Evening star., 1925-01-16
Answers to Food Questions

Answers to readers questions regarding d'et
will be given by Winifred Stuart Gibbs. food
rAcalist. writer -and lecturer nutrit on.
Questions should be accompanied by self
general interest will be answered in this
column; others VII be answered through the
questions promptly. but we bespeak the in
diligence of reaers for any unavoida BILE
delay. The numbe- Of letters received is large
and ench must take its turn. Address: Wini-
fred Stuart Gibbs. 81 West Thirty-nin street.
New York City.
l would like very much for you to
write and let me know just what
foods my little girl should have She
was years old in July. and 1t seems
as though she does not put on weight.
She weighs % pounds. and is very
dark. Her bowels do not move very
regularly. / cannot get her to drink
very much milk, so ! would like you
to let me know just what she should
eat, as / believe l am not giving her
the proper foods. | would like you
to let me know the proper weight
for children of her age.-w. ]. o.
Girls of 5 years, if they are of aver
age height, should weigh 31iz pounds.
So you see the little girl Is rot very
much underweight after all, although
you were quite right in wishing to.
get her up to normal. l should take
care of the bowel trouble first and
make 1t your aim to secure move
ment of at least once every day. Well
disested food with plenty of exercise
will help tremendously here, although
you may have to resort to an occa-
sonal warm enema.
The diet should be something like
this:
For breakfast, oatmeal or wheatena,
two tablespoons, with milk, four
tablespoons; graham or whole wheat
toast. one slice with small pat of but
ter; cocoa or milk to drink, one cup.
For dinner in the middle of the day.
a lean lamb chop; two tablespoons of
mashed potatoes and two of one other
vegetable, such as mashed carrots or
chopped spinach. If spinach is served,
the quantity may be increased to
three tablespoons: bread and butter,
one slice, and a simple dessert such
as three tablespoons of apple sauce
or two tablespoons of gelatin or tapi-
oca pudding.
For supper, a cup of cream of pea
soup or some other vegetable; slice
of bread and butter and cup of
either cocoa or warm milk.
About three times a week have a
soft-cooked egg for breakfast. and on
the OIHeT udSS serve tic SS6 cieici
for dinner instead of the meat or for
supper instead of the soup.
l suggest that you take care not to
exceed the quantities given her Very
often indigestion comes from eating
too large quantities of food, and this
is pecfally true for children of this
age.
Now about the milk You will
notice that l suggest cocoa, and this
should be made with part milk and
part water You will notice also that
spoke of cream soups, and this IS
another excellent way of introducing
milk into the diet. The cornstarch
and tapioca desserts also carry milk.
You may realize that if children do
not like milk as drink it is quite
possible TO give them a full quart
throughout the day served in soups,
desserts and creamed vegetables.
am much interested in your food
questions and wish to ask your ad
vice on nervous indigestion and acid
candition.-R. r.
1t Is probable that IL you will cure
the acid condition the nervous indi-
gestion will disappear. In regard to
the question about acidy this is
difficult one to answer without know
ing more of your condition. For ex-
ample, in every normal stomach there
Is certain amount of acid secreted
as a necessary part of digestion. If
too much, of course, the digestion is
somewhat disturbed. On the other
hand, there may be condition where