The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-04
Estimate Food
-. Supply Weekly
New Bulletin Shows How te
Adapt Food Needs Of Ideal
Family to Any Household
and How to Buy Eco
nomically


IiouSekeeperS often feel the need
of some simple plan by which the
foods used in their families can be
compared in kind and in amount
with those really needed. This calls
for 4 standard or model tha. may
be used as guide in the selec-
ton OF foods for any family at any
season Of the year and under
any market conditions.
Tho United States Department Of
Agriculture has just issued new
Farmers bulletin. No. 1928, pre-
pared by Caroline l.. Hun,. The
subject of the bulletin is ~ Week s
Food for an Average Family" 1t
shows how all food materials are
claSSed under FIVE heads or groups.
and how an foods. with the eXcep-
ton OF the milk for young children,
may be replaced by some other
food or foods within the same
group. The text gives suggestions
for such institutions. and a meth
oC for comparing the cost of similar
foods. 1t shows also how TO adapt
the allowances given in the sample
fod supply SO as to meet the needs
Of families larger Or smaller than
the average. The bulletin contains
and menus 1t may be obtained
upon application TO the United
States Department of Agriculture.
An important point emphasized
in tho bulletin is that L balanced
food supply in the course OF a week
ialsures a balanced diet, whether or
not the balance is carried out in
each separate meal. The five food
groups have been more generally
understood Of late years. Many
housekeepers have felt, however,
that it was necessary to serve at
least one food from each group at
every meal, in order TO supply a
proper balance. II the weekly food
supply is satisfactorily distributed
the exact makeup Of the separate
meals is not important. a break
fast Of toast and coffee (for an ad-
uL) is entirely acceptable if foods
from other groups are used later
III the day.
As rule the diet Will be suffi-
cienrly bulky and favoraful and
viii furnish the right proportions
Of starch, fat, and sugar ii the
vegetables and fruits furnish about
20 per cent. Of the fuel; the milk,
meat, eggs, and similar protein
rich foods, 20 per cent; the cereal
foods. including bread. &c per
cent: sweets, 10 per cent: fats and
fat foods, 20 per cent. A dict
made up on these proportions Will
also furnish Satisfactory kinds and
amounts of protein, mineral sub
stance. and vitamines. Tables Of
sample supplies are given in the
bulletin. also weeks menus made
from these supplies.
One feature Of the bulletin which
many hcusekeepers Will welcome is
ia table of common foods in which
the number Of hundred-caloric por-
tons in an ordinary unit Of weight
is clearly shown for foods in each
group. Thus, ordinary cheese pro
vides 10 hundred-calorie portions
per pound. while average beef pro-
vides 10 hundred-calorie portions
per pound. When cheese sells for
SO cents q pound it costs 2 cents
per hundred-calorie portion, and
beef of average composition would
have to sell for 20 cents a pound to
be equally cheap as a source Of
energy.
The mythical average" family is
supposed 10 consist of father and
mother. both doing moderately ac-
tive muscular work. and three chill
dren whose ages total from 20 to
24 years. Four average adults
is considered an equivalent. The
new bulletin shows how TO adapt
average food requirements to any
family by means Of Il table giving
the number Of hundred-calorie por-
tions needed by different individ
uals in day OF a week. II is in
teresting to note in this connection
that an active boy over y may re-
Quire as much or even more ener-
gy-food than grown man.
With the knowledge given Of the
amount Of food from each group
needed for the ideal OF average
family. and q correct estimate OF
the ratio OF ones own family TO the
average in calorie-requirements, il
is easy TO calculate the correct pur-
chases for a weeks supply.
\ household food account book
is suggested and described with the
thought that such an account will
help in reducing the expenditures
for food by indicating the groups
in which cheaper materials could
be substituted without deteriment.
Royal Flush Kills Man