Homestead Meals

While you’re still trying to transition into the country life, you need to make some meal transitions because the more calories you burn the more filling meals you will need. While you might think a bowl of cereal will fill up your kids in the city, when they are slinging bales of hay or planting fruit trees, they are going to need more in the way of long-lasting sustenance.

Not only are cold cereals loaded with all manner of FD&C dyes (which have been shown to be carcinogenic), they just don’t carry children into the next mealtime. Most cereals marketed to kids tend to be loaded with artificial flavors, artificial preservatives and synthetic vitamins/minerals. If that doesn’t sway you to make changes in your diet, consider the high levels of sugar added to grain that’s been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides.

Here are a few Depression era breakfast suggestions for kids and adults that can certainly still be brought to the homestead table today.

• Oatmeal w/ berries or bananas
• Grits, Butter & Cheese
• Bacon & Biscuits
• Fried Eggs w/ Butter
• Hot Dogs & Fried Potatoes
• Hot Dogs & Scrambled Eggs
• Pancakes w/ Butter & Real Maple Syrup
• Chipped Beef w/ Gravy over Toast
• SPAM & Scrambled Eggs
• Rice Pudding & Fruit
• Homemade Bread & Butter w/ Hot Black Coffee
• Homemade Bread w/ Jam & Glass of Whole Milk
• Stuffed Baked Apples & Homemade Sausage

While it’s easy for us to shrug our shoulders at inflation and threats of WW3, we need to begin by coming to acceptance that your life is going to drastically change and it’s better if it’s done sooner rather than later. Farming folks need heartier meals to carry them through their workload.

Below are some suggested lunches to try serving up to your family, some are from the depression era and others are from even further back in time.

• Basic Chicken Salad on Homemade Bread
• Egg Drop Soup
• Potato Pancakes cooked in animal fat
• 3 Bean Salad
• Hearty Dandelion Salad w/ Garden Vegetables and Homemade Dressing
• Tuna Salad on Homemade Bread
• Egg Salad on Homemade Bread
• Green Beans & Black Eyed Peas w/ diced bacon
• English Beef Pasties
• Scrambled Eggs w/ Rice & Butter

Supper was a welcome time of the day because it signaled that the workload was done, and sleep was not far away. These evening meals tend to be thick and hearty to help restore the body from the beating it took during the day. Try out some of the selections below to see how your family does with the changes.

• Meat Loaf & Baked Potato
• Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
• Cream Chipped Beef w/ Rice
• Rabbit Stew
• Pasta, Butter & Peas
• Beef Barley Stew
• Poorman’s Stew w/ Fry Bread
• Chicken Fried Steak w/ garden vegetables
• Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
• Chicken & Noodles
• Linguine w/ Tuna & Sauce
• Ground Beef & Potato Soup
• Venison Stew w/ Rice
• Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie

During the Great Depression, desserts and snacks were usually reserved for special events because sugar was rationed and fruit at times was a luxury. You can find numerous recipes and stories online to help you come up with creative ways to create special treats while saving money.

Happy Homesteading!