Km '• %Tsr».ft.. f^^^mjimviatmM rimer — for fhp Home ^ lucuH.Gillof/ \ _. . Cornell University Library RM 216.G47 Food primer for the home, 3 1924 003 468 844 LIBRARY OF THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA, NEW YORK Date Due h/ljxy 1 s 1 QIC -, 3j\j 2 FEB 6 )m - RETURN TO ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY ITHACA, N. Y. fy-^LX^iXZ^^r*^ C-(cXa.»*«-.«,<^ llllllllllillllllllllllll iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Food Primer For the Home Compiled by LUCY H. GILLETT Food Specialist BDSEAU or FOOD SUPPLY, A. I. C. P. lOS £. 32tn> ST., HEW YORK mmiim of Audi Biiti Mmn Mw The contents of this book, based upon the results of three years' research and experiment, reduce the food problem to simple graphic terms so that it can be easily understood by everyone capable of reading, andjmay be applied in the interest of the best health of the family. Thanks are due to Mrs. Eliza- beth MiLBANK Anderson who has made this publication possible. I| IL iiiiiiiiiiii ^ ■ ■ Health is a National Obligation. Good Food Hqbits are Necessary .for Health. What are good food habits? Good food habits are: the eating of the right kinds of food the eating of the right amount of food the eating of this food at the right time and in the proper manner. At what age should good food habits be started? The nursing baby should be taught the first good food habit of eating regularly and at stated times. Other good food habits should be started as soon as the child begins to eat solid food. Children may be taught to like almost any food, but it is very hard for many adults to learn to like new foods. It is a waste of time and energy to try to break bad habits when good habits might have been started in their places. How can you teach a child to like any food? Be patient but persistent — persuade rather than force. Do not give up — to give up or to give in may spoil the child's health. Do not get something in place of what the child refuses to eat. Introduce new foods gradually. Serve only a small amount of each new food at a time (1-2 tea- spoonsful) — serve it frequently until he acquires a liking for it. Make the food as attractive as possible, and prepare in a variety of ways. Serve cereal in an attractive dish. Put cooked dried fruit in the cereal. Conceal spinach in scrambled egg. Add vegetable pulp to white sauce and pour over toast. It may take two years to teach a child to like vegetables, but two years spent educating a child to eat the right foods are better spent than from 2 to 20 years or more of misery with only half working ability. Be Strong and Healthy Good Food Habits are Essential to Health Drink at least two cups of milk every day. Eat freely of Bread or Cereal at every meal. Eat some Vegetable every day. Do not eat Sweets except at the end of a meaL Drink at least six cups of Water every day. Do not drink Coffee or Tea at all. Eat regularly, three times a day. Do not eat between meals — except an occasional light luncheon hedf way between two hearty meals. Eat slowly — chew food thoroughly. FOOD CHART No. I IT has been found through a study of food habits that these suggestions are in accordance with economy where economy is important. But where money is no consideration, they are quite in accordance with the best laws of health. The fundamental principles are the same. They differ chiefly in the types of vegetables and fruits used according to the amount of econ- omy necessary. It is important at this particular time of food conservation that everyone know relative food values so as to know how to substitute for the meat and wheat which we want to conserve. Give the children the proper start in life. Give them the right kind of food. Why does James look so sure of winning? James has the assurance of winning because he has good solid bones, firm muscles, a strong vigorous heart and steady nerves. How has he acquired these good quahties? He eats three hearty meals a day — seldom between meals, except an occasional light luncheon half way between two hearty meals. He eats cereal and milk every morning for breakfast. He never drinks coffee. He eats plenty of coarse breads, vegetables and milk. He eats comparatively little meat or sugar. He eats sweets only at the end of a meal. He chews his food