The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-04
Protective
Foods Need
of Children
BY DIR. THURMAN b. RICE
Professor Of BaeterioIOEy. Indiana Uni
versits School Of Medicine.

school and pre-school age. The sub
ject is one Of the greatest impor-
lance. but is not as difficult as
might be supposed, provided there
is a sufficient amount and provided
certain protective foods" are used
IN reasonable abundance.
In the first place, the child must
have enough food to furnish the
energy needs of the body and TO
give the stomach the distension that
it needs TO satisfy the pangs OF
hunger. Fortunately, foods which
will satisfy this requirement are not
expensive. Potatoes, bread, cab
baQe. turnipS, rice, beans, corn
products and similar articles are
among the cheapest foods that can
be bought.
Every one OF them is excellent
and there is not the least danger
in providing children with large
amounts of them. 1t is true that
most of them ere not rich in Vita
mines as they commonly are eaten,
but we are not discussing vitamines.
The first requirements OF the body
are energy and material for growth.
Needs Fuel Foods
The child must have fuel foods
which Will enable him TO be active
and to get about in the manner OF
children. He will need such foods
to maintain the body heat and to
keep him from being hungry. We
seriously doubt If many children
even in these times of depression /
and trustees baskets" are suffer- I
ing from lack Of food Of this sort. /
The protective foods" present I
more dificulty. They are much less
tangible and may be so unobtrusive
that they do not receive the atten-
ton they demand. The child who
Is hungry for the energy foods men
toned above knows what is the
matter with him and every one
else soon knows, but the child in
need of one of the vitamines does
not ask so plainly for what he
needs
In this case it takes an experienced
eye to see to the bottom Of the
trouble. He does not grow as he
should. his bones are too soft, he
is highly subject to infection, his
gums are soft and bleeding, his
body is too nearly approaching an
acid condition.
These seem to be medical prob
lens. as indeed they are, but they
are found upon dietary deficiencies
and in many instances have their
origin in the fact that the child has
not the proper food.
Milk Protective Leader
Milk is the great protective food.
1t contains every one of the essen
tial vitamines, it is rich in mineral
except iron, it counteractS the ten
dency of the body to become acid,
it has a beneficial effect upon the
intestine by tending to control un-
favorable meteorological conditions,
IT is digested easily by the normal
child. and, in addition, furnishes
surprising amount of energy.
Eggs serve in much the same ca
pacity. In addition, eggs are rich
in the only food ingredient that Is
Scanty is milk-iron. These two
foods are the only ones which ma
ture has prepared for the full nu-
triton OF a young animal, and Tor
that reason they must contain
everything needed for growth and
development.
Fortunately for those out of work
but unfortunately for the pro-
ducer-milk, and particularly eggs,
are lower in price than they have
been in years. They should be used
more. II the family can not afford
TO buy them, they should be fur
nished by organized society, since
society can not afford to have the
health of its future generations /
jeopardized because of lack of these
fundamental foods.
As an ideal, it often is said that
a child who receives quart Of milk
a day in addition to enough other
food TO satisfy hunger will not suf-
fer from malnutrition because OF
lack of food. This does not mean
that every child must have quart
Of milk. but is merely a statement
of a regimen which would be well
ON the side of safety.
Use Green Vegetables
Actually the child that is well fed
otherwise can get along very well