During the First World War, the Canadian kitchen was redefined on the home front. After Canada joined the war (as an ally of Britain) on August 4, 1914, the federal and provincial governments implemented a wartime economy, which included the preservation of food to help feed allied soldiers fighting in Europe. An aggressive propaganda campaign was instituted, consisting of posters and pamphlets urging Canadians to cut back. On the home front, many transformed their diets to save white sugar, white flour, and red meat for the soldiers, and instead Canadians attempted to consume more produce, fish, fat substitutes, and whole grain flours. Wartime cookbooks highlight how much food was central to the war effort, as well as government efforts to convince Canadians that the truest form of patriotism was conservation.