Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1916-12-13
NOON MEAL
FOR CHILDREN
Suggestions for Adapting the Ordi-
nary Family Dinner to Needs
of School Children.

needs, according to Farmers Bulle-
tin 712, School Lunches. The usual
first course of meat and vegetables
contains nothing, except the meat,
which can not be given even to the
youngest children. The vegetables,
provided they are carefully prepared
by simple methods, are specially
needed and can often be made at
tractive to children by being served
with little meet gravy. AS sub
stitutefor the meat itself, milk can be
provided in the case Of the younger
children. These articles, with the
bread and butter, provide most of
the food needed.
The dessert course is suitable for
children as we'll as for grown people,
unless it consists Of rich pastries or
buildings. The latter are not consid-
cred wholesome for children, if for
no other reason than that they are
likely to lead to overeating. Such
desserts as fruit, fresh or cooked,
with cake; cereals with milk, or
cream, and sugar; custards and GUS
tard puddings; gelatin dishes; simple
ice cream; water ices; and other sim
pie desserts may be given.
Whether or not the family meal is
healthful for children depends not
only on the food materials selected
but also on the way in which they
are cooked. Simple methods are to
be preferred from the standpoint Of
health as we'll as from that Of the
housekeeper's time. All dishes that
are likely to contain overheated and
scorched fats, such as foods careless
ly fried in a pan in small amount
of fat, should be avoided Deep-fat-
frying is open to fewer objections,
since, if properly done, foods will ab
sorb little fat and the fat will not
scorch. Vegetables cooked in water
or in their own juices and seasoned
with salt and little butter or cream
are easier to prepare than those that
are served with white sauce, scallop-
ed, or cooked in other elaborate
ways. s.......
What is said above applies equally
to all meals. There is, however, one
special precaution that applies to the
noon meal when it is hurried. This
refers to tough, hard foods that are
likely to escape proper mastication.
1t is a mistake to think that the
foods given to children must always
be soft or finely divided, for child
ren's teeth need exercise quite as
much as their muscles do. When
time for eating is limited, however,
it is well to omit foods that are diff
cult to chew, and in extreme cases it
may be necessary to serve only soft
or finely divided foods sandwiches
made from crustless bread with fine
ly chopped filings, for example. Be-
fore resorting to this, however, it is
we'll to make sure that the time for
eating and for insistence on good
table manners is not unnecessarily
cut short. The advantage of putting
the meal on the table promptly and
of having foods served in individual
portions, or at least ready to eat
when they are brought to the table,
should be kept in mind. To have the
meat already sliced and the dessert
in cups instead Of in one large dish
from which Individual portions must
be served, and to follow the same
general plan with other foods, may
change a hurried meal into one at
which there is plenty of time for at
tention to details essential to health
and good manners.
If special lunches, different from
those prepared for the family in gem
seral, are to be given to school child
ren, the following are suggested as
bills Of fare. They are only typical
and many others might be given
which might be just as good. a.
Suggested Bills of Fare for the
Home Lunch.
1. Eggs, boiled, coddled, poached,
or scrambled; bread and butter; spin
ZACH or other greens; cake.
2. Beef stew with vegetables;
milk; crisp, thin tea biscuits; honey.
8. Dried bean or pea PURGE; toast;
baked apple; cookies.
4. Vegetable-milk soup; zwieback;
rice with maple sugar and butter or
with milk or cream.
5. Potato chowder; crackers; jelly
sandwiches.
s. Cold meat; creamed potatoes;
peas; bread and butter; frozen Gus
tard or plain ice cream and plain
cake.
z. Lamb chop; baked potatoes;
bread and butter; sliced mixed
fruits; cookies.
8. Baked omelet with spinach
kale, or other green's; bread and but
ter; apple sauce; cake.
3. Milk toast; string beans; stew.
ed fruit; cake.
10. Boiled potatoes; Goldfish gravy;
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