set list and a set amount of time.
Meal Planning.. This was done each week or month just whichever worked best for the family.
Inventory. Mom always knew what was in the cabinets and what was on sale which could be added to a meal.
Cook at home. Mom always cooked at home. Rarely was dinner out. That was a treat. Even when they did, it was the proper portion, not like today.
Clean. Mom cleaned every day. Sweeping/mopping, vacuuming, and dusting. Until the kiddies were old enough to have chores then her load got a bit lighter. Especially during the summer.
Outside activities. During the summer mom was busy with the kiddies once chores were done. Or she would take them outside while she hung laundry on the line. Get your laundry done and watch the littles. Kill two birds with one stone.
Garden. In the 1950s, families still kept gardens. It was the same as the Great Depression where a great garden yield was life or death. Just to help cut the cost of food.
We’ve talked about school lunches before. They were balanced minus the raw chicken nuggets. I have a 1954 Better Homes and Garden cookbook with a section with suggested lunches. (Also, suggested breakfast and dinner.) Family life in this period included Dad. Below are some links because this video has gone on long enough.
References
A 1950's Inspired Day in the Life. (2022, July 3). UA-cam. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from • A 1950’s Inspired Day ...
Family Life (1949). (2010, November 11). UA-cam. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from • Family Life (1949)
5 Reasons To Eat Like It Is The 1950s Again. (2023, January 13). Franciscan Health. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from www.franciscanhealth.org/comm...
Free Meal Planning Printable • The Diary of a Real Housewife. (n.d.). The Diary of a Real Housewife. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from www.thediaryofarealhousewife....
FULL DAY OF MEALS FROM THE 1950'S | VINTAGE RECIPES | COOKING FROM SCRATCH. (2019, July 28). UA-cam. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from • FULL DAY OF MEALS FROM...
Good Eating Habits (1951). (2010, November 20). UA-cam. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from • Good Eating Habits (1951)
Mid-Century May Baby Step 3: Meal Planning, '50s Style. (2020, May 5). Mid-Century Modern Mommy. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from midcenturymodernmommy.com/mid...
1950s Meal Plan Monday: October 28-November 3 ⋆ Mid-Century Modern Mommy. (n.d.). Mid-Century Modern Mommy. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from midcenturymodernmommy.com/195...
Piercy, D. (2017, March 8). How Women in the 1950s Stayed Fit and Trim. Life with Dee. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from lifewithdee.com/how-women-in-...
Plan Your Meals Like a 1940's Homemaker. (n.d.). Modern Retro Woman. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from www.modernretrowoman.com/plan...
Sharp, L. (2023, April 5). 1950s Spring Lunch Meal Plans. Retro Housewife Goes Green. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from retrohousewifegoesgreen.com/1...
Spencer, B. (2015, December 3). 'Take portion sizes back to the 1950s to beat obesity,' say experts. Daily Mail. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...

[@MrGchiasson]

I have my 1962 school yearbook. A fair sized school..I was in the 2nd grade. In the entire school...students, faculty, employees...there were about 5 'obese' people and maybe 20 'fat' kids. Meals were usually cooked at home and lots of outdoor activities. It's stunning to see what has happened in two generations of junk food and corporate 'processed' junk...sugar/carbs overdose.

[@scratchkitchen8422]

I only remember three kids in school who were obese and one with juvenile diabetes. Thank you for taking the time to watch this video.

[@itsjustme7487]

My daughter used to tell people that she never got enough to eat as a young elementary school child (3rd grade maybe) back in the 70's.
She was tall and thin but not overly so.
I asked my son (3 years younger) if he was hungry after meals and he said no.

[@AgentManiK]

Im going down a rabbit hole of my own and found your vid,trying to get back to post baby weight lol 😅

[@scratchkitchen8422]

Best of luck to you.

[@scratchkitchen8422]

Congratulations on the baby.