The Irish standard., 1916-04-08
FOODS FOR CHILDREN
EXPERTS GIVE ADVICE ON CUES.
TloNs OF IMPORTANCE.
Directions for the Bodily Needs Of
the Small Members Of the House.
hold-Pure Milk the One Great
Thing to Be Desired.

OluplS U1llS VI ldIe, uclplul IcClpeS,
and practical directions for the prep.
aration of foods for children between
three and six years of age are con.
tanned in Farmers Bulletin I'll, Food
for Young Children" issued by the
United States Department Of Agricul-
ture.
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
satisfactory diet for little child:
"A little child three to six years of
age, who is carefully fed in accord
ance with his bodily needs (as these
are now understood) receives every
day at least one food from each of the
following groups:
1. Milk and dishes made chiefly of
milk (most important Of the group as
regards children's diet); meat, fish,
poultry, eggs, and meat substitutes.
2. Bread and other cereal foods.
3. Butter and other wholesome fats.
4. Vegetables and fuits.
s. Simple sweets
The relation of food to the condition
of the bowels is also an important
matter. Grains, particularly those con-
tanning the outer or branny layers or
coats, are laxative; so, too, are such
mildly acid fruits as apples, oranges
and grapefruit. So far, therefore, as
the important matter of preventing
constipation is concerned, coarse
grains and mildly acid fruits serve
the same purpose. When fruits are
to be obtained in abundance, the kind
of cereal served is not of great i'm
portance. When they are not, the
coarser cereals should be used.
The basis of a child's diet should
be clean, whole milk-at least quart
a day. Such milk, in addition to water
contains about half cupful of the
very best food substances butterfat,
milk, sugar, lime and other materials
needed by the child to make muscle,
bones, and teeth. In addition, milk
contains substance thought to pro-
mote growth by helping the body make
good use Of other foods. Where good
whole milk is not obtainable, clean,
fresh skim milk supplies these sub
stances with the exception Of the but
terfat, and is, of course, preferable to
dirty or questionable whole milk.
Milk, however, contains very little
iron and therefore spinach and other
green vegetables and egg yolks, which
are rich in iron, combine well with
milk.
The child should drink the milk with
the chill taken off, or should consume
his full quart q day with cereals and
in milk toast, cocoa, milk soups and
stews, in cereal buildings, egg-and-
milk buildings, custards, junkets, or
simple ice creams. Milk stews may
be made with vegetables or fish, or
to vary the diet these can be combined
with cream sauce and served on milk
toast. The bulletin therefore gives
large number of recipes for the prep.
aration Of various milk dishes which
will help children consume the re.
quisite amount of milk without grow
ing tired of this valuable food. Those
for milk soups will be found particu.
larly useful, as they give the mother
an easy means of preparing many veg.
etables which are essentials in the
child's diet.
Well-baked bread and thoroughly
cooked breakfast cereals are both
good for children, and with milk
should make up large part of the
diet. Bread and cereal mushes are,
to certain extent, Interchangeable,
but neither can take the place of milk,
meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. An
ordinary slice of bread is equal in food
value to about half a cupful of boiled
or steamed cereal and about Il cupful
of faxed or pulled 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
therefore not desirable. Hot breads
which are almost all crust, like thin
tea biscuits or crisp rolls, are best of
the hot varieties.
Under the heading Meat, Fish, Poul
try, Eggs and Meat Substitutes" the
author states: I'm some families chill
dren do not get enough meat and eggs;
In others they get too much. A good
general rule commonly followed is to
give child, two years old or over, an
egg every other day and about the
same amount 1.-TWO ounces) of meat,
fish, or poultry on the intervening
days. Where meat is omitted, care
must be taken to see that other suit.
able foods take its place-preferably
an extra amount Of milk and eggs"
Fried meats should not be given to
child, because they are likely to be
overlooked and tough and also be.
cause the fat may be scorched and
thus changed in composition. Scorched
fat is almost certain to be harmful to
children.
Meat is best given as broiled chop
meat or in simple meat stews com.
bined with vegetables. Poultry may
be boiled and served with rice. When
roasted, only the tender portions
should be fed. Highly-seasoned stufiing
or rich gravy should not be given to
Q young child.
Dried and other fish, and oysters.