Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-25
Mrs. Wilson Tells Of
Somethi1gtor Supper
Any Woman Can Haze Well
Balanced Meals by Think.
ing Just a Little
BY MRS. M. A, WILSON

THIS question Is asked by many
L housewives in almost every tongue
and cline. What shall I have for
dinner tonight; and, she might add,
what for the breakfast and luncheon
Three meals day for 385 days in the
year, with an extra day every fourth
year.
From the Importance Of the correct
solution Of this problem will evolve the
physical welfare Of the entire family.
Therefore, II our ability to live. a
healthful and efficient life is at stake,
the planning and arranging the daily
food into menu that will provide suf-
fcient nutriment to keep us physically
At and satisfy the appetite is of vital
Importance. An important factor in
our daily lives, namely, the proper
foods to keep us fit, is indeed an item of
vital interest, and should be attended
to in no uncertain or haphazard man.
ner. An excuse that the housewife
does not or cannot just seem to realize
the correct and proper combinations is
hardly sufficient excuse for this failure.
Like other species of the animal
kingdom, we are largely the product Of
our food supply and our inherited ten
dencies. The adult who has weathered
his struggle through poor or inefficient
diet should realize that the young gen.
Grafton that 10 now coming along should
be better provided for and that the
proper foods for the vigorous growth
and development are BY inherited right
bis due. We should see that his choice
Of food u wisely guided and that this
food be well prepared before It u set
the human body u Ike . fns and we'll.
adjusted machine, fof II the machine is
closged and falls to supply the re.
quired energy, the smooth running Is
disturbed, the hill then becomes q
steep mountain, and the short distance
becomes miles.
Now, 1t is not possible for every
woman to become a nutrition expert,
but she can, II she but will, master a
few simple rules Of diet that will help
her to do good. practical work along
Danish the thought that anything
will do for . meal, make a definite de-
cision, and keep this thought in mind,
that you cannot possibly plan and work
out a satisfactory menu for the din
ner when you come home from the club
or matinee. The correct time to plan
have a regular weekly schedule, is right
after the breakfast. Keep clearly in
mind the needs Of the entire family.
Balanced diet really means that you
will supply to each member of the fam
lily the food best suned to their needs
and body requirements. II this person
is a child he will require all the sub.
stances needed to build bone, tissue,
muscle, nerve and blood to provide en-
ergy for the activities Of the day, as
well as to keep the body in good work
ing order.
A dietary that may contain ample
bone building material may lack the
needed elements to produce red cor
puscles. While the needs Of the mus
cles may be cared for, the nerves and
bone structure may remain hungry.
Again, all the tissues and bone struc-
ture may be well supplied with the nec-
essary food, yet lack the substances
found in certain foods that have the
ability to regulate such processes Of the
body that make for health, purifying
the blood stream and neutralizing the
harmful products made by the body dur
ing its activities.
This will give you the thought that
one food or small group of foods cannot
supply the needed elements for the
physical upkeep Of the body, and that
you will need to combine two and even
three varieties for the successful diet.
Foods that are. well adapted for
building body structure-Meats, eggs,
fish, milk, cheese. legumes, nuts,
cereals.
Foods that will supply energy-Ce-
reals.
Foods that are rich in sugar and
starches-Legumes.
Foods that are rich in fats-Pota.
toes.
Foods that supply iron to the diet
Eggs, meats, legumes, cereals, vegeta-
bles, fruits, raisins.
Foods that are rich in lime-Milk,
whole cereals, legumes, celery, cab
bage.
Foods that will increase the activity
Of the ntestines-fruits, vegetables,
whole cereals well cooked, and whole
wheat bread.
Foods that will neutralize and equal
ize the toxic poisOns created in the body
through it's activities-fresh and dried
fruits and vegetables.
Water should be consumed in liberal
quantities In order to maintain body
balance, flush out the waste, without
depicting the watery content of the
blood stream.
Sweets and candy have an important
place in our dietary, and should be
used SO that they will not decrease the
desire for foods; in other words, the
best time to eat sweets and candies Is
ut the close of a meal or directly after
the meal.
The sweet or candy-fed person .oon
loses all liking for the needed foods and
will acquire habit of unwise eating,
and this will cause digestive disturb
ances.
The menu should be prepared to pro-
vide for the entire family, adding any
or all foods that the individual re"
quires. Thus little children should not
be permitted to eat foods suitable to
grown ups, but should have their menu
make to include milk, fresh vegetables,
with whole wheat breads and good but.
| ter.
| A diet of bread, meat and potatoes
Is one sided and will produce serious
trouble, not because anv Of the foods
are necessarily unsuited, but because
they lack all the elements for perfect
digestion, and are thus unsuited unless
combined with the coarse green, succu-
lent vegetables that will provide the
mineral salts, as well as the vitamincs
and bulk or roughage.
| The average DOrtiOn Of nrote ein fcnJ