Good Eating provides the modern-day reader with more than just recipes, as the cookbook also provides valuable insights into the cultural and societal norms of the 1970s in Canada. The focus on quick, simple, and cost-effective recipes reflects the increased interest in being health conscious, greater financial concerns, and greater diversity in the workplace with more women working outside of the home. 

The emphasis on nutrition tells us about some of the health and dietary trends of the 1970s, hinting that there may have been concern around caloric intake and body mass index. Obesity rates began to increase in the mid-20th century and then rose more steadily beginning in 1970. The percentage of overweight and obese men between the ages of 20 and 44 increased from 42.3 to 46.2 percent between 1970 and 1978. The increase was even more stark for men aged 44 to 69, rising more than ten percentage points, from 53.7 to 66.7 percent. The proportion of women who were overweight and obese also increased between 1970 and 1978, rising from 24.3 to 28.4 percent for women aged 20 to 44. For women between 44 and 69 years old, the rate jumped by 13.5 percentage points, increasing from 47.4 to 60.9 percent. Excessive weight gain and obesity are related to an increased risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and other chronic health conditions. By the time Good Eating was published around 1975, rising obesity rates among both men and women would have been concerning for public health officials. Thus, the focus on nutritional education and healthy recipes in Good Eating reflects the broader societal context of increasing concern regarding health and weight management throughout the 1970s. 

As well, the focus on cost-effective meals is an indicator of the economic conditions of the 1970s in Canada. At the start of the decade, the Canadian economy experienced a small recession, which lasted from December 1969 to November 1970 and saw gross domestic product (GDP) decrease by 0.6 percent. This recession was perhaps foreshadowing what was to come, as another recession began in November 1973. This second recession of the 1970s saw unemployment levels in Canada climb to 9 percent, the highest they had been since the Great Depression in the 1930s. With increased levels of unemployment and a floundering economy, many Canadians became more budget-conscious. The aim of providing low-cost recipes in Good Eating, therefore, reflects the economic realities of life in Canada in the 1970s.

Lastly, the effort made in Good Eating to provide quick and simple recipes offers insights into changing gender roles in Canadian society. Beginning in the 1950s, women’s employment rates outside the home began to rise. With the emergence of the Second Wave feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, women were encouraged to break free from the confines of the home and seek meaningful paid employment and financial independence. The percentage of Canadian females in the paid labour force rose from 35.5 percent in 1965 to 42.1 percent in 1970, and reached 50.7 percent by 1975. Throughout the 1970s, women were spending more time outside of the home, as they found employment or joined social clubs or community groups. This resulted in women having less time to prepare and cook meals for their families. Thus, the emphasis on simple and quick recipes in Good Eating helps to explain Canada’s changing gender roles in the 1970s.