Milford chronicle., 1941-09-26
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By CHARLOTTE SPENCER
NuiritIonlst for the State Board Of Health
GOOD. DIETS AT Low COST

The national emergency is en-
phasizing the need of good nourish-
ing food for the whole family. At
the same time the goal of good nu-
triton for the whole family is made
more difficult for many homes to
realize because of rising food
costs.
The United States Bureau of
Home Economies has just issued a
plan to guide housewives in get
ting good diets at low cost. Quo
tations follow from this Bureau of
Home Economics plan. These sug-
gestions are based on the recon-
mendations of the May, 1941, Ma
ton Nutrition Conference.
First item in the low-cost mas
ter plan is milk. This includes
milk to drink, milk for cooking, and
milk in the form of cheese or other
dairy products. Every child gets 8
to cups a day. Every adult gets 2
to 3 cups. Each expectant mother
gets 1 quart, and nursing mother
III quarts. 1t is more important
to have the quantity of milk listed
every day than it is to get milk
in any special form. Cheaper
forms of milk may often be used
in cooking.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are
called for about twice a day be-
cause they are economical sources
of many of the food values speci-
fled in the nutrition yardstick. Dry
beans, peas, and peanuts are call
ed for two to four times a week,
for the same reason. They are es-
pecially valuable as sources of iron
and protein in low-cost diets.
Tomatoes, citrus fruit, or other
vitamin-C rich foods are included
5 times a week at least. Every
child under four is allotted 1 serv-
ing a day-every nursing mother,
to servings daily. Among eco
nomical "other vitamin-C rich
foods" are raw cabbage and raw
salad greens.
"Leafy, green and yellow vege-
tables are served in a low-cost diet
at least times a week. And ev-
eryone in the family has to 4 eggs
weekly.
"The diet plan provides 6 small
servings of lean meat, fish, or
poultry each week. There should |
be a cereal dish once a day, some
times twice; bread in some form at
every meal, and dessert once day,
If desired. From 80 to so per cent
of all the cereals served should be
the whole-grain kind, because of
the iron and other minerals and
they provide.
"A family of four-two moder-
ately active grown-ups and two
children of school AEGEAN get
meals that measure up to the yard
stick of good nutrition for $3.50 to
s9.00. a week, using this low-cost
master pfafi The difference IN the /
weekly cost depends upon the Sc
lections made within the different
food groups. Farm families of
course, could get the same diet for
much less outlay Of cash by we'll
planned home production and home
canning program.
"Chief thing to keep in mind in
planning low-cost diets is that you
can't expect to get lot of variety
N the foods you buy. For when a
liet is well-rounded for minimum
AMOUNT of money, you have to rely
heavily on certain foods that are
economical sources of number of
lifferent food values.
For that reason good cooking
doubly important. Variety !
AN be managed by varying the way
food is served from day to day
nd by imaginative seasoning.
Much can be done to cut food !
osts by careful selection within :
ach food group. The lean parts of !
ow-cost cuts of meat are just as ,
nutritious as those from more ex- \
ensive cuts. Certain kinds of !
reens are cheaper than others and !
ust as nutritious. The greens used
n the South for instance-collards, :
ale, turnip, and mustard green's 7
sually are much cheaper and at
he same time higher in food val =
es than bleached cabbage and let :
ice. I
I'm buying canned goods, the u
rade and size of container can
lake a marked difference in cost. .
ut not in the wholesomeness of a
le contents-and usually not in g
,od value. Certain fresh vege- v
Lbles and fruits that are too ex- h
ensive for a limited food budget =
ost. times of the year, can be
ought for variety at seasons when
ley are flooding the market and