Confession: I've been feeling very nostalgic lately. I think it all began last Wednesday when I found an old Joy of Cooking 1946 Edition at THE BOOKSHOP, one of my favorite used bookstores. I've been having fun reading through all its simple old-fashioned recipes.
So, I gathered together all my other vintage cookbooks from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and placed them on my kitchen cookbook shelf. I keep thinking that within their pages lie the solutions to simple cooking, healthy eating and sustainable weight loss I'm seeking: simple recipes using basic ingredients, a focus on nourishment rather than variety and convenience, and smaller portion sizes.
Why Were Americans Less Heavy in the 1940s, 50s and 6os?
Have you ever noticed that we Americans were a lot less heavy in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s than we are now? Is sustainable weight loss as simple as returning to the dietary habits of those decades? It seems a lot more appealing to me than eating like a caveman 🙂
Things we did right to manage our weight back then include:
- Eating mostly food prepared at home.
- Smaller portions.
- Moderation.
- Focus on real foods, not "diet" foods.
- Eating at the dinner table as a family.
Related Content: The Portion Teller: Smartsize Your Way to Permanent Weight Loss
That led me to a GOOGLE search of '1940s diet' and '1950s diet.' '1940s Diet' took me to a wonderful blog, 1940s Experiment, where a British woman lost 100 pounds on WWII rations and recipes.
'1950s Diet' led me down the rabbit hole to the 1950s diet tips of blogger, Averyl Hill. I've spent the better part of the past two afternoons taking in her vintage wisdom and discovered an unexpected gem: "Cheers for Chubby."
In 1952, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company offered suggestions for weight management in a "Cheers for Chubby" ad chronicling one man’s effort to shrink his waistline. It appeared in print...
1950s Weight Loss Tips from Cheers for Chubby
- Avoid Quick and Easy Ways to Reduce
- Consult Your Doctor for Reducing Advice
- Follow a Balanced Diet
- Develop New Eating Habits
And as a cartoon reel that was shown in American movie theaters, then later adapted for TV. I feel like its message is still relevant today. What do you think? I'd love for you to watch it and share your thoughts...
Notes from the Cheers from Chubby Video:
- Consult your physician.
- There's a close relation between weight and health. The longer the belt line the shorter the lifeline.
- Excess food is stored as fat.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Get together with a group of others trying to lose weight.
- Watch out for hidden calories.
- Resist temptation.
- Avoid second helpings and push yourself away from the table.
- It's not easy but worthwhile.
Source: American Women Didn't Get Fat in the 50s
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- Ten Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet
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Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
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Cyndi Henry
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Will share this page with my diet support ladies!
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Cyndi!
Debra
Good advice then, good advice now. I remember diet plates in restaurants in the late 50's early 60's, a hamburger patty, cottage cheese and jello. Even then bread was one of the first things to go.
Martha McKinnon
I remember those hamburger/cottage cheese plates too! You are so right. Good Advice that has stood the test of time!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I remember dinner plates being smaller when I was a kid. I think plates have grown a couple of inches since the 1950s. It's all about what we eat and portion sizes.
Happy New Year!
Martha McKinnon
So true, Maureen. And the scary thing is that a couple of inches means a whole lot more surface area on a plate. So, while two inches doesn't sound like a lot it IS!!
Barb R
Thank you for posting this information. I especially enjoyed the video. How true that same advice is for today.
Martha McKinnon
Thanks for taking the time to comment Barb! I think this information is even more true now that it was then!!
Samantha OLEARY
This is great! I need to lose weight, and while I won't snack in between meals, and I will eat everything homemade, I will not give up dessert. I will, however, watch my portion sizes, and have only 1 serving of everything I eat.