The Republican journal., 1917-05-03
How To Select Foods.

How the Housekeeper Can Provide X; tior
That Will Give the Best Returns for the
Money Spent
Adults and children must get severa
different substances from the food they
eat or they will miss some thing which i:
essential to bodily efficiency and health,
according to the nutrition specialists of
the United States Department of Agri-
culture. The housewife, therefore, who
plans her meals or attempts to save
money on food without some kno Uledg e
of these substances and of the five simple
groups of foods which supply them is
very liable to omit from her meals some
food essentia for the growth of children
or necessary to supply the family with
the energy they need for their daily tasks
Attempted economy which entirely omts
certain foods may we'll prove a very poor
investment because of its ultimate effect
on the we'll being of the household
Price, individual preference for certain
foods, and even the fact that hunger is
satisfied after a meal, are not safe guides
Tomatoes at ten cents apiece in winter
are no more nutritious than they are at
five cents a quart in summer. A child
might crave much more sugar than would
be good for him. A bulky diet of pota-
toes or bananas might make a person
feel he had eaten enough, but would not
furnish him with the elements that his
body needs;
~ 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
calories or to have any intimate under
standing 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 re-
Gently issued Farmers Bulletin 90S, pub
lished by the Office of Home Economics,
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. The purpose of the bulletin, which
is the first of a series of simple pamph-
let's dealing with the economical use of
foods, is to enable the average house wife
to plan her meals effectively, even though
she has no special training in chemistry
or dietetic5.
IRE substances which the specialists
find are needed in the daily diet to main
tain the body may be grouped under
seven heads: Mineral substances, protein,
starches, sugars, fats, ceiIulose, and
certain Iittle-knoWn but very important
grow h-stlmulatlng substances.
Days Food Requirements.
That these essential substances are not
difficult for the average housewife TO pro-
vide is shown by the following combna-
tons which the specialists believe indicate
the daily food requirements of normal in
dividuals.
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 fourth pounds of bread
(having about the same food value as
pound of such cereal preparations as
wheat OF rye flour, oatmeal, corn meal,
rice, etc.
Two ounces, or IA cup. OF butter, oil,
meat drippings, or other fat. Two
ounces, or Ia cup, of sugar; or 1-3 cup
of honey, or strip, or an equivalent
amount of other sweet.
One and one fourth pounds of food
from the following: Fresh fruits and
fresh or root vegetables.
Twelve ounces of food from a class
with may be called "meats and meat
substitutes" that is, moderately fat
meats, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, dried
legumes Oceans, soy beans, peas, lentils,
cowpeas, and peanuts. Milk also be-
longs among these foods, but because of
the large amount of water it contains,
hall a glass, or 4 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 all day at his desk
would need less. The amounts given are
suitable for man who, like salesman
in store, walks abont 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 muscu-
lar work, and three children-say, be-
tween and IL years of age-would get
the food they require if supplied daily
with
Four and ne-half pounds of bread, hav
ing about the same food value as
pounds OF wheat or rye flour, oatmeal
corn meal, homiDy, or rice; or about 81
pounds of such cereals and or medium
sized potatoes.
Three-fourths cup of fat Gutter OF
butter with oil. heef drippings. or other
faD-a weekly allo vance of 2 l 2 to
pounds.
A little more than cup of sugar, or {
weekly allowance of 4 pounds; or ar
equivalent amount of some other sweet
such as / Ia cups OF sirup or honey day,
or ga pound of dried figs or raisins day
Four pounds in all of fresh fruits ane
fresh or root vegetables.
One of the two following, the choice
depending on the age of the children:
Three quarts of milk and pound Of
other foods taken from the meat anc
meat-substitute group.
Two quarts of milk and l IL pounds Of
other foods taken from the meat and
meat-substitute group.
cereals Used Freely.
In these combinations of food. it will be
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