(1) The amount used can generally be reduced. When the
fat in meat, milk, eggs, cheese, or other foods is considered, and
butt<^r is served at the meal and fats used in cooking, a much
larger amount is used than is necessar;^.
(2) If green-leaf vegetables and milk are limited in the diet,
butter should be used for the sake of the fat-soluble substance.
If, however, plenty of green vegetables and whole milk or cream
are used other fats may safely take the place of most of the
butter.
218 USE AND PREPARATION OF FOOD.
(3) The saving of fats frequently wasted in the home and
their use in cooking will be an economy. (See Unit V, Lesson 2.)
(■1) Where good cool, dry storage is available the purchase
of fats in larger sized containers will often save several cents a
pound,
4. Special points in preparing low-cost meals:
A. The low-cost meals usually contain a large proportion of
cereals with a small amount of more highly flavored meats, sweets,
and fats. If they are to be attractive special care must be taken in
the planning and preparation.
(1) Flavor may be supplied from small amounts of highly
flavored fruits or vegetables. A variety of pleasing and contrast-
ing flavors is desirable.
(2) A variety of textures is desirable both to make the meal
taste good and to make it satisfy. With a large amount of
cereals some crisp or hard foods should be included.
(3) Varying the forms in which the cereals are used and tho
method of preparation will help to avoid monotony in low-cost
meals.
METHOD OF DEVELOPING LABORATORY WORK.
Using the same family rations which were calculated in Lesson 1
and used for meal planning in Lesson 6, ask the women to estimate
the cost of the foods used, at the market price. Then, in the light of
the suggestions given in this lesson, have each group of foods revised
to include the maximum amount of the more economical foods. The
cost of the foods in the revised list should be estimated and compared
with the cost of foods in the original. Discuss in connection with this
lesson the use of locally grown products, thus saving cost of trans-
portation, and methods of reducing cost of fuels (Unit XII, Lesson
4). Point out the fact that in estimating cost it is better usually to
plan for several days together, so as to take advantage of purchasing
in quantities and of left-over foods. For home work, ask the women
to keep account of the cost of food for a week for their families, en-
deavoring to reduce the cost without cutting down the nutritive value
of the meals, and compare the daily average with the estimate made
in class.
If interested, the women might group the foods available in their
community so as to show the way in which they would affect the cost
of the dietary.
Lesson 8. Planning the Menu for a Day.
AIM.
To plan a menu for a day which will meet all requirements and
which Avill come within a specified cost.
USE AND PREPARATION OE FOOD. 219
METHOD OF DEVELOPING LAliORATOItY WOIUC.
This lesson should serve as a review of the preceding lessons in this
unit. The method used for giving the lesson may be any one of the
three suggested below. The teacher should select the method which
best fits the needs and ability of the class.
Page 145
Presented as published in 1919. 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
(1) The amount used can generally be reduced. When the fat in meat, milk, eggs, cheese, or other foods is considered, and butt<^r is served at the meal and fats used in cooking, a much larger amount is used than is necessary.
(2) If green-leaf vegetables and milk are limited in the diet, butter should be used for the sake of the fat-soluble substance. If, however, plenty of green vegetables and whole milk or cream are used other fats may safely take the place of most of the butter.
(3) The saving of fats frequently wasted in the home and their use in cooking will be an economy. (See Unit V, Lesson 2.) (4) Where good cool, dry storage is available the purchase of fats in larger sized containers will often save several cents a pound, 4. Special points in preparing low-cost meals: A. The low-cost meals usually contain a large proportion of cereals with a small amount of more highly flavored meats, sweets, and fats. If they are to be attractive special care must be taken in the planning and preparation.
(1) Flavor may be supplied from small amounts of highly flavored fruits or vegetables. A variety of pleasing and contrasting flavors is desirable.
(2) A variety of textures is desirable both to make the meal taste good and to make it satisfy. With a large amount of cereals some crisp or hard foods should be included.
(3) Varying the forms in which the cereals are used and the method of preparation will help to avoid monotony in low-cost meals.
Using the same family rations which were calculated in Lesson 1 and used for meal planning in Lesson 6, ask the women to estimate the cost of the foods used, at the market price. Then, in the light of the suggestions given in this lesson, have each group of foods revised to include the maximum amount of the more economical foods. The cost of the foods in the revised list should be estimated and compared with the cost of foods in the original. Discuss in connection with this lesson the use of locally grown products, thus saving cost of transportation, and methods of reducing cost of fuels (Unit XII, Lesson 4). Point out the fact that in estimating cost it is better usually to plan for several days together, so as to take advantage of purchasing in quantities and of left-over foods. For home work, ask the women to keep account of the cost of food for a week for their families, endeavoring to reduce the cost without cutting down the nutritive value of the meals, and compare the daily average with the estimate made in class.
If interested, the women might group the foods available in their community so as to show the way in which they would affect the cost of the dietary.
Lesson 8. Planning the Menu for a Day.
AIM.
To plan a menu for a day which will meet all requirements and which will come within a specified cost.
This lesson should serve as a review of the preceding lessons in this unit. The method used for giving the lesson may be any one of the three suggested below. The teacher should select the method which best fits the needs and ability of the class.