Food of the Infant and the Growing Child was produced during the Great Depression, a severe economic crisis in Canada in which over 25% of the population was unemployed, and 15-20% were reliant on government relief for survival. While many factors are cited as causes of the Great Depression, it is most often attributed to a combination of the 1929 Wall Street stock market crash, a drop in commodity prices, and sudden declines in global trade. Together, they resulted in unprecedented rates of unemployment. Resultingly, many Canadians were forced to live in poverty and food insecurity became an important concern. 

This recipe booklet gives readers a look into the lives of families, and mothers especially, during this severe economic crisis. Throughout the 1930s, budgeting and preparing food were considered two of the most important roles of housewives. Women were expected to cook nutritious meals in the hopes of preventing illness and malnourishment among family members, but this was difficult due to the high rates of unemployment and reliance on government relief. Producing cost-effective and nutritious meals was a central concern for many women, and they often attempted to stretch their food budgets by purchasing cheaper vegetables and cuts of meat and using preservatives. Food of the Infant and the Growing Child reflects this reality; the booklet stresses the importance of full and balanced diets, and consistently emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of Canada Starch Company corn syrups that were “sold at a cost of barely one-tenth that of the patented baby foods.” Additionally, by outlining the use of these products as carbohydrate supplements for sickly, underweight, or weak children, or for babies “deprived of mothers milk” that need to be weaned earlier than anticipated, the booklet points to concerns about malnourishment in mothers and their children. Finally, in addressing mothers rather than fathers or parents together, the booklet demonstrates the common gender roles and social values of the period; women were expected to perform all the domestic work and look after grocery shopping while men sought paid employment to support the family.

It was not until the early 20th century when companies began to recognize the importance of the female consumer who purchased the majority of the goods used by the family, and women were encouraged to treat homemaking like a profession. Publications such as magazines and cookbooks idealized this role for women and provided messages about how to be an ideal caregiver and the proper housewife. Food of the Infant of the Growing Child is representative of this, as it endeavours to “aquaint mothers with some of the fundamental principles of the nutrition of infants and young children.” The Canada Starch Company clearly sought to capitalize on this domestic ideal, promoting their products as ideal for women who had the responsibility of feeding their children. 

This booklet also helps us better understand the evolution of nutritional science in the early 20th century. During and after the First World War, scientists began to devote more energy to understanding the role of nutrition in keeping the human body healthy. By 1933, an estimated 5000 research papers had been produced globally that addressed some of this new research on nutrition. Vitamins were a relatively new discovery by this time, and researchers sought to understand what the specific role of each vitamin was in the body's natural processes. It was discovered that many people, both adults and children, were lacking many of the vitamins that were vital to keeping the body healthy and nourished. Food of the Infant and the Growing Child outlines some of the foods and nutrients considered beneficial at the time, specifically corn syrup as a carbohydrate source, and several vitamins that should be part of infants' diets. While some of the advice in the booklet is still relevant today, it has been established that corn syrup, though a cheap and effective carbohydrate source, lacks nutritional value and may prompt digestive discomfort in babies who have a difficult time digesting sugars. This booklet was also produced at a time when knowledge of sterilization and proper food storage was still in its infancy. While the booklet does stress the importance of using clean utensils, it recommends storing baby bottles in boric acid, which is actually toxic if ingested.