Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-13
Pack Lunch
In Paper
Dishes
Child's Noon Meal
Reaches School
In Good Shape
Bv Jane Harvey

y
School DAYS mean school lunches.
But nutritionists warn that the
school lunch of 1941 must be far dill
ferent from the haphazard sand
wich in a shoebox" fare that today's
mothers took to school when they
were Young. 1t must be not only
easy to pack and attractive to look
upon: it must also be carefully
planned to include good for-you'
foods that children require.
Nutritionists leading the drive Ito
make America strong by making
Americans stronger" claim nine mil
lion school children in this country
are fighting hidden hunger" They
point out that provision of adequate
and balanced school lunches would
60 far to remedy what has been
termed national disgrace They
cite numerous experiments to show
that when meager or unbalanced
lunches are replaced by adequate,
balanced meals, children not only
gain weight and are able to resist
infection but actually get higher
grades on their report cards.
Mothers can achieve gastronomic
reform which may bring about such
seemingly magic changes by taking
advantage of the paper cups and
containers now available for every
type of food and drink. Nutritious
but previously hard-to-pack foods
NAV be safely and conveniently
packed and served in paper con-
tainers No need to admonlSh
Junior. as you have on those rare
DAYS when YOU tucked a cup custard
into his lunchbox BE careful now
and hold that box upright or your
food will spill"
The monotony that characterized
old-time school lunches may, when
such paper containers are used, be
avoided This is important if Junior
Is to receive all the protein, calcium,
vitamins and minerals he needs. A
lunch must tempt. first, If its to
satisfy later. This 1941 lunchboX
will do just that. Junior will eagerly
anticipate opening it, instead OF
IJldhlIlS VII W liIC vi Ilti NdiiNS nbOi L
to wolf hot dog. and perhaps wash
1t down with soda pop.
Let's see Just now versatile-and
how Notwithstanding school
lunches can be. We start by spread
ing a lacy paper mat on the bottom
of Jills metal lunchboX or bright
paper napkin on the bottom Of
juniors. The first requisite for a
wholesome lunch is one hot dish.
Many schools have bought, or have
been given by local citizens, stoves
on which teachers and older students
warm up foods brought to school by
children. II your child attends
such a school you can pack chilled
soup or a meat dish into a paper
eontainer with lid and after heat
ing 1t can be served in q hot drink
cup with handle or in an unwaXed
container intended for hot foods
Otherwise. hot foods may be served
from small vacuum bottles in paper
eups and containers.
Into another paper container with
lid goes salad-keynote of our new
Mnchbox ways. Thus your child can
get the vitamins and minerals that
old-tims school lunches lacked
Make your salad of chopped apples
and celery mixed with a few raisinS.
Or chop fine raw, well-washed sailed
spinach. Wrap in waXed paper a
piece Of lemon or orange for dress
ing. which your child can squeeze
over his salad For an older child
a simple French dressing may be
carried in 2-ounce paper container.
Then he can add it to the spinach or
10 mixture Of greens, curly chicory,
outdoorsy escaroleS and romaine
Chill all your salads well before
packing them. They should stay
fresh because paper is an insulating
material and keeps cold foods cold
metal or glass. To keep foods extra
cold, one container may be set in
side larger size container with
Clipped ice packed between the two
Pack cold pink salmon this way
Do the same with milk. For variety
give your child chocolate milk or
milk to which you've added little
prune or date strip.
When 1t comes to desserts, junior
will applaud vigorously your intro
duction to paper for now he can
have something besides the in
evitable apple or pear. And you'll be
relieved. because you can satisfy
him with something sweet; yet
the dessert you give him will be far
more digestible than the banana
split he might otherwise gorge on