Evening star., 1933-09-15

THE physical fitness Of child
who is properly fed each meal
is a strong guarantee OF future
health, achievement and nap
piness. Outward signs OF un-
dernourishment may be slow In ap-
pearing. but the result Is disastrous eS;Is
regularly. If weight is not COM
mensurate with height the fact should
cause alarm. Wholesome food, good
habits, play, proper rest. judicious
exercise and hygienic surroundings
should produce normal growth.
Three meals day are sufficient for
any child's needs. 1t is the delicate
child, whose mother is anxious to
build him up, who is specially apt
to upset his stomach by eating extra
appetite" His progress will be very
greatly retarded by mistakes OF this
kind.
Digestive disturbance of all kinds
is avoided by regularity in all things.
This demands exactitude and some
self-denial on the part Of the mother.
Water may be allowed freely and
should not be withheld. as is some
times the custom, on hot days.
Several things should be kept con-
stantly in mind when planning meals
AASSN
material for their muscles, f1esh-form-
ing foods to keep them warm, certain
mineral salts to make their bones
hard, certain other mineral salts to
keep their blood in order and plenty
of fluids for the same purpose, and
the food must be palatable, or the
childrens appetites will lag.
Milk in the Diet.
tod - VI ~ will dow
according to age, is enough for any
child. Too much milk tends to have
a constipating effect ana should be
avoided on that account. When pas
teurized milk is given infants or chill
dren you should include orange Juice
in the diet. Stale pasteurized milk Is
not fit for food. Clean milk which
has soured is wholesome food. Fresh
fruit and vegetables, on the other
hand, are beneficial and should at all
times be included In the diet.
In addition to milk every day, eggs,
cereals, fruits and vegetables should
constitute the diet of the child Of pre-
school age. Fruit and vegetables are
needed for the blood. Very young
children should have orange or prune
Juice daily and older children should
have ripe bananas, baked apples.
stewed figs or dates and other ripe
fruits. Vegetables should be well
cooked
Without being overrich, the dietary
of children should be as allround and
small portion of flesh food, such as
meat, fish or fowl. should be given
daily. Egg is a good substitute oc-
casionally. The milk used for chill
dren can be combined in vegetable
soups, cocoa, custard pudding or
junket, ice cream, white sauce and
other dishes.
Give children crusts and rusks to
chew, independent of their milk ration,
also, by giving vegetables, raw apples,
and so forth, as soon as the child
grasps what is expected of him. The
habit of mastication, once acquired,
will be of service to health through
out life.
Oatmeal and other cereals are often
distasteful to children but an effort
should be made to teach them to eat
these important foods, since nothing
quite takes their place. The value of
a cereal is not nearly so great If large
quantities of sugar are eaten with it.
On the other hand, a few chopped
dates or figs or raisinS stirred through
the hot cereal will often tempt chill
dren to eat it, and so help to establish
in them the habit of eating it. If
cereals and milk are the regular
foundation Of the meals a good start
has been made.
Meat for Children.
Meat should be sparingly used when
introduced In the diet Of normal child
The question of how much meat chill
dren should have is a debatable one,
but most physicians and dietitians agree