thoroughly. Why does William look so pathetic? William is beginning to feel that he is not strong enough to play as hard as the other boys. He feels tired sooner than they do and often can't play at all. He has a cold frequently. Is there any reason for \yilliam's lack of energy? William eats bread and coffee for breakfast. His mother thinks it takes too long to cook the cereal. His breakfast furnishes only about half as much food value as James' breakfast. He eats a bite here and a bite there throughout the day. He has no regular eating times. He eats anything he happens to see which appeals to him. He eats it hurriedly too. He eats a great deal of white bread, meat and coflfee with lots of sugar in it. It is not a difference in cost. The chances are that William's food costs more than James'. What are William's chances of success in life? The chances are that he won't get along as well at school, that he won't be able to work as hard, that he will be more susceptible to disease, and that he may be unable to earn his living because of tuber- culosis or some other wasting disease. James' breakfast of oatmeal and milk costs no more than Wil- liarn's breakfast of bread and coffee, but it supplies about twice as much growing material. THE RACE FOR LIFE AMOUNT OF GROWING MATERIAL NEEDED BY WILUAM EVERY DAY AMOUNT or CROWING MATERIAL NEEDED BY JAMES EVERY DAY CROWING MATERIAL SUPPUED BY WILLIAM'S BREAKFAST 350 Faad UnH* fAMES and WILLIAM J ha.a a »« «.]||>T 1 n*. Baih mwi lain Inm S t <>>Gpqill.d..r..^(|'-ir.3«. D><»D<). Tb. food nnul HUH plf all of (hi. a. wall a. tU aMniu>«lii>-orkaH)pU*. WJkam i. laltin. ..1, abQal OD. K.lf a. »LKk («. kit bnnklui o( braad ud coFfa* at Jan.. g,u (»■ hit anal and niUk. HaitUiaraby latwnuii lu>' ehaacu far i ba.llhjmaiJiM.ll. {B.lh b..a kfaili coti amauBDOiL) CROWING MAT~RIA1, SUPPLIED BY JAKES' BREAKFASt FOOD CHART No. A. L C p. 105 Cut ZZiHl SirMt JAMES, and WILLIAM have a race to run. Both want to be strong, healthy men. Both must gain from S to 6 pounds a year (lyi to 2 oz. a week, or from 6 to 8" oz. a month). The food must supply all of this as well as the energy used in work and play. William is getting only about one-half as much from his breakfast of bread and coffee as James gets from his cereal and milk. He is thereby lessening his chances for a healthy manhood. (Both breakfasts cost practically the same amount.) Give the children plenty of milk and watch them grow. What everyday proof have we that milk has good growing material for boys and girls? It is the only food the majority of children get for the first nine months of their lives, yet they live on it, they grovif on it, they do their -work of playing, kicking, and crying on it. What does milk supply? It supplies building material for the bones, teeth, and muscles, it keeps the heart beating regularly, it strengthens the nerves and every other part of the body. It has a grovi^ing force which makes weak bodies grow into strong ones. Would any other food do as well? No other food could be used in its place. No other one food contains as many of the various growing materials needed by children. No other one food supplies enough building material for bones and teeth. Good bones and teeth need lime for building. Children need a variety of growing materials and they must all be supplied if every child is to be a strong, healthy man or woman. How much milk should children have? Every child must have at least one pint of milk a day to supply material for good bcJnes and teeth. Every child ought to have at least one quart of milk a day be- cause it is so easily built up into body tissue. What is its value for adults? It is an excellent food for adults. It might take the place of some meat. At least a cup of milk per adult per day should be used in the food or taken as a beverage. The food value of the milk is the same whether the milk is taken in cooked foods or as a beverage. What is the food value of coffee or tea? Coffee and tea have no food value. Are they harmful? They are harmful for growing children because they dull the appetite so that the children feel satisfied before all the necessary growing material has been supplied. U 4J I O QJ o •S W)_ o w 1 ir c ,b (U rt rt rf I, u " u c 2 S'5 S-5 (u o n) I- 1-, M . hT3 -.5 C S! kV r-t VV tH