1930’s Protective Foods
I’m currently reading “English Food: A People’s History” by Diane Purkiss.
There’s a section on the hardships of people during the Great Depression. And after a sad, brief mention of a woman named Annie Weaving who died aged 37° potentially due to not being able to feed both herself and her family there’s a reference to something called “protective foods”.
I’d never heard the term. I thought they might be “protected” as in having their price controlled by the government. But it’s actually the precursor to the food pyramid idea.
One poster I found promoting it suggests this:
PINT MILK, 1 EGG, 1 POTATO AND TWO OTHER VEGETABLES (ONE OF THESE A GREEN LEAFY ONE), 2 SERVINGS OF FRUIT (AT LEAST ONE RAW), 1 SERVING OF MEAT OR FISH, 1 OZ. BUTTER.
And I think it still holds up. Could it be improved? Probably. But it’s simple and realistic. I like it.
People often overthink diet. So I like simplicity. It reminds me of Michael Pollan’s mantra:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Some info on the history of the food pyramid here°.
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