Although we are at war with Iraq, many college students do not directly feel the effects of war. However during World War II, the everyday lifestyle of ordinary Americans changed.

During World War II, Americans were thrown into chaos in the kitchen and housewives were faced with a rationing system that greatly limited their mealtime choices.

Food was needed to provide the soldiers with necessary supplies without creating a surge of inflation from the limited supply of goods on the home front.

With food rationing books, red stamps were used for fish, meat and dairy, while blue books were used for fruits and vegetables.

Coffee and sugar had their own rationing coupons.

Unfortunately for coffee addicts and meat lovers, once these coupons were used up, they were not provided again until reissued. Americans compensated as recipes soon emerged with names like "butterless eggless sugarless cake," "soybean loaf," and "Admiral Nimitz False Fish" in adjustment to the rations. Yummy.

We consider ourselves lucky to live in a land with endless opportunities and little self-restriction, but some may not realize the amount of sacrifice it actually took to maintain this freedom. Can you imagine being told what you could and could not eat and when? Tuesdays became a government implemented "meatless day."

Nothing went to waste. Eating leftovers became an American duty. Housewives were encouraged to save oils and fats for ration points because the glycerin was being used for explosives.

Your bacon grease could actually be recycled into ammunition for rifles.

Citizens were also encouraged to grow victory gardens and can at home to preserve fruits, vegetables and even meats.

Americans were taught to value the rationed foods and to make the most out of them.

Wartime cookbooks featured dishes combining ingredients from dill pickles, salami and cream cheese to chicken liver and bacon.

Do you believe that it is your patriotic duty to eat hot dogs and organ meats?

These foods were less desirable and required little or no rationing system.

Wartime may have also helped to promote vegetarianism for those that could do without meat, because there wasn't much around anyway.

Although, vegetarians may have eaten much differently than today considering that eggs and cheese were also rationed and fresh produce was not always easy to come by.

As Americans, war can affect us all. And no doubt about it, war is grim and many sacrifices must be made.

However, next time you have the option of choosing between chicken or steak, count your lucky stars it's not between soybean loaf and false fish.