People line in Times Square and 43rd Street to receive sandwiches and a cup of coffee in New York City on Dec. 8, 1930 during the Great Depression. (AP Photo)
Nutrition During The Great Depression
By: Jimmie K.
Have you ever had to beg for a piece of bread? Stood in line at a soup kitchen? Fought over food scraps in trash cans? Have you ever gone to bed so hungry that you chewed on your hand until it bled? As Americans, we take many things for granted. We can run down to the local market and within reason buy whatever we want. In the 1930’s bananas were 19 cents for 4 pounds, eggs were 18 cents per dozen, sugar was $1.25 per 25lbs, and potatoes were 18 cents for 10 lbs. (Pearson, 2009) Although these prices seem menial today, the reality of the 1930’s was that many families could barely afford flour and sugar. They baked their own bread, raised chickens for eggs to eat and trade, and when possible raised their own animals for meat and trapped or shot wild game. Many grew fresh produce in their yards and picked what they found growing wild in fields. Beans were a main staple. Communities grew into families trading food products and sharing their food with those less fortunate. They canned excess fruits and vegetables and stored them as treasures. However, during the depression for many this way of life was a luxury. Many Americans were forced to travel to look for work and during their travel depended on the kindness of strangers for their meals often going door to door begging for a piece of bread. Hundreds stood in charitable soup lines in hopes of getting a hot meal and often waiting in line for hours in the cold and rain. Others stood behind restaurants waiting for food scraps to be dumped into trashcans and at times had to fight for the scraps so they could feed their families. And some went to bed hungry.
Malnutrition was a problem during The Great Depression. A reported 20% of children suffered from malnutrition. (Watkins, 1993). The lack of food was a major cause of malnutrition but was not the only cause. Some families had plenty of food but not a variety of food. Beans and potatoes were eaten frequently but the beans were fattening and the potatoes offered little nutrition. Fresh fruits and vegetables were limited by the season, the amount grown, and the need to trade or sell them for other necessities. Meat was a treat and only served on special occasions or when it could be caught. And there were meals when bread was the meal.
References:
Baggett, G. (2004). Soup kitchens. Retrieved March 29, 2010 from www.novelguide.com/a/discover/egd_02/egd_02_00486.html.
Pearson, S. (2009). The people history where people memories and history join. Retrieved April 8, 2010
from www.thepeoplehistory.com/30sfood.html.
Photo retrieved April 8, 2010 from abcnews.go.com/.../mediaViewer/image?id=8946381
Reiner, R. (1995). ‘We had everything but money’. New Jersey: Random House Value Publishing.
Watkins, T. (1993). The great depression America in the 1930s (1st edition). Boston: Little Brown and Company.
