Mock cream. Lord Woolton Pie. For 14 years the government put draconian restrictions on how much Britons could eat. Each meal had to be carefully planned and every scrap of food eked out to avoid waste. But at the end of it, Britons were healthier than ever before. 

Was it the best of times or the worst of times? Turned out it could be both — depending on who you were. And the rationing that kept Britons fed played a part in the deaths of millions of colonial subjects in India. 

Ros Taylor talks to Lizzie Collingham, author of The Taste of War: World War Two and the Battle for Food, about rationing, wartime diets and the Bengal famine.  

• “The poor were basically living on a diet of cheap white bread and sugary tea. When the war came along people got the opportunity to go into war industries and earn more money – and rationing ensured that everyone had access to meat and milk.” 

• “The middle classes did very well on Dig for Victory, because they grew themselves all the things they missed, like asparagus and peas and lettuce.” 

• “It was a calculated decision to export hunger to the colonies.” 

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Seth Thévoz. Original music by Dubstar. Artwork by Jim Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production.

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