Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-09-06

COLUMN, Oxford Democrat, south far1ss me.
What to Put In the Lunch Box.
As school time approaches, the busy
mother again faces the problem OF what
to put in the children's lunch boxes.
And she cannot give it too much OF her
thought, because the health of her
children depends largely on what that
lunch box contains every noon OF the
winter months.
There is nothing which becomes so
tiresome to the child as eating day after
day, cold and attempting slices Of bread
spread with the same kind of meat. Ii
possible the child should have q warm
bowl of soup, or cup of cocoa to eat with
his lunch. Fortunately, many schools
in large cities are keeping lunch rooms
for this purpose, where warm and hot
drinks and soup can be bad for a few
cents. But the mother, by little intelli-
gent thought and care can vary the con-
tents of the box so that 1t is appetizing
and also that it may give the greatest
nourishment to the child.
First come the sand witches. While
cold sliced meat is good, other things
are even more tasty The end pieces of
a boiled ham, run through the chopper,
with a dash of mustard ia more tasty
than the slice of ham unchopped. Nut
meats, cheese and hard boiled egg all
taste better if run through the chopper
and they spread much more easily.
Dried Clipped beef, little canned sal
mon, sardines or potted tongue all make
n nd nnnd ffllipua
Peanut butter also makes delicious
sandwiches; and cream or Neuchatel
cheese can be spread between slices of
brown bread and both are tasty and
nourishing. A homemade veal or beef
loaf cut in slices with or without bread
is another addition to the basket.
1t is we'll to keep simple oil mayon-
naise or boiled dressing on hand to mix
with the filings, as they spread better,
and the oil of the dressing is especially
good for the growing child.
Have a small glass jar with tight
cover that will fit nicely into the box.
1t can hold any kind of "sauce'-apple,
stewed prunes, a whole baked apple or
other stewed fruit.
Nuts are excellent for the nourishment
they give. A child can pick out the
meats some afternoon and few Of these
nut meats tucked into one corner of the
basket are always enjoyed by the child.
Dates are especially fine and few OF
these can be put in the basket after
being thoroughly washed and dried. A
large good quality of prunes, uncooked,
can be rolled in sugar, and make tasty
and wholesome adjunct.
In making sandwiches, thin slices OF
bread should be used, and changes from
white to brown or graham Tea biscuits
opened and spread with marmalade or
jam are nice.
Cake-what child does not love it?-
can be wrapped in oiled paper and kept
from MASKING. Cookies or small cakes
or waters are also nice.
Besides the stewed fruits put in the
glass jar, fresh fruit can be used, and
the favorites are apples, oranges and
bananas.
If mothers let their children eat pie at
home, a slice may be put in the lunch
box, but pastry is not overhealthful,
especially cold.
Pack each thing, the sandwiches, cake,
nut meats, and 80 forth, separately in
oiled paper. Possibly many have not
noticed, but oiled paper comes in all the
package cracker boxes and with other
goods, and can be saved. Or fifty
sheets come very cheap. Paper napkins
are only few cents hundred and can
be thrown away when used, while a
linen napkin becomes musty, and is
never fresh a secOhd time.
When the lunch box comes home it
should be washed thoroughly and that
every day. Many do not think this
necessary, or possibly do not think about
it at all, and, as result, the child car
ries musty lunch box-for many con.
slider a weekly washing sufficient.
An aluminium folding drinking cup is
something every child should have. We
know the dangers Of The common drink
ing cup, and in school too many cases OF
disease have been traced tn this cause.
A pretty one comes for forty or fifty
cents, and most children take pride in
having their own cup.
II mothers would only think how
tired they themselves would get of the
same kind of food every noon, they
would take little more pains with the
filling of the lunch box.