Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Jane Ziegelman to Rose house, and learned of nutrition during the Great Depression and the American relationship to food.

One of the things which I found fascinating in the talk was how nutritionists and scientists were proponents of a flavorless diet, in addition to introducing fortified cereals and cream-based sauces into the American diet. I find this interesting as I had read an article earlier describing a similar occurrence in Japan during the great depression. In order to feed everyone cheaply, the government promoted fried bread as healthy, as it was a cheap source of fats, carbohydrates, and calories. This strongly echos the fatty cream-based sauces and grains that scientists pushed as healthy during the American Great Depression. I find it really sad that people were not as knowledgeable about what constituted a proper diet, as many people were probably malnourished. Further, the lack of knowledge about what was actually healthy explains the much shorter life expectancy in the 1930’s versus now (60 vs 80).

In addition, it is interesting to note that fortified cereals (and fried bread in Japan) are still incredibly popular today, and many people consume it every morning. Perhaps this is a lingering effect of promoting fortified cereals so strongly during the Great Depression.

Another interesting things I learned during this talk was how Flora Rose’s knowledge about food helped assuage famine after World War I and during the Great Depression. The more I learn about her, the more proud I am to be living in Rose house this year and next year.