One-Week Meal Plan From The Great Depression

[hawgrider]

Most meals during the Great Depression came with what you already had or could barely afford to buy. Neighbors traded with neighbors, people grew and harvested their produce and meat, and canned foods were cherished.

Three meals a day for these families is ambitious, as food and money were so scarce for so many people.

It’s easy to get comfortable, but if we do not learn from our mistakes back then, we could very well head into a similar situation in the future.

Sunday
Breakfast: Sugar Cookies and Coffee
The most integral part of breakfast during the Depression was coffee.

Liquid gold was consumed pretty much every single day for breakfast, as long as you could find the beans. It is safe to assume that coffee would be consumed with every breakfast in this meal plan.

Sugar or condensed milk were popular mix-ins for coffee, or else it was drunk black.

Sunday was a big day for families during the Great Depression. Sundays were a time to get the family ready for the upcoming week but were also a celebration of a successful previous week. Everyone had made it one more week, and people celebrated the little things.

As a marking for the end of the week, https://www.askaprepper.com/one-week-meal-plan-from-the-great-depression/

[BucketBack]

https://www.askaprepper.com/one-week-meal-plan-from-the-great-depression/

I would have been a skinny.

Looking at my calendar, reading left to right, it looks like Sunday is the start of the week. just saying..

[shootbrownelk]

I guess America didn't have an obesity epidemic during the depression. All those pictures that I saw of my Mom and Dad (who lived through it) not once did I see a overweight person in those old photos. That's probably the reason that Mom & Dad would get so angry about people (us kids) wasting food. They both had memories of going hungry at times when they were growing up.

[Sarge7402]

We had something similar for lunch today. Three or for day old sticky rice (not too bad just a bit less tasty) Two cups of water, 4 ounces of spam an egg and sesame oil. Add Spam, rice, egg and h2o in sausepan over a medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. When it starts to look like wall paper paste add in about a tablespoon of sesame oil and remove from heat and continue stirring. Served with Kimchee or alone it's a nice simple left over meal

[Innkeeper]

We had something similar for lunch today. Three or for day old sticky rice (not too bad just a bit less tasty) Two cups of water, 4 ounces of spam an egg and sesame oil. Add Spam, rice, egg and h2o in sausepan over a medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. When it starts to look like wall paper paste add in about a tablespoon of sesame oil and remove from heat and continue stirring. Served with Kimchee or alone it's a nice simple left over mealSpicy kimchee?

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[Sarge7402]

Spicy kimchee?

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Yep! Homemade too boot.

Went shopping at Lotte Market in Northern VA and with a purchase of $50 got a box of Napa Cabbage for about $8

[Innkeeper]

Yep! Homemade too boot.

Went shopping at Lotte Market in Northern VA and with a purchase of $50 got a box of Napa Cabbage for about $8Not bad deal. I love the spicy variety. There were so many different types of Kimchee when I was stationed there.
There was a little Korean grocer down in Troy Michigan before I moved north that always had great kimchee.

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[Sarge7402]

Yeah we've got four pyrex containers full in the small fridge

[shootbrownelk]

I guess I'm the odd man out here (what else is new?) just what the hell is Kimchee? If it's spicy I might like it.

[SOCOM42]

I guess I'm the odd man out here (what else is new?) just what the hell is Kimchee? If it's spicy I might like it.

In my opinion it is the equivalent of chum.

It is sold in Asian markets, I see it in the freezer cabinets.

I don't like any fish except for haddock.

[Innkeeper]

It's a traditional Korean dish cabbage, radishes and other vegetables fermented, there are 100's of varieties some spicy, some not everything depends on who makes it.
Korea has some really hot peppers, and for kimchee they dry them and then turn them into powder to add in.
I remember the fall in Korea when peppers were picked and laid out in the sun to dry. There were clouds of spice in the air and some were rough. I miss that sometimes.

