Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-12-16
Government Bureau Prepares
Set of Charts That Make
Subject Clear.
GIVES COST and FOOD VALUE
TabuIations Are Planned to Show
unchanging Factors on Which
Wise Food Selection Must Be
Based-Shows Amount
Food Needed.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture)
Washington. The principles OF
scientific food selection for the aver
age family have been reduced to easily
applied terms in a series of six charts
designed for popular use by teachers
and lecturers. The charts, prepared
by the office of home economics,
United States department of agricul-
ture, are so arranged that the value
In calories of any meal containing
any of the several foods listed and
the cost can be easily calculated.
In general, the tabulations are
planned to show unchanging factors
on which wise food selection must be
based-food requirements and food
composition-and to provide spaces
for the changing factors-prices.
With one or two exceptions the foods
listed are those for which the depart
ment Of labor quotes prices In It's
monthly reports.
These charts can be easily repro
duced In either temporary or perma-
nent form. For the former use they
can be copied on a schoolroom black
board. If they are desired for more
permanent use it is suggested that
they be made on blackboard ciotn.
In this form they can be rolled COM
pactly. The charts were used by
department Of agriculture speaker to
illustrate lectures at the recent ma
tional dairy show In Chicago.
Shove Food Needed.
The first chart shows In 1OOcalorie
portions the amount of food needed
daily by the average family and also
the proportions Of the wholesome
diet: that is, the desirable relative
amounts of the following five classes
of foods: /. vegetables and fruits; =
milk. meat, eggs, and similar foods
3. cereal foods; 4, sweets; and ., rats
Charts like this can be made more
generally useful IL the words aver
age family Gather, mother and three
young children)" and also the num-
Der of 1OO-calorie portions are omitted
The. speaker can then fill In these
spaces and apply the chart to the
needs Of any individual or family
to a man at moderately active mus
cular work, for example, or to fam
| ily of two average adults. MOS
teachers have the necessary data fol
| this. They should remember, however
| that these charts are designed te
| show the amount Of food that shoult
he purchased rather than the amount
to be eaten. The amounts inserted
should therefore make provision fol
| all the losses that take place In TIT
course of storing the food and OF pre-
pairing 1t for the table. An allowance
| of 10 per cent for this Is customary
For the Working Man.
For Illustration, 1t Is general!
agreed that q man who does moder
ately active muscular work need
about 80 1OO-calorie portions daily
If he is to receive this amount 1t will
be necessary to provide at least 3
100 calorie portions unless extraor
binary care is taken to prevent waste
With the proportions of a WHOLESOME
and attractive diet given on the char
II is a simple matter to estimate tn
number Of 1OO-calorie portions neede'
of the various kinds Of food. In tn
case of this man the distribution
would be about as follows: Fror
vegetables and fruits, z; from meal
milk, eggs, ETC., s; from cereal food:
10; from sweets, 3; and from fats,
If the food for the average famil
costs on the average l cent per ion
calorie portion, the total expense fo
the day will, of course, be $1.20, e,
elusive of tea, coffee, spice, etc.
it costs, on the average LIS cents pc
1O0-calorie portion, the expense pc
day will be $3.50. If an effort is
be made to keep the expense down
$3.50. per day, for example, and
some foods cost or cents per ion
calorie portion, others must be col
siderably cheaper.
How to Compare Prices.
The other FIVE charts, one for eac
group of foods, show how food mat
rails that have somewhat the sam