Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-10
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Practical Lunches
for School
Children
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What shall school children De given
70 eat al noon in the lunch basket. Al
the home lunch table. or in the lunch
room operated by the school author
.ties' To help answer this question
"Alcn almost every mother ana many
Of the educational authorities are ask
ing constantly, the L. s. Department
vt agriculture, through the otACe ri
Home Economies. has just issued
farmers Bulletin No. 7l2. school
Lunches" This bulletin was prepared
by Miss Caroline L. Hunt ana Miss
Mabel Ward, under the direction o!
ar. {. T. Lansworthy OF the States IL
lations Service. The bulletin, after
discussing the general principles e.
feeding school children to provide for
activity and develop them into sturI,
manhood and womanhood. gives .
number OF simple and appetizinS men
US for the school lunch basket and
bills Of fare and recipes for preparing
Inexpensive and nourishing MONDAY
meals or hot dishes for children, eltH-
tr at home. on school stove, or in
ue domestic science kitchen.
In feeding a child or anyone else,
the authors OF the bulletin point out.
1t is not wise to think OF any one neal
apart from the other two. Ii is sci.
dom convenient 10 provide az one meal
III The materials needed by 4 srOwius
body, and those which are omitted
from one meal should be supplied BY
one Of the other meals The noon
meal for children, however, where
food must be prepared at home in the
morning 10 be eaten elsewhere at noon
or where the children must hurry
home, eat quickly, and then rush back
20 school. offers special difficulties
ana deserves the careful attention OF
PARENTS.
Before il is possible to plan a "a
tional basket or other luncheon for
children, il is necessary for the moth
,r to understand the general essen
tals Of diet for young people. These
essentials in general are an abundance
of simple foods, carefully prepared,
and OF sufficient variety to provide
energy. repair wastes. provide ele-
ments for building bone and tissue,
and stimulate growth. To do this most
effectively the three meals each dag
must supply the child with sufficient
food from each Of the following
classes;
l. Cereal or starchy foods Cereals,
eaten principally as bread, supply
nearly half Of the protein commonly
thought OF as tissue building mater
ial) and nearly two thirds OF the fuel
or energy In the American diet. The
quality o; the bread, therefore, Is ex-
tremely important. It's crust should
be crisp and deep Indicating thor
ough baking but not hard or burned.
II should be light and free from any
suggestion Of sourness or rancidity.
The crumb should be elastic and yet
capable OF being easily broken UP in
tAe mouth without forming a sticky
l1ass, or being 100 dry to taste good.
These qualities can be secured in rolls
and biscuit as we'll as in ordinary
bread, provided they are cooked thor.
oughly. The objection 10 hot bread Ii
due to the fact that undercooking may
leave it soggy on the inside, rather
than because such breads are eaten
hot. The childs appetite for bread
may be stimulated by using different
kinds OF bread, zweiback and crackers,
" the addition Of raisins, currants,
Ol nut meats, and sometimes by cut
ting the slices into fancy shapes.
Cereal mushes and ready TO eat
breakfast foods supply nearly the
same nutrients as bread, a half cupful
OF cooked cereal being about eQuiva-
lent to good sized slice of bread A
tablespoonful OF cream Is about equiv
alent in fact 10 liberal spreading OF
butter
9 Protein.rich fOods-Wh.le bread
and cereals come near to fulfilling
enc Of the important requirements OF
tiet--a correct proportion Of nutri'
ents providing fuel only and those use
full for body bullding-othe foods
in lar
portion as compared with fuel should
not be neglected. These foods include
milk, meat Except the very fattesD 1,
fish fish, poultry eggs, cheese. dried
beans. cowpeas. peas, peanuts, ana
almonds, walnuts and other nuts. Nuts
o. course also contain considerable
fat. Milk is an absolute essential. not
only because it contains large num-
Der OF nourishing substances In forms
easily aasimlated, but also because,
IN some way not now fully understood,
milk seems to promote growth anu
help the body Of child make good
Use OF other foods Milk is rich III
most kinds OF mineral matter, parti :
ularly lime useful in development OF
bone and tissue
Milk should never be omitted Who'll
" from the diet OF child. II not used
at luncheon it should appear at other
meals For luncheon however, II has
been found that such dishes as milk
toast. milk SOUPS made with yegeta