The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-20
Good Food
Provided at
LOW Cost
~ Science serpice

~ Science Serrice
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2o.-Hov
cneaply can family be fed with
out health being injured7
This question faces mothers iu
american communities where unem-
ployment and drought have made
the food problem acute. When
money Is so scarce, the housewife
grudges spending a penny unneces-
sarily, but she realizes that stint
ing her children essential foods Il
dangerous economy.
Enabling American Iousekeepers
70 be certain that every cent Of their
1000 money Is being invested fol-
the health and protection of their
families, Uncle Sam, through the
bureau OF home economics, United
states department Of agriculture
mas devised a series Of low cost
weekly market orders for different
sized families.
Food Under 50 Weekly
The cost of this minimum food
budget would, Of course, vary with
the size Of the family and local
food prices. And to the housewife
Is left the responsibility of search
ing the market pages and grocery
stores for food bargains.
Following the government mar
ket guide and shopping in a city
where average prices prevail, a
housewife should be able to feed a
family OF five, consisting OF two
adults at active work, a boy Of IL
TO is years, and a girl Of 4 to 8
years and child under 3 years, for
less than So a week.
Twelve representative cities in
different parts of the country were
considered in making these esti-
mates and prices taken from the
city having average prices for the
group.
Cereals cost $1.32 weekly on this
bugdet. This is divided as follows:
Nine pound loaves OF bread at 7
cents a loaf, SO cents; four pounds
Of whole wheat flour at 10 cents
a pound, 20 cents; three pounds of
corn meal at 3 cents a pound, 8
cents; one pound Of rice, cents;
two pounds Of homi1ly grits at 3
cents pound, cents, and pound
OF rolled oats, 8 cents.
$l.5O Paid for MIX
The milk expenditure Is $3.50, for
eighteen quarts of unsweetened,
canned milk at three tall cans for a
quarter.
Purchase of meat, eggs, cheese
and canned salmon or dried fish
totaled $l.14 on this budget. This
included three pounds of cheap beef
and lamb cuts at Is cents q pound,
As cents; a pound of cheese, %
cents; one dozen eggs, 80 cents, and.
half pound of canned salmon, 13
cents.
Expenditure for fats for the diet
totaled 81 cents. This sum was
divided as follows: A pound of salt
pork, 17lA cents; pound Of lard,
il cents; butter substitute, 10
cents; peanut butter at 1914 cents
q pound, 6A cents half pound.
Sweetening cost, 81 cents. This
included two pounds Of sugar at 51a
cents, IL cents, and quart and a
half Of molasses, so cents.
Allow for Fruits, Vegetables
Allowance for fruits and vege-
tables was $2.19. This included
seven pounds OF Irish potatoes Give
pounds for Is cents, Is 1-5 cents;
seven pounds of sweet potatoes GIVE
pounds for % cents, 80 lis cents;
three quart cans of tomatoes at Is
cents can, As cents; one pound of
dried beans, Is cents; three pounds
Of green vegetables, such as kale
and spinach, at 9 cents a pound, u
cents; three pounds of root vege-
tables Cbeets, carrots, onions, etc.,
26 cents; two pounds Of apples, 25
cents; two pounds of oranges, Is
cents. one pound OF prunes, So
cents.
These food items total $3.50. With
a food budget of So weekly, this al
lows small margin for price fluc-
tuation or for improving the diet
More milk and more tomatoes are
advised by the government as the
cheapest and best way of improving
these minimum diets. AS the rationS
of milk, tomatoes and lean meat al
ready have been cut to the mini
mum required for health, the bureau
OF home economics cautions against
further reducing these foods.