Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-06

need to be attracted. II we have few foods
we must take every pains to have them
pleasantly and properly served. >
Few Foods and Few Tastes.
II there is any law here it seems to ba
that at one meal there should be few foods
and few tastes, however delightful these
tastes may be. Certainly the whole taste
should be preserved and increased by whole-
some culinary art. Certainly the whole ON
most of the taste should then be extracted
by careful mastication.
The question is whether we should stick
to two or three kinds OF food always. In
favor of the idea is the fact that soon We
are able to extract the greatest amount oe
benefit and Of flavor from these few foods.
as our digestive juices get into special trains
ing, and that we are unlikely to eat IN gross
excess, since the temptation is smaller and
the sense of taste and the instinct Of sa-
tiety keener. But against 1t is the dtyNger
Of becoming a slave to a narrow regime.
There are some who are simply i'll II they
go out Of their small beaten track OF diet or
OF life. / know of one who does not dare to
wear boots; he is thus cut of from much
social life. He Is regarded as q crank.
Probably 1t would be the ideal to be able to
enjoy a few foods, and to be able to digest
them thoroughly, but not to lose the power
OF digeSting many other foods as well.
Time for Meals.
The social difnculty also stands In thu
way Of taking meals at the times which
might otherwise be best for the Individual.
Except in cases where very small meals
should be taken very frequently, when there
is. as 1t were, a perpetual nibbling OF tiny
mouthfuls (Which Is far the least social OF
all arrangements), the tendency seems to
- NAw.n.1 49,
plan. A weeks trial must be given before
any verdict can be passed. II only because
what is called the hunger habit" akin to
the thirst Of the d~ipsomaniac. may prevail
during that time
But how can we adopt the two-meai plan
without interfering with domestic and other
requirements7 Perhaps the evening meal
is that which we can least easily give up.
Let US. therefore. retain that. and let us
consider a two-meai plan. of which the
evening meal shall form one.
The TwO-MeaI PIan.
We may give up our breakfast or lunch-
con, or eat a very light breakfast or lunch
e~on-for instance, a fruit breakfast or a
biscuit misunderstanding TO our individual
needs and temperaments. Reformers un-
derestimate the power Of the household and
OF society. They DO not calculate for do
NgAehhy NhCy uO hOi NtalAEQ IuAI
the permission Of those In authority must
be obtained or else peace may be lost
Otherwise the one-mea plan might ba
best.
The one-meal plan can be led up TO
gradually through the three-meal and two
meal plans. The other two meals should
become lighter and lighter by degrees,
easy steps being made by fruit or biscuit
meals or by some other form Of small re-
freshment.
When should the one meal bel Is II
possible TO stay the whole day until the
evening without exhaustion2 One can
not possibly tell till after fair trial and
at once nearly everybody calls out that
a fair trial would not be worth the cost.
Or shall we wait till midday. then eat
and rest and eat nothing again till the next
midday? Or shall we take breakfast only
and live the whole day. from morning till
the next morning without taxing our di.
g~estion? Probably most people could ac-
custom themselves to any system II they
had the strength OF mind and the patience,
But which is best?
In view Of the social life. I should decide
against the one-meal plan except as a
temporary means Of restoring balance. For
that purpose II Is most excellent. I
should suggest the approach toward tho
two-meal plan, with the second meal taken
at least two hours before one retires to
rest. Then there need be no heavy break
fast, but perhaps a fairly heavy meal at
midday. l do not imagine that anyone
whom the two-meal plan has once really
suited will care to go back TO any other
! plan or absence Of plan.