It is possible to get the proper amounts of fuel and protein from white bread and meat, but such a diet is poorly balanced as to ash con- stituents and especially lacks calcium. It would need to be balanced by adding some fruit or vegetable and even then would not contain as much calcium as is best for growing people. A diet of bread and milk, on the other hand, is so nearly perfectly balanced (supplying fuel, protein, and ash constituents in suitable amounts) that it can be taken ex- MENUS AND DIETARIES 305 clusively for a long time. Whole wheat bread and milk would be even better, because the whole wheat would supply more iron, in which white bread and milk are not rich. The addition of fruits and vegetables to the bread and milk diet would also be an advantage — partly for the same reason. Other foods especially valuable for growth are eggs and cereals from whole grains. Children should acquire the tiabit of eating fruits and green vegetables of all kinds, for when they are older and likely to take less milk and cereals, the fruits and vegetables supply important ash constituents and also help to prevent constipation. The foods good for children are also good for adults, but the latter can keep their bodies in good repair with less protein and ash in proportion to body weight than are re- quu-ed during growth, and many kinds of protein serve for repair. If there are not enough milk and eggs to go around, adults can take meat, nuts, peas, beans and bread for protein, and trust to these and fruit and vegetables for ash. When the body has been wasted by sickness, however, a return to the foods of growth, especially a diet of milk and eggs, is best for building it up again. The number of meals in a day. — Knowing how much and what kinds of food are best for each member of the family, we must next find out how to divide the total food for the day into meals. Few of us could take our required fuel in one meal, and if we could, we should probably be hungry before the time for the next meal. Some persons get along very well with two meals a day, but usually their fuel re- quirement is not high. Most people are more comfortable and more likely to eat a suitable amount in a deliberate fashion if they have three meals a day. When large amounts of fuel have to be taken, four or five meals may be better than three ; babies who have to eat in proportion to their size. 306 FOODS AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT often 2J times as much as their mothers, take 2| times as many meals, i.e. 7 or 8 in a day^ The amount of food for each meal. — While the nimiber of meals depends largely on the amount to be eaten in the whole day, and the appetite of the subject, the amount at each meal is most influenced by the nature of the daily occupation. The baby with nothing to do but eat and sleep has meals uniform in kind and amount. The business man who works very hard through the middle of the day, and has not time ' to take an elaborate meal, nor time to rest after it so that it may digest easily, takes a light luncheon and makes up for it at breakfast and dinner. The outdoor worker who has a long har4 day and expends much energy, takes an hour at noon for a substantial dinner, in addition to a hearty breakfast and supper and sometimes a mid-forenoon or mid-afternoon lunch.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

It is possible to get the proper amounts of fuel and protein from white bread and meat, but such a diet is poorly balanced as to ash constituents and especially lacks calcium. It would need to be balanced by adding some fruit or vegetable and even then would not contain as much calcium as is best for growing people. A diet of bread and milk, on the other hand, is so nearly perfectly balanced (supplying fuel, protein, and ash constituents in suitable amounts) that it can be taken ex- clusively for a long time. Whole wheat bread and milk would be even better, because the whole wheat would supply more iron, in which white bread and milk are not rich. The addition of fruits and vegetables to the bread and milk diet would also be an advantage — partly for the same reason. Other foods especially valuable for growth are eggs and cereals from whole grains. Children should acquire the habit of eating fruits and green vegetables of all kinds, for when they are older and likely to take less milk and cereals, the fruits and vegetables supply important ash constituents and also help to prevent constipation. The foods good for children are also good for adults, but the latter can keep their bodies in good repair with less protein and ash in proportion to body weight than are required during growth, and many kinds of protein serve for repair. If there are not enough milk and eggs to go around, adults can take meat, nuts, peas, beans and bread for protein, and trust to these and fruit and vegetables for ash. When the body has been wasted by sickness, however, a return to the foods of growth, especially a diet of milk and eggs, is best for building it up again. The number of meals in a day. — Knowing how much and what kinds of food are best for each member of the family, we must next find out how to divide the total food for the day into meals. Few of us could take our required fuel in one meal, and if we could, we should probably be hungry before the time for the next meal. Some persons get along very well with two meals a day, but usually their fuel requirement is not high. Most people are more comfortable and more likely to eat a suitable amount in a deliberate fashion if they have three meals a day. When large amounts of fuel have to be taken, four or five meals may be better than three ; babies who have to eat in proportion to their size. often 2J times as much as their mothers, take 2| times as many meals, i.e. 7 or 8 in a day. The amount of food for each meal. — While the number of meals depends largely on the amount to be eaten in the whole day, and the appetite of the subject, the amount at each meal is most influenced by the nature of the daily occupation. The baby with nothing to do but eat and sleep has meals uniform in kind and amount. The business man who works very hard through the middle of the day, and has not time ' to take an elaborate meal, nor time to rest after it so that it may digest easily, takes a light luncheon and makes up for it at breakfast and dinner. The outdoor worker who has a long hard day and expends much energy, takes an hour at noon for a substantial dinner, in addition to a hearty breakfast and supper and sometimes a mid-forenoon or mid-afternoon lunch.

Foods and household management