The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-17
Caroline L Hunts Hints
Are Issued by Depart
i ment of Agriculture.
AT LEAST ONE QUART
ADAY RECOMMENDED
Sugar Desirable Part of Diet
Provided It Is Eaten
In Simple Form.

and practical directions for the prepa-
ration of foods for children between
three and six years of age are contain
ed in Farmers Bulletin III, Food
for Young Children just issued by
the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The bulletin, which was written by
Caroline L. Hunt under the direction
of DR.. C. F. Langworthy, Chief of
the Office of Home Economics, is easy
to understand and should be helpful
to mothers who are trying so to care
for their children that they will grow
up into stalwart and efficient men and
women.
The author has carefully avoided
the use of all technical dietary terms
or systems of grouping and has so
classified foods that any mother can
meet the following definition of a sat
isfcatory diet for a little child:
ga little child to years of age
who is carefully fed in accordance
with his bodily needs Gas these are
now understood) receives every day
at least one food from each of the
following groupsi
1. Milk and dishes made chiefly
of milk (nost important of the group
as regards chi1dren's diet) meat, fish,
poultry, eggs, and meat substitutes.
2. Bread and other cereal foods.
8. Butter and other wholesome
fats.
4. Vegetables and fruits.
5. Simple sweets"
The relation of food to the condi-
ton of the bowels is also an impor-
tant matter. Grains, particularly
those containing the outer or brannW
layers or coats, are laxative; so, too
are such mildly acid fruits as apples,
oranges, and grape fruit. So far,
therefore, the important matter
of preventing constipation is concern
ed, coarse grains and mildly acid
fruits serve the same purpose. When
fruits are to be obtained in album
dance, the kind of cereal served is
not of great Importance. When
they are not, the coarser cereals
should be used.
a Quart of Milk Day.
The basis of a child's diet should
be clean whole nailk-at least a quart
a day. Such milk, in addition to wa
ter contains about half a cupfu1 of
terfat, milk sugar, lime, and other
materials needed by the child to make
muscle, bones, and teeth. In addi-
ton milk contains a substance
thought to promote growth by help
ing the body make good use of other
foods. Where good whole milk is
not obtainab1e, clean, fresh skim milk
supplies these substances with the ex-
ception of the butterfat, and is, of
course, preferable to dirty or ques-
tionab1e whole milk. Milk, however,
contains very little iron and therefore
spinach and other green vegetables
and egg yo1ks, which are rich in iron.
combine we'll with milk.
The child should drink the milk
with the chill taken off, should
consume his full quart a day with
cereals and in milk toast, cocoa, milk
soups and stews, in cereal buildings,
egg-and-miIk buildings, custards, jun
rat mr. eli ms
stews may be made with vegetables
or fish, or to vary the diet these
things can be combined with cream
sauce and served on milk toast. The
bulletin therefore gives a large num-
her of recipes for the prepar .tiOn of
various milk dishes which will help
children consume the requisi e amount
Of milk without growing til Cd of this
valuable food Those for milk soups |
will be found particularly useful, as
they, give the mother easy means |
means of preparing many vegetables
which are essentials in the child's |
diet.
Bread and Cereals
Well baked bread and thoroughly
cooked breakfast cereals are both |
good for children and with milk
should make up a large part of the
diet. Bread and cereal mushes are
to a certain extent interchangeable |
meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. An
ordinary slice of bread is equal in food |
value to about half cupful of boiled |
or steamed cereal and about a cupful |
of faxed or puffed cereal. Different |
kinds of bread may be used for va |
riety.
The yeast-raised bread given to
young children should be at least a |
day old or should be toasted or twice |
baked. Hot breads are likely to be
swallowed in large pieces and are
which are almost all crust, like thin
tea biscuits or crisp rolls, are best
of the hot varieties.
Meat, Fish and Eggs.
Under the heading Meat, Fish, !
Poultry, Eggs, and Meat Substitutes" /
the author states: I'm some fami- !
lies children do not get enough meat /
and eggs; in others they get too much.
A good general rule commonly fol- |
lowed is to give child years old or |
over an egg every other day and |
about the same amount G. ounces) of /
meat, fish, or poultry on the inter- /
vening days. Where meat is omitted
care must be taken to see that other
suitable foods take its place-prefer- |
ably extra amount of milk and
eggs
Fried meats should not be given to !
a child, because they are likely to be |
overlooked and tough and also because /
the fat may be scorched and thus
changed in composition. Scorched |
fat is almost certain to be hurtful to
children.
Meat is best given as broiIed chop
meat or in simple meat stews COM
bined with vegetables. Poultry NAV