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[SOCOM42]

It's a traditional Korean dish cabbage, radishes and other vegetables fermented, there are 100's of varieties some spicy, some not everything depends on who makes it.
Korea has some really hot peppers, and for kimchee they dry them and then turn them into powder to add in.
I remember the fall in Korea when peppers were picked and laid out in the sun to dry. There were clouds of spice in the air and some were rough. I miss that sometimes.

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I see it in the frozen fish cabinets, never touched it, it looks like chum to me.

[Innkeeper]

I see it in the frozen fish cabinets, never touched it, it looks like chum to me.I have never seen it with any type of fish in it but hey. The first few times I tried it the looks made me wary....but some I like some I don't.
I have never been a fan of sauerkraut looks or taste... but I have tried it a few times. Still not a fan.

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[Mister Mills]

I guess I'm the odd man out here (what else is new?) just what the hell is Kimchee? If it's spicy I might like it.

It can be a skunky cabbage dish, that an American would not touch, but I had some that was mild, and it was decent.

The Korean woman that made what I tried, was an a sergeant in my platoon when I was at Ft Knox, and she toned it down for her family and me. I was invited to dinner with them, and it was a nice time.

I am a fan of good sauerkraut,so the kempshi tasted good to me.

[Dwight55]

We had something similar for lunch today. Three or for day old sticky rice (not too bad just a bit less tasty) Two cups of water, 4 ounces of spam an egg and sesame oil. Add Spam, rice, egg and h2o in sausepan over a medium heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. When it starts to look like wall paper paste add in about a tablespoon of sesame oil and remove from heat and continue stirring. Served with Kimchee or alone it's a nice simple left over meal

Just wanted you to know, Sarge7402, you are a braver man than I . . .

Spam is not on the very lowest rung of things I don't like to eat . . . it isn't even on the ladder.

Head souse . . . spam . . . liver and onions . . . and a few other things all fall into that same category . . .

May God bless,
Dwight

[Sarge7402]

Just wanted you to know, Sarge7402, you are a braver man than I . . .

Spam is not on the very lowest rung of things I don't like to eat . . . it isn't even on the ladder.

Head souse . . . spam . . . liver and onions . . . and a few other things all fall into that same category . . .

May God bless,
Dwight

Not really all that brave. But spam, vienna sausages, corned beef and canned chicken are about the only meat that hasn't gone thru the roof

[StratBastard]

Not really all that brave. But spam, vienna sausages, corned beef and canned chicken are about the only meat that hasn't gone thru the roof

Yep. Canned chicken breast and tuna seemed to have maintained their price point. I notice it being snapped up quickly at our local markets. Probably a good prep investment at this point in time. Food is going to continue to go UP UP UP.

[Prepared One]

I remember well my Grandparents talking about the great depression and WWII. My grandmother on my Dad's side in particular. She was the most thrifty, never threw anything away and used everything in the kitchen, nothing was thrown away. Bones where boiled for soups and her basement was full of canning supplies with rows and rows of cans and jars along the walls. She was a girl growing up in the depression and leaned it all from her mother. Then she came of age and here come WWII. Hell of an upbringing. Kids of today have no freakin clue how bad it can, and probably will, get.

[Sarge7402]

Yep. Canned chicken breast and tuna seemed to have maintained their price point. I notice it being snapped up quickly at our local markets. Probably a good prep investment at this point in time. Food is going to continue to go UP UP UP.

The canned meats tend to last a pretty long time, With a 40 pound bag of rice, and a huge box of cabbage all we need is coffee and eggs to last about a couple of months.

And as far as shortages go, right now it's canned cat and dog food. There's quite a bit of the dry stuff

[BucketBack]

The nearest Asian Market is 55 miles away.

I remember a simple meal Suki would make was kimchi and sausage.

[Sarge7402]

The nearest Asian Market is 55 miles away.

I remember a simple meal Suki would make was kimchi and sausage.

