D. Simplicity in meals. — An elaboration in foods and courses served is unnecessary. It must be remembered that the conventional method of planning meals is largely a habit, and, like many other habits, served as a time saver because, by following certain rules, the housewife is reasonably sure without calculations that she is sup- plying the riglit foods to her family. There is danger, however, that many housekeepers will put too much stress on the form of a meal and fail to realize that all necessary food materials may frequently be supplied in very simple meals, rightly varied, and that less time is needed for their preparation. 2. Amount of food for each meal. — For an a\'erage family the total number of calories required for the day may be divided into meals as follows: Breakfast, one-fourth the total amount. Lunch or supper, one-third the total amount. Dinner, five-twelfths the total amount. If a lighter lunch is preferred, the amount suggested for breakfast and lunch may be exchanged. 3. Arrangement of meals. — This depends upon the occupations and ages of the members of the family, the habits and convenience of the home maker, and similar factors. USE AND PREPARATION OF FOOD. 213 A. Breakfast. — This meal sliould be planned with reference to the fuel requirements, the length of time -which will elapse before the next meal, and the character of the next meal. Time should be allowed for preparing and eating a suitable breakfast. It is seldom wise for a person to habitually omit the morning meal. B. Lunch or supper. — The light meal may be served in the middle of the day where there are children in school or adults in business or where the family leads a sedentary life. C. Dinner. — For adults doing heavy physical labor, the demand for fuel necessitates serving the heavy meal in the middle of the day. For those leading sedentary lives, it can be served in the evening at a time when body and mind are relaxed and the digestion is more easily carried on. For children, dinner should be served at noon; or, if served in the evening, a sufficient length of time should intervene between the meal and going to bed to give time for digestion before retiring. 4. General suggestions for the selection of food for a meal: A. It is not necessary to have some food from every group used in every meal, provided each group is well represented somewhere in the day's food. This makes it possible to serve fewer foods at some meals and make up the lack at others. B. The comparative amount of carbohydrate and fat served in a meal has an eifect upon the satisfying qualities of the meal. Car- bohydrate foods digest quickly and give a sense of satisfaction, but if a meal is principallj'^ carbohydrate the sense of hunger soon returns. Fat is more slowh^ digested and hence gives the meal "staying" qualities. C. Foods which stimulate the appetite and promote digestion should be placed at the beginning of the meal, and are especially de- sirable if the remainder of the meal is heavy. Such foods are fruits and fruit juices, light soups, or foods of special flavor. D. Heavy foods or those less readily digested should be served with foods easily digested. Only one of these dishes, if any, should be served in a meal, and they should not be served frequently lest an undue strain be put upon the digestion.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

D. Simplicity in meals. — An elaboration in foods and courses served is unnecessary. It must be remembered that the conventional method of planning meals is largely a habit, and, like many other habits, served as a time saver because, by following certain rules, the housewife is reasonably sure without calculations that she is supplying the riglit foods to her family. There is danger, however, that many housekeepers will put too much stress on the form of a meal and fail to realize that all necessary food materials may frequently be supplied in very simple meals, rightly varied, and that less time is needed for their preparation. 2. Amount of food for each meal. — For an average family the total number of calories required for the day may be divided into meals as follows: Breakfast, one-fourth the total amount. Lunch or supper, one-third the total amount. Dinner, five-twelfths the total amount. If a lighter lunch is preferred, the amount suggested for breakfast and lunch may be exchanged. 3. Arrangement of meals. — This depends upon the occupations and ages of the members of the family, the habits and convenience of the home maker, and similar factors. A. Breakfast. — This meal sliould be planned with reference to the fuel requirements, the length of time -which will elapse before the next meal, and the character of the next meal. Time should be allowed for preparing and eating a suitable breakfast. It is seldom wise for a person to habitually omit the morning meal. B. Lunch or supper. — The light meal may be served in the middle of the day where there are children in school or adults in business or where the family leads a sedentary life. C. Dinner. — For adults doing heavy physical labor, the demand for fuel necessitates serving the heavy meal in the middle of the day. For those leading sedentary lives, it can be served in the evening at a time when body and mind are relaxed and the digestion is more easily carried on. For children, dinner should be served at noon; or, if served in the evening, a sufficient length of time should intervene between the meal and going to bed to give time for digestion before retiring. 4. General suggestions for the selection of food for a meal: A. It is not necessary to have some food from every group used in every meal, provided each group is well represented somewhere in the day's food. This makes it possible to serve fewer foods at some meals and make up the lack at others. B. The comparative amount of carbohydrate and fat served in a meal has an effect upon the satisfying qualities of the meal. Carbohydrate foods digest quickly and give a sense of satisfaction, but if a meal is principally carbohydrate the sense of hunger soon returns. Fat is more slowly digested and hence gives the meal "staying" qualities. C. Foods which stimulate the appetite and promote digestion should be placed at the beginning of the meal, and are especially desirable if the remainder of the meal is heavy. Such foods are fruits and fruit juices, light soups, or foods of special flavor. D. Heavy foods or those less readily digested should be served with foods easily digested. Only one of these dishes, if any, should be served in a meal, and they should not be served frequently lest an undue strain be put upon the digestion.

Use and preparation of food