O oj CO ho P •^ "J s rt •+-« -a "^ lu o CJ u «. •o r; to C 4> JH s«-g I O (U C O m u >> tn oj '- S • S rt K I' o CO bo V u a Are dried fruits and vegetables better than canned ones? No, dried fruits and vegetables are advocated only where econ- omy is necessary. If you have only i8 cents to spend for a vegetable or a fruit, you can get more food value from i8 cents' worth of dried peaches than from i8 cents' worth of canned peaches, because you pay for water when buying the canned which might be added at home. If it is a matter of getting more food value for the money, then dried fruits and vegetables would be recommended above canned in general. Use some fresh vegetables occasionally however. Home canned fruits and vegetables are always to be preferred to purchased dried vegetables. How about the material required in the preparation of the dried fruits? While extra material used in the preparation should be consid- ered, the food value will be increased much more in proportion than the cost. Sugar added to dried fruit at home costs not more than ID cents a pound. The sugar in canned peaches has been paid for at the rate of at least 25 cents a pound. The following illustrates the cost and number of servings from a pound of canned peaches and dried peaches: Cost of On© Food Value Cost^ Serving Calories (Cents) Servings (Cents) I pound can of peaches 213 12 2^' 454 I pound of dried peaches 1,280 18 12 ij^ If one were to add even one cup of sugar to the pound of dried fruit in cooking, there would be added 900 calories to its food value at a cost of one-half pound of sugar. If this is five cents then the food value' and cost of each serving would be as follows: Food Value Cost Canned peaches 80 calories 4^2 cents Dried peaches 148 calories i "/^^ cents ^ Costs are only approximate. ' Only 8 half peaches were contained in a pound can — enough to serve only 2 people, with ?^ of a serving for a third person. Use more milk and less meat. The chief danger in going without meat is in not making the proper substitutes. Is meat necessary every day? Meat is not necessary every day. Some people get along very well without any meat at all. Why do some people think they need meat every day? Some people think they need meat every day because they are accustomed to it. They were not properly taught as children. Meat has a stimulating quality. This stimulating quality often makes some people feel that they need more meat than is really good for them. What can be substituted for meat? Milk, eggs, cheese, plenty of vegetables (especially beans and peas), fish, and more cereals. How may the rheat be reduced and yet make meals appe- tizing? Use meat for flavor and use it in such a way as to make a small amount go a long way. Use less meat and more vegetables and cereals (rice, barley and oatmeal) in soups and stews. Cook a small amount of chopped meat with a large amount of cooked rice or barley. Season with onion or other vegetable. The water in which pared vegetables and rice are cooked should be used in soups and gravies so far as po.ssible. This water contains valuable food material which should be used. It may be just what you need. 10 [ d Use plenty of milk, vegetables, and cereals, and make sure that all building stones are supplied. What is meant by "building stones"? The building stones of the body are the various materials which go to make up the bones, muscles, teeth, nerves, and all other parts of the body. Fats, sugars, proteins, lime, and iron are among the most important. Does any one food contain them all? Milk contains all building or growing materials. No other one food contains them all. We must eat a variety of foods to get what we need. Is appetite a good guide? There are very few wise and intelligent appetites. Taste is too depraved to trust as a guide. The chances are that we would be get- ting far more than we needed of some material and not enough of others. This is a waste of food. How then can one be sure of securing a proper balance? 1 — There should be at least i qt. of milk for every two or three peo- ple over five years of age (i qt. for every child under five). 2 — There should be plenty of bread or cereal and milk for breakfast with fruit if possible. If people are working hard other things may be added. 