Just remember they sell a lot of staples like rice (many varieties ) in 20 - 30 pound bags as well as a wide assortment of veggies. But most important they usually have a wide variety of ramen style noodles from all over the world.

One small market about 20 miles from here had almost 50 different types/flavors

Also huge bags of salt and other essentials can be found there

[BucketBack]

Once I figured out that the salmon minus the fillets were valuable to Asian gals, I was in like Flynn.

[SOCOM42]

Just remember they sell a lot of staples like rice (many varieties ) in 20 - 30 pound bags as well as a wide assortment of veggies. But most important they usually have a wide variety of ramen style noodles from all over the world.

One small market about 20 miles from here had almost 50 different types/flavors

Also huge bags of salt and other essentials can be found there

We found that the Asian market we shop at has the best fresh veggies around here bar none!

Both sides of one aisle have all kinds of noodles presented, I have about 30 pounds of assorted sitting on the shelf.

Bean sprouts are 1/10 the price in the supermarkets and are fresh, they come in a bushel basket sized box,

Use the tongs to fill your bag, They have carrots that are 2 inches in diameter and a foot long.

Their green peppers are the size of a softball, look like they were just picked.

Snow peas come in a bag about 6 inches in diameter and are fresh not wilted crap like from the super.

I buy wonton and other soup spices there that are unavailable elsewhere.

They have dark soy sauce that is not in the regular markets here.

I love their baby bock choy, use plenty in the lomain.

They have about 2 tons of different brands of rice sitting on pallets.

They have all sorts of live fish, eels, octopi, squid and non descript things floating in their tanks.

They took over a full sized supermarket store that had closed up years before.

[Sarge7402]

We found that the Asian market we shop at has the best fresh veggies around here bar none!

Both sides of one aisle have all kinds of noodles presented, I have about 30 pounds of assorted sitting on the shelf.

Bean sprouts are 1/10 the price in the supermarkets and are fresh, they come in a bushel basket sized box,

Use the tongs to fill your bag, They have carrots that are 2 inches in diameter and a foot long.

Their green peppers are the size of a softball, look like they were just picked.

Snow peas come in a bag about 6 inches in diameter and are fresh not wilted crap like from the super.

I buy wonton and other soup spices there that are unavailable elsewhere.

They have dark soy sauce that is not in the regular markets here.

I love their baby bock choy, use plenty in the lomain.

They have about 2 tons of different brands of rice sitting on pallets.

They have all sorts of live fish, eels, octopi, squid and non descript things floating in their tanks.

They took over a full sized supermarket store that had closed up years before.

Couldn't have said it better,

Lotte is big here on the east coast as well as H-mart and New Grand

[StratBastard]

The canned meats tend to last a pretty long time, With a 40 pound bag of rice, and a huge box of cabbage all we need is coffee and eggs to last about a couple of months.

And as far as shortages go, right now it's canned cat and dog food. There's quite a bit of the dry stuff

Gotta have coffee or I get grouchy LOL. I have had canned coffee sit on the shelf 2 years, and it was just fine. I store a lot of Cream of Mushroom soup as well. Stirred in with canned meat and rice, it makes a pretty good pot of sticky rice/hobo casserole.

[hawgrider]

Shroom soup is the bomb on oven baked pork chops!

[Dwight55]

I remember well my Grandparents talking about the great depression and WWII. My grandmother on my Dad's side in particular. She was the most thrifty, never threw anything away and used everything in the kitchen, nothing was thrown away. Bones where boiled for soups and her basement was full of canning supplies with rows and rows of cans and jars along the walls. She was a girl growing up in the depression and leaned it all from her mother. Then she came of age and here come WWII. Hell of an upbringing. Kids of today have no freakin clue how bad it can, and probably will, get.

You could have named her Beatrice . . . she would have been my mother . . .

When stuff went out to the dogs that was more than dry dog food . . . you can bet Mom had worked it over and gotten all the good from it she could.

May God bless,
Dwight