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Both foods—potatoes and bread—provided essential nutrients but limited diversity. As families strengthened their economic conditions, jam or a small amount of protein might accompany their meals. However, most diets lacked fresh vegetables and the accompanying vitamins necessary for overall health, leading to rampant nutritional issues, particularly scurvy in areas reliant on bread.
Living Arrangements: Crowded and Cramped
Many families in Victorian Britain resided in small, overcrowded homes known as "back-to-back houses"—substandard accommodations with little privacy. A typical household could comprise a mother, father, and six children sharing a single room; the reality of such cramped quarters can be hard to fathom, particularly regarding sleep arrangements.