The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-05-25

DIET FOR CHILDREN.
How Mothers May Be Helped in Pro-
vidinq Suitable Food.

In a family where there are children
! the mother is often compelled to cook
/ separately for the young ones. This
extra trouble may easily be avoided
! if in preparing the food for the old
folks the following practical sugges-
tons be kept in mind, says the New
! York American:
Frying should not be chosen as a
means of cooking meat for children.
When preparing beefsteak have a hot
fire, place the steak on the gridiron
and hold 1T close t. the fire for a min
ute. turning 1t rapidly. The fierce heat
coagulates the albumen near the sur
face, seals the pores of the meat and
keeps in the juice. When the outside
is scared hold it farther from the fire
until it is done. On removing sprinkle
it with salt.
Steak should be cut about one inch
thick. The top of the round is a juicy
and well favored part of the beef and
steak cut from there is less expensive
than the sirloin or choicer steaks and
more nutritious. This same method
of broiling may be applied to other
meats.
Poultry is not more desirable for
children than beef or lamb, although
being more delicate it is sometimes con-
sidered So Either the white or dark
meat may be given, the former being
preferable. 1t may be roasted, boiled
or broiled.
Fat is essential to the proper growth
of The tissues of the nerves and brain,
and is peculiarly important to children,
as the brain enlarges rapidly during
childhood. Next to butter and cream,
bacon is one of the most palatable
forms in which It can be given. 1t
should not be overlooked, as then too
much of the fat is fried out. Some
times bread soaked in bacon fat will
be eaten with relish.
After child is two years old a veg
etable of some kind besides potato
may be given at the midday meal.
Cabbage and raw cucumbers are I'M
suitable, but any other we'll cooked
vegetable is harmless in small quanti-
ties. Stewed celery, peas, beans, ten
der caulifower, baked or stewed to-
mato are all useful.
Any fresh. ripe, seasonable fruit may
be given early in the day to child
who is well. The points to observe are
to have it sound-that is, without a sus-
picion of staleness-and not to give too
much at once. Straw berries, raspber
ries, blackberries, pears apples,
peaches, oranges and grapes are all
Fruit having a skin should be pared,
and grapes should have the seeds re-
moved, or the child should be taught
not to swallow them. Bananas must
be given with caution. They disagree
with many children. Try slice one
Gay, and If no i'll effects follow two the
next, proceeding slowly Until certain it
can be well borne.
Stewed fruit can be given at supper
and is much relished by most children.
Apples, pears and peaches cooked in
this way are valuable addition to the
diet list and most any of the fresh
fruits can be similarly treated
In winter preserved apples, apricots,
etc, are nearly as lice as the fresh
fruit and bear little resemblance to the
leather-Iike dried prepa-
rations. They must be soaked over
night before cooking and boiled until
perfectly tender.
Prunes with the stonss removed are
a favorite dish in many nurseries.