The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-09-25
Government Bureau Prepares
Set of Charts That Make
Subject Clear.
GIVES COST and FOOD VALUE
TabuIations Are Planned to Show
Unchangine Factors on Which
Wise Food Selection Must Be
Based-Shows Amount
Food Needed.

prepared by the United States Depart.
ment of AgricultureJ
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 fluctuations are
planned TO show unchanging factors
on which wise food selection must be
based-foOd requirements and food
composition-and 10 provide spaces
for the changing factors-prices.
With ole or two exceptions the foods
listed are those for which the depart
ment of labor quotes prices In its
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. II they are desired for more
permanent use it is suggested that
they be made on blackboard cloth.
In this form they can be rolled COM
pcctly. The charts were used by a
department Of agriculture speaker 10
illustrate lectures at the recent ma
tional dairy show in Chicago.
Shows Food Needed.
The first chart shows in 1O0-calOrie
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 8. fats.
Charts like this can be made more
generally useful if 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 man at moderately active mus
cular work. for example. or to a fam
lily of two average adults. Most
teachers have the necessary data for
this. They should remember, however,
that these charts are designed TO
show the amount of food that should
be purchased rather than the amount
to- be eaten. The amounts inserted
should therefore make provision for
all the losses that take place in the
course of storing the food and of pre-
pairing II for the table. An allowance
For the Working Man.
For illustration, it is generally
agreed that man who does moder-
ately active muscular work needs
about 80 10O-calOrie portions daily.
II he is TO receive this amount il will
be necessary 10 provide at least 80
1OO-Calorie portions unless extraOr-
binary care is taken 10 prevent waste.
With the proportions of a wholesome
and attractive diet given on the chart
IL is a simple matter To estimate the
number Of lOO-calorie portions needed
of the various kinds of food. In the
case of this man the distribution
would be about as follows: From
vegetables and fruits. :; from meat.
milk, eggs, etc. 5: from cereal foods.
10: from sweets. ,; and from fats. ;.
If the food for the average family
cos,s on the average ! cent per 100
calorie portion. the total expense for
the day will. of course. be Sl.20. eX-
elusive of tea. coffee. spice, etc. If
II costs, on the average L. cents per
loo-calorie portion, the expense per
day will b. $50. If an effort is to
be made 10 keep the expense down 10
$50 per day, for example. and if
some foods cos. ! or : cents per 100
calor.o portion. others must be CON
sidcrahly cheaper.
How to Compare Prices.
The other five charts. one for each
group of foods. show how food mate
rails that have somewhat the same