Today’s menus are from a little booklet called “How to Pack Lunch Boxes for War Workers”. It was published by Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co.’s Home Economics Institute in 1943. The introductory letter inside the front cover calls workers “our production army” and “production soldiers” and mentions that having at least one balanced meal helped to keep workers’ energy up throughout the day. Lunch was the perfect meal to make doubly sure was healthy and balanced because it was right in the middle of the workday. The “Health-for-Victory” lunches included in the booklet were sure to help an exhausted worker through the day.
The letter also talks about how tired workers are careless workers and that many accidents happen when people are distracted by hunger or exhaustion. It says that by packing your production soldier a healthy, well-balanced meal, you are doing a “vital part of your essential job in the war effort”.
I hope you enjoy these menus. I’ve added a handful of the recipes at the end of this post. Happy June!
History in the Kitchen 