Meals for a week might.be so arranged that they
would provide the correct number of calories,
and yet not supply the necessary range of car-
bohydrates, fats, proteins, the necessary mineral
matter, the peculiarly necessary accessory fac-
tors. In order to satisfy his curiosity a physician
lived on nothing but sugar for a month; at the
end of the month he died.^ The necessary calo-
ries were all there in number — but not in kind.
Some sugar may be desirable for children, but
children who eat their quota of calories in the
^ Cj. Lusk, Fundamental Basis of Nutrition, p. i6.
78 FOOD AND FREEDOM
form of candy or cheap cake have no appetite
left for the other nutritive elements needed by
the body, and trouble follows. Again, meals
might supply all the calories, including all the
needed elements, and yet be so unattractive in
food selection, combination, cooking, flavor,
or service that they would not tempt, and to that
extent would not nourish properly.
To supply all the needed nutritive elements,
property balanced, in wholesome, appetizing com-
binations, for the money allowed by the family
budget, without unnecessary labor, and without
ever once forgetting our part in the bigger food
and feeding issue of the world, is no small problem
in itself. The only way to solve it is through the
kind of meals we plan.
Family needs, season, local food supply, prac-
tical conditions or ideals of living, and the sum
of money allowed by the family budget are all
important considerations in determining the type
of meals served :
A meal may consist of one, two, or more foods
served as separate dishes, or it may consist of
several foods combined in one dish. Simple meals,
yet served without loss to any member of the family
of the nourishment and happiness which is due,
are not only now necessary, but rapidly becom-
ing popular as their true worth is recognized.
Each meal should be considered in relation to the
other meals of the day or week, and every group
PLANNING THE MEALS 79
and type of food represented, in some form, in the
course of a day's feeding — some carbohydrate, some
fat {for fuel), some protein, some mineral matter (for
body building and repair), some regulating material,
some bulk or waste, some raw food, some hard food.
The simplest way to insure this is to serve as much
variety as possible; not necessarily at one meal, but
in the course of a day — or even the week. In this
way — and excepting definite over- or under-feeding
— the proper balance of the needed elements will
be more or less automatically supplied.^ Few
dishes at one meal, and varied meals is a good rule.
Variety must not be confused with elaboration.
Variety, in connection with meals, is only in-
tended to mean that, as far as practical, we
should make use of all the wholesome foods
wisely provided by nature, and so avoid possible
harmful effects of a narrow or one-sided diet.
Moderate, varied feeding is a safeguard against
eating too much or too little of any one food ma-
terial or element. Variety, also, prevents loss
of appetite through monotony.
Food and freedom
1918Page 34
Presented as published in 1918. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
Meals for a week might.be so arranged that they
would provide the correct number of calories,
and yet not supply the necessary range of car-
bohydrates, fats, proteins, the necessary mineral
matter, the peculiarly necessary accessory fac-
tors. In order to satisfy his curiosity a physician
lived on nothing but sugar for a month; at the
end of the month he died.^ The necessary calo-
ries were all there in number — but not in kind.
Some sugar may be desirable for children, but
children who eat their quota of calories in the
^ Cj. Lusk, Fundamental Basis of Nutrition, p. i6.
78 FOOD AND FREEDOM
form of candy or cheap cake have no appetite
left for the other nutritive elements needed by
the body, and trouble follows. Again, meals
might supply all the calories, including all the
needed elements, and yet be so unattractive in
food selection, combination, cooking, flavor,
or service that they would not tempt, and to that
extent would not nourish properly.
To supply all the needed nutritive elements,
property balanced, in wholesome, appetizing com-
binations, for the money allowed by the family
budget, without unnecessary labor, and without
ever once forgetting our part in the bigger food
and feeding issue of the world, is no small problem
in itself. The only way to solve it is through the
kind of meals we plan.
Family needs, season, local food supply, prac-
tical conditions or ideals of living, and the sum
of money allowed by the family budget are all
important considerations in determining the type
of meals served :
A meal may consist of one, two, or more foods
served as separate dishes, or it may consist of
several foods combined in one dish. Simple meals,
yet served without loss to any member of the family
of the nourishment and happiness which is due,
are not only now necessary, but rapidly becom-
ing popular as their true worth is recognized.
Each meal should be considered in relation to the
other meals of the day or week, and every group
PLANNING THE MEALS 79
and type of food represented, in some form, in the
course of a day's feeding — some carbohydrate, some
fat {for fuel), some protein, some mineral matter (for
body building and repair), some regulating material,
some bulk or waste, some raw food, some hard food.
The simplest way to insure this is to serve as much
variety as possible; not necessarily at one meal, but
in the course of a day — or even the week. In this
way — and excepting definite over- or under-feeding
— the proper balance of the needed elements will
be more or less automatically supplied.^ Few
dishes at one meal, and varied meals is a good rule.
Variety must not be confused with elaboration.
Variety, in connection with meals, is only in-
tended to mean that, as far as practical, we
should make use of all the wholesome foods
wisely provided by nature, and so avoid possible
harmful effects of a narrow or one-sided diet.
Moderate, varied feeding is a safeguard against
eating too much or too little of any one food ma-
terial or element. Variety, also, prevents loss
of appetite through monotony.