Foods, their selection and preparation

full share of the day’s nutrients, without early rising on the part of the homemaker. Except for hot cereal and beverage, the food can be assembled the night before, and all can be readied for service in short order. With appropriate equipment toast can be prepared at the table. Extra slices of toast will do duty for both toast and cereal, or a double serving of cereal make toast unnec¬ essary. When both are whole-grained or en¬ riched, they may be used interchangeably, and provide the cereal nutrients in the form or forms preferred. To such a simple break¬ fast there are many possible additions when time permits, the next meal does not come too soon, and the work program to follow will not be disturbed by heavy digestive demands. For the farmer and industrial worker, breakfast comes early and must provide en¬ ergy for hard physical labor before the next meal. For the white-collar worker, the breakfast hour is later and the energy de¬ mands are less. Active children and adoles¬ cents require extra energy and food to grow on. A too light breakfast for either child or adult may result in a mid-morning slump and encourages piecing before the next meal. Piecing between meals dulls the appetite for a real meal when it comes. In general the breakfast should contain from one fifth to one fourth of the calories for the day. It is hard to make a fixed rule. A good rule is to provide enough food so that no one needs to piece before the next meal. The energy needs of the different fam¬ ily members will vary. The size of servings and additional foods can make good this dif¬ ference. The time schedules of the different family members may vary also. There may be a tendency on the part of some members of the family to sacrifice an adequate breakfast for a longer morning sleep. This can best be prevented by providing a simple but appe- [359] tizing breakfast in an easy-to-eat as well as easy-to-prepare form. Except on Sundays and holidays there is little time for elaborate breakfast prepara¬ tion or services in the modern household, and if any immediate energy demands are met, the other meals can be planned to pro¬ vide the foods lacking in the breakfast meal. But even a simple and easily prepared break¬ fast may include bacon or eggs in some form, or both. These may replace the cereal or be in addition to it. Hot breads, biscuit, muffins, or pancakes take little time if made up ready for cooking the night before. With bacon or ham and eggs, or sausage and sirup, energy may be packed into the breakfast meals for those who need it. With a little planning and experience such a breakfast takes little time and may do much to stim¬ ulate lagging breakfast appetites and to get the family up on time when that is neces¬ sary. Dinner and Lunch or Supper. The other two meals also vary as to time and size with the occupation and hours of employ¬ ment of the wage-earner, any special require¬ ments of young children in the family, and the schedules of the children in school. In rural areas the heavy meal of the day is at noon. The farmer eats at home and has an afternoon of hard physical work ahead of him. Into this meal as much as one half of the food for the day may go. Supper is a light meal when a hot school lunch is available to the children. Otherwise supper differs little from dinner.