section one


continuing dominance in American culture to the notion that morally righteous eaters were, above all, self-disciplined.7 “Meatless Mondays.” “Local is best.” “Eat less wheat.” Tese slogans make headlines today but were just as prevalent more than a century ago. Each slogan, created by the US Food Administra- tion during World War I (1917–1920), was as important to the war effort as Uncle Sam’s “I want YOU for the US Army.” As young men fought overseas, American housewives managed the grocery list and kept food waste down so soldiers and people in need could be fed. Food-related calls to action during World War I reflected conservation and volunteerism, early nutrition science, consumer messaging, and the growth of food advertising.8


THE ADVENT OF HOME ECONOMICS AND DIETETICS


Even before World War I, and according to HEARTH (Home Eco- nomics Archive: Research, Tradition, History, housed at Cornell University’s Mann Library), “the discipline of home economics (now human ecology, or consumer and family studies) played a vital part in the growth and development of our nation: it strongly influenced the growth of women’s professions, and the role of women in the commu- nity, public health and nutrition policy.” Te field of home economics also provided a launching pad for what would become the American Dietetic Association. Te Morrill Act of 1862 paved the way for land-grant colleges to


educate farm wives in home economics as their husbands were being educated in agricultural methods and processes. Cooking schools in cities like Boston and Philadelphia provided instruction for preparing healthy, low-cost meals—initially to professional cooks and later to the general public. In 1884, Sarah Tyson Rorer founded the influen- tial Philadelphia Cooking School and later became the Ladies Home


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