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How Much Meat Could You Really Eat in WWII?

Imagine trying to plan your week’s meals knowing you only get one pound of meat. Total. For seven days. And yes, the bones are included in that weight.

That was the reality for families in WWII Britain.

What Would You Cook in Wartime?

Step back in time and discover what you could make with limited wartime rations

Which country are you cooking in?
Pick a year during wartime (1939-1945 for WWII)
Tell us about your wartime household
List the ingredients you have on hand - remember, it's wartime!

So What Was the Weekly Deal?

If you were a regular adult during the war, here’s what your meat rations looked like:

  • 1 lb (454 g) of fresh meat per week
  • 4 oz (113 g) of bacon and ham

That’s it. That tiny stack of protein was supposed to last you all week. No wonder meat became a mini treasure in every kitchen.

What That Looked Like on a Plate

That one pound might cover:

  • A small stew
  • One shepherd’s pie
  • Maybe some meatballs if you really stretched it

And that 4 oz of bacon? That’s about two rashers. Enough to taunt your taste buds but not enough to make breakfast feel like breakfast.

Before vs During the War

Before the war, Brits were eating nearly twice that amount. About 1.75 lbs of meat per person, plus over 5 oz of bacon.

So yeah, the cut was brutal. Not just in numbers, but in morale. People went from proper roast dinners to “meat-flavored” stews made with scraps and filler.

How Did People Cope?

Three main strategies:

  1. Stretch it out – Stews, pies, and casseroles made a little meat feed many mouths.
  2. Use alternatives – Sausages (mostly bread), organ meats, and offal filled in the gaps.
  3. Find other sources – Home-raised rabbits, chickens, or occasional black-market finds kept some bellies fuller.

Restaurants didn’t follow the same ration rules, so eating out became a cheeky way to get a bit more meat. If you could afford it.

A Pound With a Catch

That 1 lb ration wasn’t pure meat—it often included the bone. So you weren’t really getting a full pound to chew on.

Add that to the random cuts you got from the butcher and you had to be both humble and handy with a carving knife.

Was It Enough?

Barely. It covered maybe three proper meals a week if you used every scrap wisely.

Manual laborers often felt the pinch hardest. They needed energy, and turnips just didn’t cut it. Still, the government held firm on fairness. Everyone got the same, more or less.

Final Slice

So how much meat could you really eat in WWII? Not much. Just enough to remember what it tasted like.

It wasn’t ideal, but families adapted. They learned to be creative, resourceful, and maybe just a little sneaky. And somehow, they got through it—one thin sausage at a time.