Food for Health in Peace and War was published in 1940, just one year into the Second World War, so its contents would have been very relevant in Canada at the time of its release. With the onset of war in 1939, Canadians began to experience some economic uncertainty, which led to worries about how the economy would bounce back once the war concluded. Many Canadian households lost their breadwinner as thousands of men enlisted in the armed forces. To make up for men's absences, women were urged to take up waged work in various wartime industries. With more work on their shoulders, women had even less time to spend preparing meals and, in many cases, less money to spend on foodstuffs. 

Canada entered the war in September of 1939 in support of the Allied forces in the hopes of defeating the threat Nazi Germany posed to Western democratic nations. Both Canadian men and women participated in the war effort, though in different ways. Men were needed overseas in the army while women were tasked with looking after the home front. Out of a population of roughly 11 million, Canada contributed roughly 1 million full-time soldiers to the Allied forces, while millions more contributed to the war effort from the home front and in other ways. Many women struggled to meet the demands expected of them, but persevered and contributed to the war in numerous ways, including running farms, organizing fundraisers, preparing care packages for soldiers, collecting medical supplies, manufacturing ammunition, and managing the household finances, all the while completing the responsibilities associated with womanhood at the time, such as raising children, cooking, and taking care of the home. Wartime limitations and shortages forced women to adjust how they cooked and shopped as commodities like butter, sugar, wheat, eggs, and selected cuts of meat were rationed on the home front. Many goods were difficult to acquire, so supplies were limited. Much of the food being produced in Canada was sent overseas to feed soldiers and military personnel. The war also disrupted trade and created supply chain issues. It became important to divert products overseas so soldiers were nourished enough to keep fighting. 

To manage the various restrictions and food shortages, women needed ways to ensure their families had enough to eat in order to keep them healthy, strong, and free from disease. The Canadian Medical Association provided families with helpful suggestions for dealing with the wartime shortages and a new way of life. By supplying Canadian women with the proper skills and resources needed to create healthy meals for their families during wartime, the CMA helped create an affordable and sustainable way of living. Ingredients were suggested by Canadian doctors to sustain healthy diets that incorporated various food groups, and still allowed Canadians to abide by rules around rationing. 

Healthy and affordable ways of living became incredibly important during the Second World War. It was imperative that medical experts and scientists introduce healthy alternatives that would be abundant and inexpensive to the average Canadian. It was also crucial for families to follow dietary plans that incorporated different food groups in order to maintain health and keep the economy stable. Dairy, produce, protein, grains, and fats were recommended to generate a balanced diet and to promote children’s proper growth and development. 

This cookbook was designed to allow women, and mothers especially, to have control over what they made in the kitchen while receiving proper suggestions on what ingredients to use. The recommendations within Food for Health in Peace and War were made by Canadian doctors who focused their efforts on providing nutritional education to women since it was primarily their responsibility to cook and care for their families. During wartime, it was considered especially important to raise strong and healthy children. The ingredients and meals suggested in Food for Health in Peace and War were practical for the period when the booklet was published due to the increased need for inexpensive meals that used ingredients that were wholesome, healthy, and available.