Oxford Democrat., 1921-12-06
Rnl Him with Energy diving Rood,
IT rs NORMAL FOR A GROWING BOY 10
EAT HEARTILY.

The average boy between II and 20 10
apt suddenly to develop extraordinary
predatory habits toward the pantry and
ice box, even when his mother fondly
believes she has provided him With good
filling meals, Q properly balanced diet,
| and . few luxuries besides. It becomes
difficult TO keep box Of crackers or
raisins or any easily pocketsd fruits on
hand-cake, doughnuts, or even plain
bread. Rare is the home where the boy
In bis early teens does not come in from
school clamoripg for food, no matter
how many sand wiches and cookies we're
tucked In his lunch box. Almost any
leftover In the Ice box, from cold beans
to pie, 10 liable to disappear at this hour.
GIVE hin AN AFTER-sCHooL LUNCH.
The wise mother 10 not unduly alarmed
BY these manifestations. Instead Of
worrying for fear her boy 10 becoming .
hopeless thief, she sets eut for him an
extra after.soho0l lunch OF milk and per
haps buns, cookies, doughnuts, pie, or
fruit. She will then expend her mental
energy in careful examination OF the
calorie-content of the food he actually
eats to see that it 10 adequate to bis
needs st this important growing period.
It has been found by studying the
foods served to boys In school whore
considerable stress is laid on physical
development that . boy between IL and
20 may eat even more than bis father, II
the latter does only moderately active
work. The boy uses tremendous
amount Of energy, and at the same time
10 often growing faster each year than O.
any other period since babyhood. Three
and . half inches annual increase In
height 10 not unusual at this age.
CEREAL FOODS SATISFY.
The United States Department Of
Agriculture has worked ont simple
tables showing how many pounds Of
ordinary foods give the necessary oalo-
ries per week, and how many hundred.
calorie portions are contained In o pound
or other measure by which foods are
bought. Galleries are the units by which
energy, or the power to do work, is
measured.
The average person over IL years OF
age requires q hundred-oalorie portions
Of food day, or about 100 q week. This
IL true of q man or boy using little mus.
culsr energy in work or play, or of .
woman or girl who uses good deal. A
very active man or boy may need a.
much ,,as 40 hundred -calorie portions .
day, or 2S0 week. These must be dis
tributed among the five food groups, 20
that fruits and vegetables furnish about
one-ffth, proteln-rIch food another Hfth ;
fats and fat foods q fifth; cereal foods,
such 40 bread, and foods made OF -four,
rice, corn meal and other cereals, three
teDths; sweets, one-tenth.
The cereal group furnishes the largest
amount and also ono Of the cheapest and
easiest sources from which to provide
food that satisfies the natural boys in
satiable hunger; but the mother should
take unusual pains to include sufficient.
ly high proportion from the fruit and
vegetable group and also plenty of milk.
In the family of moderate means the
problem often is to provide quantity of
good inexpensive satisfying material
from each group, rather than articles
calling for high-priced ingredients or
delicate cookery. Most boys prefer
doughnuts to pound cake; dumplings
and lots Of gravy please better than
small portions OF expensive meat cuts.
Milk In large quantities helps body
building and growth by the protein,
lime, and vitaminss that 10 supplies;
while succulent vegetables, salads, toma-
toes, oranges, and other fruits furnish
the indispensable vitamines as we'll 40
bulk. Active boys crave and require
plenty of butter, bacon or other sources
Of fat. They are also notoriously greedy
with sweet things, like jam, honey, can.
dy and sweet desserts, and there is no
harm 10 these sugar foods II they are
served at the right time and providing
all Of them together do not furnish more
than 10 per cent of the energy of the
total food used, as indicated above.