The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-24
food Series No. ~

Adults and children must get several
different substances from the food they
eat or they will miss something which
is essential to bodily efficiency and
health, according to the nutrition spe-
cialists Of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture. The housewife,
therefore, who plans her meals or at
tempts to save money on food without
some knowledge of these substances
and of the five simple groups Of foods
which supply them Is very liable to
omit from her meals some food essen
tial for tho growth of children or
necessary to supply the family with the
energy they need for their daily tasks.
Attempted economy which entirely
omits certain foods may well prove
very poor investment because of its
ultimate effect on the well-beipg or
the household. Price, individual pref
erence for certain foods, and even the
fact that hunger is satisfied after
meaE are not safe guides Tomatoes at
ten cents apiece in winter are no more
nutritious than they are at Ave cents
a quart in summer. A child might crave
much more sugar than would be good
for him. A bulky diet Of potatoes or
bananas might make person feel he
had eaten enough, but would not FUR
nish him with the elements that his
body needs.
To plan out meals in the interest of
family efficiency and economy at the
same time, the housewife fortunately
does not need to do elaborate sums in
Galleries or to have any intimate I'M
derstar ding of such terms as. protein
and carbohydrates. All She needs to
do is to classify the food she uses INTO
five simple household groups laid down
in recently issued Farmers Bulletin
sos, published by the ONCE Of Home
Economics, United States department
Of agriculture. The purpose or the
bulletin, which is the first Of series
of simple pamphlets dealing with the
economical use of foods, is to enable
the average housewife to plan her
meals effectively, even though she has
no special training in chemistry or
dietetics. ... "a.
The substances which the specialists
find are needed in the daily diet to
maintain the body may be grouped I'M
der seven heads: Mineral substances
protein, starches, sugars, fats, cellnlose,
and certain little known but very i'm
portant growth stimulating substances.
A Days Food Requirements.
That these essential substances are
not diffcult for the average house
wife to provide is shown by the follow
ing combinations. which the specialists
believe indicate the daily food require
ments of normal individuals:
For Man..
A man who does fairly hard muscular
work would be likely to get the food
which his body needs If supplied daily
with such a combination of foods as
the following: .......,
one and one-quarter pounds of
bread (having about the same food
value as one pound Of such cereal prep
arations as wheat or rye -four, oatmeal,
corn meal, rice etc.
Two ounces, or one-quarter cup or
butter, oil, meat drippings or other rat.
Two ounces or one-Quarter cup, OF
sugar; or one-third cup OF honey or
syrup, or an equivalent amount of other
sweet. .r
one and quarter pounds Of food
from the following: Fresh fruits ana
fresh or root vegetables.
Twelve ounces of food from a class
which may be called meats and meat
substitutes" that is, moderately rat
meats. poultry, fish, eggs, cheese. drsed
legumes Oceans, soy beans. peas, len
tils, cowpeas and peanuts). Milk also
belongs among these foods. but be-
cause Of the large amount OF water
1t contains, half glass, or four ounces
of it would be required to equal an
ounce of any one Of the others.
A man who works hard out of doors
all day probably would need more food
than this, and one who sits an day
at his desk would need less. The
amounts given are suitable for n man
who, like salesman IN a store, walks
about more or less and does more or
less of such work as lifting.
For a Family of Five.
A family consisting of man and a
woman, who do moderately hard mus
cular work, and three children-say
between and IL years of age-would
get the food they require If supplied
daily with:
Four and one-half pounds OF bread,
having about the same food value as
three pounds of wheat or rye flour, oat-
meal. corn meal, hominy or rice: or
about two and three-quarter pounds
Of such cereals and five or six medium
sized potatoes.
Three-quarters cup Of fat (butter. or
butter with oil, beef drippings, or other
fat)--a weekly allowance of two and
one-half to three pounds.
A little more than one cup Of sugar,
or a weekly allowance OF four pounds;
or an equivalent amount of some other
sweet, such as one and one-fourth cups
Of syrup or honey a day, or three-Quar-