Evening star., 1941-02-12

foo6S habits since Great Grandpa S
dav. What some of these changes
havea been and how they affected our
dietsi is pointed out by Dr. Louise
StanA7y. chief Of the Bureau Of
Home. Economics, United States
Department of Agriculture.
Both for better and for worse, >
says Doctor Stanley, the food habits
of the> people of this country have
changed markedly in the past few
generai.ionS.' -
TodAv, We eat fewer natural and
more pl.oceSSed and fabricated foods
than we did before. Today We have
a far greater variety of foods avail
able. Tastes have changed. And
there Isl much less difference than
before iii the foods eaten in differ
ent paTxs of the country-or from
season ITO season.
From the nutritional stand
point. said DR.. Stanley, "one of
the most encouraging trends over
the past $50 years IS the sharp IN
crease ina the amount of milk, to-
matoes. ca rus fruits and leafy green
vegetables that we eat
These fsre all included on the
protective list of foods. That is,
they are sfoods noted for mineral
elements :fand vitamins in which
diets are Iikely to fall snort.
On the ldebIt side Of the nutrl-
tional Ledger, DR.. Stanley places
some of our developed food prefer
ences.
"A modeEn standard of faStidious-
ness she Says, has led many of
us 10 use the lean-muScle cuts Of
meat to thef neglect of the organs
of animals. An association OF good
ness with richness in fat has led
US to overlook the values of skim
milk. Though skim milk lacks the
fat in whole:, milk it is as rich in
protein and gin much-needed cal
cium.
Some food. processing practices,
such as high degree of milling
of wheat. refining of cane sugar
and bleaching of vegetables have
stripped natural products Of certain
nutritive qualities. Because We have
come to associate WhlteneSS with
goodness, we often eat these foods to
the exclusion ot{others."
AS a result, TnnWiSe food choices
tend to offset tl7e benefit of the in
creased use Of prptective foods. And
diets as they stand today often are
short in calciunr5 and in vitamins
A. B1 and c.
obviously" points out DR.. STAN
ley. many Of fhe Nations food
habits could wellt be reshaped with
an eye to nutritional improvement" ="
Sometimes, DR.. STANLEY believes,
food habits can he reshaped on a
national scale. A current instance
of this may be theApublic adoption
of the new enriched" -four, which
mills plan to put Nson the market
soon. This flour will be enriched
with vitamins and other food values
in which American diets are low.
Generally. however, food habits
are reshaped on thief individual or
ldIitlS DdSIo.
ANY person who BIS working to
reshape his own food. habits" says
DR.. Stanley, owes it ito himself to
change for the better. He needs
to check carefully to lsee how his
regular diet measureSi up to the
standards for good nktrition."
Here's what normafa dult should
have every day, according to check
list recently published blythe Bureau
of Home Economics: =.
MILK pint or more, LEAFY,
GREEN or YELLOW VEGE-
TABLES or more tservings.
TOMA TOES, ORANGES,
GRAPEFRUIT OR ANY
OTHER VITAMIN-C RICH RAW
FRUIT OR VEGETABkE-1 or
more servings. POTATOES,
OTHER VEGETABLES OR
FRUIT or more yservings.
EGGS-1, if possible LEAN
MEAT, POULTRY, FIs;R-2 or
more servings. CEREALS; AND
BREAD-at least servings of
l Whole-grain products. i FATS
AND sWEETS-ss needed to
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