The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-03
Feeding the Child of Four.

During the fourth year milk still re-
mains an important part of the child's
food, but much of it may now be given in
the form of bread and milk, milk soups,
or milk buildings, or it may be poured
over the cereal. Some children object to
drinking milk, and in such cases it is
wise to offer it under some such disguise.
| The cereal need no longer be strained,
but must be very thoroughly cooked.
| Baked pota toes, with little butter,
are staple food at this period. Bread
and butter or toast and butter and plenty
OF hard erusts of zwieback are impor-
| tant. Eggs or meat, such as roasted,
boiled or broiled beef, mutton, chicken
or fish, should be given at least once a
day.
The child of four will probably thrive
on three or four meals a day, the heav-
lest being taken in the middle OF the
day II he appears to be hungry, light
lunch such as milk, may be given in the
interval between breakfast and dinner or
between dinner and supper, but no nib
bling should be permitted between meals.
child should be taught to come to the
table with that vigorous appetite for his
assimilation, SAYS the Irish World
Food should be carefully prepared to
fit it to a child's powers and should be
served in an appetizing fashion AT proper
intervals. Young children should not be
offered tastes" OF the family meals, as
this habit tends to destroy the appetite
for the simple, rather restricted diet
adapted to their need.
Children should have an abundance of
pure cool drinking water. This is espe
cially important in summer when they
are perspiring freely. If there is any
doubt about the purity of the water it
should be filtered or boiled, or both.
Since it is always difficult for children |
to chew their food properly it should be
finely minced, mashed or softened for |
them throughout these early years.
Never under any circumstances should |
children be given coffee, tea or strong |
cocoa. They should have no highly sea
soned or spiced foods, rich pastries, raw
onions, corn or cabbage. Ba
nanas and all partly ripened fruit are
apt to make trouble.
IT children are inclined to be consti-
pated they should have plenty of Taxa
tive foods. These are cereals, particular.
" oatmeal; the coarser breads, such as
graham and whole wheat; fruit or fruit
Juice particularly oranges and prunes
and vegetables like string beans, aspars
gus and spinach.
Many children suffer from malnutri
ton, that is, they fail to secure the food
they need for development and
growth, and consequently they are under
sized, pale, often slow and listless and
10 not show the eager, alert habits of
healthy children. Nlalnutrition may be
iue TO lack of sufficient food of any kind,
10 improper food, bad cooking, or to
,ome fault of digestion, or to illness
which makes it, impossible for the child
to utilize the food he eats.
II is wise precaution, therefore, If |
hildren are out of sorts, have decayed
eeth, bad breath, or seem tired and dis
Inclined to play, to have them examined
w good doctor and TO take all the
rouble necessary to get them into sound
ating habits. The neglect of these early
ymptoms may mean lifetime of only
'artial health and efficiency.
Dorothy Dexter.