3 — The main dish at one other meal should consist of one or more vegetables with milk and bread or cereals. 4 — The third meal should have as its main dish meat or meat substi- tute prepared with plenty of vegetables. 5 — There should be plenty of milk, vegetables and cereals in every diet. If these foods are made the important items in the diet the sugar may be reduced to a minimum. It should never be allowed between meals or at the beginning of a meal as it destroys the appetite for the foods needed. Learn to eat cereal without sugar. Whatever sugar is given should be given at the end of the meal. It contains no iron and is likely to lessen the eating of iron foods. Iron foods are very necessary. There should be a reasonable amount of fat in every diet. Cheaper fats and oils may be used in place of butter provided there are plenty of milk and green vegetables. 12 s o O " P c o 4-t I bo ^ OJ w a o 2^ or ^5 -^ m 0) O « C > >. 2 r; ° " V art's 4^ "5 3 1)'-' ■S 60 O" tJO 0) .2§§S"S ^ o ■ bo rt u E- °l J3 O Og'S rt*-* !>.^ o " tn Tj 4) "rt CJ= S rt ■'-' (U Ol o S -^ rt o >i o O " ^ rt »-J OJ ho m ■" S^i rt bo ;i^ * rt s,^ in en rt rt 5 o 5 (u rt " ""ja rt O 5 bo M 5 as S rt "Jr tn S ..CO « ° C^ C fo'Sg''* £5^0 o c The more grain products used the cheaper the diet. The more meat used, the more expensive the diet. What are grain products? The grain products include bread flours, cereals, macaroni, rice, barley, cornmeal and other similar products made from grain. What makes the food value of oatmeal so much higher than white flour, as shown on the chart opposite? The chief difference in the food value of these two grain prod- ucts is the difference in the amount of the grain which is used in the preparation of the product. In oatmeal the outside coating of the grain is left in the cereal. This contains valuable material. It in- creases the value of the oatmeal as a food. In white flour the grain coating has been carefully removed. Its food value is thereby de- cidedly decreased. Is white flour necessary? White flour is not necessary even for children. In fact, we would all be better or just as well, if we ate more of the grain products oth^r than white flour. White flour has been deprived of valuable building material. It has less lime and iron than whole wheat or oatmeal. Both adults and children need this lime and iron. The coarser flours and cereals are more laxative and help to prevent con- stipation. Constipation leads to many ills. How can ©ne judge the relative economy of the various cereals? Divide the score for the food value per pound by the cost as follows: Score for Return in food value Cost per food value for per pound pound every cent spent Oatmeal 2,460 7 cents 351 Shredded wheat 2,200 16 " 138 Barley 1,380 8 " 172 Wheat flour 1,180 8 " 148 What about nuts? The food value of nuts is high. The use of nuts may reduce the use of meat considerably. If nuts are eaten even as a relish less meat may be served for the main dish. If plenty of vegetables are served meat may be omitted entirely. ' Nuts need to be masticated thoroughly however. Peanut butter sandwiches and potato soup make an excellent luncheon for a boy. 14 GRAIN PRODUCTS and NUTS (FOOD VALUE PER POUND) GRAIN PRODUCTS OATMEAL "^^^^ ANY CEREAL « FLOUR M.dl f»D lb* WHOLE WHEAT liHliuWbHt«nt,ShndM WbitL or CnbiB Flsur BARUY. FAKINA, MACARONI] or CORNMEAL HOMINY, WHITE FLOUR or WHITE RICE FoodVthw 2200 I Food Vidua 1180 NUTS PECANS WALNUTS FOOD CHART No. VU J Grain Products and Nuts are Valuable for Energy and Building Material Chart VI shows the various types of food compared as to food value and "cost. This chart shows how some of the cereals and nuts compare with each other per pound. (To compare foods on the basis of cost, divide the value given by the cost per pound.) Bread and cereals are especially valuable for energy needed by boys and girls who are exercising vigorously. They not only furnish a large amount of energy needed for exercise, but they also supply building material and help to build strong muscles. They should be eaten freely. Nuts are valuable, too, but they should 'be. combined with other foods and chewed thoroughly. Eat them at meal time in place of meat. Try a peanut butter sandwich with vegetable soup. (The value represented here is the score value described