This cookbook was written in 1958, which signifies a time of prosperity, especially in North America, which was a stark contrast to the war years of the 1940s. The prosperity that defined the 1950s was driven by a strong economy, advancements in technology, and the baby boom. This era was also known for its rigid gender roles and the encouragement of family values that fit into the nuclear family ideal. The nuclear family consisted of a breadwinning father, his homemaker wife, and children. Recipes for Healthful Living demonstrates some of these 1950s expectations by including images that depict children, motherly figures, and families eating around the dinner table. By targeting housewives as the key demographic for this book, the ideal women looking after the domestic tasks for the family is perpetuated. This cookbook also contains recipes which often have short lists of instructions, which assumes that the women reading this cookbook already had a solid understanding of cooking and baking. 

Along with the baby boom, advancements in technology were occurring and the economy was thriving, which led to North Americans being avid consumers who desired the latest and greatest domestic goods. The cookbook makes a point of highlighting Silverwood’s modern bottling technology, which speaks to evolutions in the food packaging industry and desires for safer products that were being given to children. Many of the mothers who were making the decisions about what their family should be consuming came of age during the Great Depression and survived the war years, so they understood the importance of conservation and budgeting. Companies like Silverwood Dairies understood that consumers wanted products that were safe, trustworthy, reliable, and affordable. By producing this cookbook, they were able to communicate with their customers and entice them to buy their products by highlighting their superior quality and utility. 

If we look at Canada's Food Rules, which was released in 1949 and acted as a food guide for Canadians at the time, we see that dairy is given high priority and is said to play a part in creating a balanced diet. The development of these food rules during the period of the baby boom indicates that families, in particular mothers, were being told what to feed their children in order for them to grow up and be as strong and healthy as possible. In the cookbook itself, it is stated that milk contains more essential nutrients than any other food. Although this may not be the case today, in the mid-20th century many Canadians believed this to be true and included dairy in their daily diets. The Cold War, which was also happening at the time this cookbook was published, ushered in a new wave of nationalism in North America. Part of this nationalism included the belief that the children raised in Western democratic nations should receive the best and most nutrient-dense foods in order to be strong and healthy. At the time, the health of a country's people was considered a direct reflection of the nation as a whole. The idea of nutrition providing strength and building a superior people became an important factor in the promotion of dairy products, which is found in Recipes for Healthful Living.

Likely, this book was well-received as it provides a variety of recipes that could be made for more formal occasions as well as day-to-day family meals. The cookbook highlights some of the deeply-rooted cultural values of the time, including the importance of the nuclear family and ensuring all Canadians were meeting their nutritional needs. This cookbook also does a good job of highlighting Silverwood Dairies' new technologies, which speaks to Canadians' desires to be modern during this period. Even though the cookbook does not mention some of the fun and new kitchen gadgets that were all the rage in the 1950s, it does make a point of adding some fun and creative presentation suggestions for the recipes provided.