The Washington bee., 1907-10-26
FOR CHILDREN TO EAT.
The Proper Diet for Little Folks At
tending School.
BY Katherine {. Magee.

Copyright, le05, The DeIineator. New York.
To the child in school, breakfast is
a meal that is of the utmost import
ance, especially when there is to be
/ nothing but a light lunch to help in
tiding over the working hours of the
day. In spite of this fact there are
many homes in which little thought
is given to the first meal. The mother
may have no appetite for breakfast.
The other adult members of the fam
lily may feel just as she does about it,
so, If it should chance that the chill
dren are hungry, they are given just
enough to stay the cravings of the ap-
petite, and are sent to school entirely
unprovided with grist to keep the
physical and mental mills going.
The dullness that is shown by many
children in this country is not so
much actual dullness as it is lack Of
proper fuel, and the pathetic nervous
breakdOwns that are so common
among sehool-children may in many
instances be traced to the scanty or
badly prepared breakfasts with which
they have been accustomed to begin
the day
In arranging a dietary for a child
the mother should try to make some
effort TO discriminate between the
foods that are merely filling and those
that are nourishing. For example, it is
not at all impossible that a child
might eat so much as to be really un-
comfortable, and yet actually be
starved, for it is only the nourishing
food, the food that is properly assim-
Hated, that supplies the great force
that is required to keep both the body
and the mind growing.
Difficult as it is to prescribe a gen
eral dietary for children, it is still safe
TO say that a schOOl-chiId's breakfast
should comprise some such articles as
the following: There should be some
fresh, seasOnabIe and not over-ripe
fruit; a thoroughly cooked cereal,
which should be served with unskim-
med milk, OF. better yet, with pure,
fresh cream; eggs prepared in some
easily digestible fOrm-neveT fried; a
broiled lamb chop or a piece of tender
steak, with toasted bread or whole
wheat mullins, and plenty of good, |
sweet milk. If the child does not like
milk, a cup Of cocoa will be found |,
agreeable and nOurishing as we'll as
mildly stimulating.
If the child goes to school so far
from home that 3 basket lunch Is nee
essary, no less care should be taken |
In preparing this masIeshift for a
meal 1t should be put up daintiIy, the |
various kinds Of food being neatly |
in oiled paper To send a |
child to school with lunch composed |
Of amy old thing" arranged in a hap |
hazard manner is to invite all kinds of !
Ills to take possession of the little |
stomach
The first thing, of course, is to be
sure that the lunch box or basket is
absolutely clean. Then cut several
pieces OF oiled paper. In one you may
put a number of small sandwiches.
Thinly sliced whole wheat bread with /
some sensible filing makes the best
sandwiches, but there should be
enough of them to assuage the crav-
ngs of hunger. In another packet |
place some tasty sweet. Avoid pie as
siduOusly, but any cake that is not
90 rich, and that has only q plain
cling, will answer the purpose nicely.
Fruit, too, should be added. with some
,risp cookies, or ginger waters, but do
lot be tempted to insert any candy,
lnless you chance to have a supply
If absolutely pure maple sugar