Evening star., 1927-10-07

cooked and served IN sihdii 4uo".i'ie
Regularity in serving meals Is o.
great Importance. II cIlllu rear ne u,
that food is obtainable at any hour OF
the dav. he will not be greatly con
earned in eating at any definite time
A child should not be hurried during
meal. neither should he have enough
time to play and dabbe with ms loou.
II Ia we'll to form the habit OF
snalyzirs the days meals and 10 see
that each iood group is represehteu'
as follows: A pint or quart OF milk
either an egg or a serving or meat
one vegetable other than potatoes,
preferably a leafy one; dish OF cereai
every day, preferably whole Wheat, ,
and butter. All of these toous silouiu
he simply cooked. Dried fruits, sucn
"a dates and raisins, are good foods
and usually satisfy childs craving
for sweets.
The mother who can inculcate a
Hiring for rlain, we'll cooked foods is
Iaving the foundation of health, not
only during childhood but all through
life.
All changes in a child's diet should
he made very carefully. and when
any new food is introduced into the
diet. 1t should be given in small guam
titles, perhaps just few teaspoonruis
at the beginning and the amount
gradually increased up TO enough to
satisfy the child's appetite at thar
meal.
It is most convenient to divide the
diet lists into o5Terent periods, CORE
spending with the different ages, Out
when we are changing from one
nerio6 to another the change is made
less abrupt by a gradual increase IN
quantity.
One Of the most common mistakes
a mother makes is brought about by
her preconceived idea that every child
REQUIRES the same amount Of food and
that every child must necessarily eat
every meal. If, for some reason. a
child cannot or will not eat the meal
set before him, do not force him or
talk the matter over before him. If
you do, there Is danger of arousing
an antagonistic attitude toward par
ticular kind OF food.
Occasionally consult a child's pref
erence about his food. but never let
him feel that he is free to dictate as
to what he will and will not eat.
Teach him that certain foods are re-
ouired il he is to grow big and strong.
Nothing can be worse for child
than to feel that 1t is Of vital interest
whether or not he eats his food. Con.
ceal your anxiety and treat the meal
hour as a pleasant but incidental part
of the days program. Until good
habits of eating are well established
have him eat alone without an inter.
ested audience, where he may learn
to feed himself and slop and spill. If
need be. while he learns. In this way
there will be less to distract him, and
he win not see and desire things which
are provided for adults and which he
is better of without. Let him know
that when he learns to feed himself
in q quiet, efficient manner he may
then come to the table with the
tgrown.ups. Every effort should be
made to have him in calm and cheer.
full state Of mind at mealtime. II he
IL tired or cross or greatly excited, he
probably will show q lack Of appetite,
and food may be distasteful to him.
Special Articles Of Food.
Good crackers are valuable in a
child's diet. AL dry foods are good,
for they make a child eat slowly. they
exercise the jaws and teeth, and they
help to cultivate the highly desirable
habit Of mastication. Usually foods
for children tend to be somewhat too
nushy. Crackers are nutritious and
are among the most digestible forms
Of starch.
With crackers 20 naturally the vari
Gus soups. Stews and soups, taken
along with dry foods. are an import.
ant element in well arranged diet.
ary. They help down great deal OF
the bread and crackers which are the
real staples. Simple cookies and plain
qualities, like good crackers. A good
recipe for a children's cake Is made as
follows:
Cream one teaspoonful Of shortening
with one cupful OF sugar. Add one
beaten egg, one cupful OF milk and
one and one.half cupfuls Of flour with
which has been mixed one level tea
spoonful Of cream Of tartar. one.hali
n level teaspoonful Of baking soda and
n little salt. Flour AZ desired.
Only such cakes as the above OF
the like should be given to children
Frosting should In general be Stunned
but custard filings and meringues are
good and so are jams and jellies. AL
rich cakes and all pastry should be
barred. Even the simplest of cakes
should, like bread, be at least a day
old. AS for jellies, grape and curran'
are much too acid to go with milky
dishes. Strawberry, raspberry OF
blackberry jam Is all right occasion
ally in moderation. Strained honey
harm once in while, although they
are against the rule that starch rather
than sugar is the proper form for a
childs carbohydrates. The marina
ladies' are too indigestible to be used al
all. The best of all jellies for children
Is made from Baldwin apples or others
like them. The flavor is excellent
The acid is strong enough to do its
work In the system. yet not too strong
to go with milk dishes. and it Ia easy
to make at home.
Beverages.
Beverages for children are often
something of a problem. The frs,
rule is: AS little water as may be dur
ing meals, as much as desired between
meals, beginning about two hours
after the last bite. OF course a child
should not go thirsty. even at dinner
but while water leaves an empty stom
ach within a few minutes, it fingers
long in a full one. Too much fluid
may interfere with getting enough tc
eat.
In general, beverages for a child
should be nutritious. Chocolate. al
though the most nutritious of drinks
IS apt to be too indigestible for the
young and had better be barred. Yor
can, however, concoct a most paiatabls
drink by adding a moderate amount
Of chocolate to cocoa or similar drinks
Cocoa is, of course, one Of the stand
bys for children, but unfortunately tn,
prepared cocoa and the prepared choc
olate as well contain a good deal O
starch. often as much as a third O
their bulk. The result is, as thes,
beverages are usually prepared b,