on Chart VI.) IS Eat vegetables every day to save doctor's hills. Are vegetables and fruits necessary? Yes, vegetables are one of the three most important foods. Milk, cereals and vegetables may make a complete diet. Why are vegetables important? Vegetables supply bulk which helps to overcome constipation. This is a very important use. They also supply valuable salts and acids which not only help in building bones and tissues but help to keep the body healthy. Which vegetables are especially recommended? The potato is one of the most valuable as well as one of the cheapest vegetables. It is cheap even at five cents a pound. All green vegetables such as spinach, dandelions, string beans, fresh peas, and beans are also valuable for their iron. All vegetables are good. Use carrots, onions, beets, turnips and cabbage freely. Why are green vegetables important? They contain iron. Iron is necessary for good blood. Good blood is necessary for health. It is better to take iron in food than to have to take an iron tonic later. Which vegetables are cheapest? The cost per pound does not always determine relative economy. The food value must be considered. To find out which of two par- ticular vegetables is cheaper, divide the food value as given on the opposite page by the current cost per pound. Example : Score for Return in food food value Cost per value for each per pound pound cent spent Cabbage 380 3 cents 127 Onions 270 3 " 90 Then with onions and cabbage at practically the same cost per pound, one would get more from the same amount of money in buy- ing the cabbage. Similarly we may find the relative economy of dried and fresh fruit. Score for Return in food food value Cost per value for every per pound pound cent Dates 1,200 20 cents 60 Apples (fresh) 220 5 " 44 With apples at five cents a pound, dried fruit is more economical. It is well, however, to have some fresh fruit in the diet two or three times a week. 16 VEGETABLES and FRUITS (FOOD VALUE PER POUND) VEGETABLES DRY PEAS, BEA^S or LENTILS I Food Value 270 FRUITS DATES, RAISINS or PRUNES DRIED APPLES GRAPES, ORANGES or BANANAS OTHER FRESH FRUrTS Food Value 95» I Food Value I 240 (Food Value I' 220 FOOD CHART No. vra Vegetables and Fruits are Necessary for Good Health It is not necessary to eat as much of, these foods as of milk and grain products, but every boy and girl needs some vegetable at least once a day. Fruit should be eaten every day if possible. The amount of building material furnished by fruit and vegetables is a very necessary kind. Fruit and vegetables make other building material more valuable. They help to build good teeth and strong bones; they keep the blood healthy; they help food to digest, and they help to make muscles stronger. They are very important. Do not neglect them. (The value represented here is the score value described on Chart VI.) 17 There is very little danger of eating too much of a well-balanced diet. There is great danger of eating too much of a poorly balanced diet. If children have all they want to eat, isn't that enough atten- tion to give to their food? No. Every child needs a certain variety and amount of growing material. The diet must be well-balanced in order to insure enough of each one without getting too much of others. What is a well-balanced diet? A well-balanced diet supplies all the needs of the body in prac- tically the amounts needed for each day's process of living. How can we be sure of a well-balanced diet? A well-balanced diet may be obtained by observing the following suggestions: Spend no more for meat than for milk (using at least J^ a quart of milk for every child under i6 and 'A oi a. quart for every adult). Spend as much or more for vegetables and fruit as for meat. Use plenty of vegetables. Eat freely of cereals and bread to satisfy the appetite (use the whole grain cereals). (Sherman) Summary : I — Use all the milk the family needs. 2 — Use vegetables for at least one meal a day. Use plenty of potatoes and some leaf or green vegetab, ^"3 (u H'S-;:; CO (U O4 OJ a> ^ , O C8 > " m en en rH en eti nj bo C ^ m p3 ^ OJ "^ rs 1-1 o o ^ ^ o B p^ en u en (U tH L > u o c " ° n) (U H 3 >* O o< '<-' c « O C rt <+- (U tu • ■" O'S c "'^ ■" g m c^ 2 en 3 S "! 2 5 »J o « u, C OJ j-i- CS j-.„ ^ enS eg "•I c en O " S h V lU en 4_)