Menu No. I

Breakfast Oranges Flaked wheat Twice baked rolls and butter Milk for children

Coffee for adults

Luncheon

Creamed salmon on toast

Peas

Graham bread and butter

Stewed pears

Milk to drink

Dinner

Clear tomato soup

Roast beef

Mashed potatoes, string beans Cabbage salad Lemon jelly, whipped cream Milk for children to drink

Menu No. II

Breakfast Grapes Oatmeal Toast with butter

Cereal cafe au lait for children Coffee for adults

Luncheon

Eggs au gratin Stewed tomatoes Bread and butter Raspberry tapioca Cocoa

Dinner

Julienne soup Roast beef Creamed macaroni, spinach Celery and nut salad Pineapple ice, lady fingers Milk for children to drink

By a little calculation from tables giving the 100-Calorie portions of food materials l we can find out whether or not we have well-balanced dietaries. Let us take, for example, Menu I, and make a list of the foods required to prepare it for a family of this size.

1 Rose, "Laboratory Handbook for Dietetics."

Food Material

100-Calorie Portions

Total Calories

Protein Calories

Oranges ..........

2.5

250

28

Flaked wheat.....................................................

5.0

500

74

Rolls...........

5.0

500

61

Milk for children..............................................

6.0

600

114

Thin cream for cereal......................................

5.0

500

26

Butter for rolls................................................

5.0

500

5

Sugar for coffee............................................

1.0

100

-

Creamed salmon

Salmon...................................................

3.0

300

160

Milk.........

2.0

200

38

Flour.......................................................

0.3

33

4

Butter.......................................................

2.0

200

2

Toast.........

3.0

300

43

Peas....................................................................

2.5

250

70

Butter for peas....................................................

1.0

100

1

Graham bread....................................................

5.0

500

68

Butter for bread....................................................

5.0

500

5

Pears...................................................................

2.5

250

8

Sugar for pears....................................................

2.0

200

-

Milk to drink........

6.0

600

114

Tomato soup

Tomatoes.................................................

0.5

50

10

Butter.....................................................

2.0

200

2

Flour.........

0.3

33

4

Roast beef.........

5.0

500

138

Mashed Potatoes...............................................

5.0

500

52

Milk.........

1.0

100

19

Butter........................................................

1.0

100

1

String beans......................................................

0.5

50

11

Butter for beans................................................

1.0

100

1

Bread...................................................................

5.0

500

72

Butter...............................................................

5.0

500

5

Cabbage salad

'

Cabbage.....................................................

0.5

50

10

Lettuce......................................................

0.1

10

-

Heavy cream for dressing...........................

2.0

200

4

Lemon jelly

Gelatin.....................................................

0.5

50

45

Lemon juice............................................

0.1

10

-

Sugar.........................................................

4.0

400

-

Whipped cream

Heavy cream.........................................

3.0

300

7

Milk to drink.......

6.0

600

114

Totals...........................................

10,583

1286

It is evident that we have enough protein, and as a good share of it is from milk, we know that it will satisfy the children's requirements in the best possible way. The adults will get theirs largely from the salmon and meat. Comparing this list with our first tentative one, we find that we have used in building up our dietary 21 portions of milk, 5 of cereal, 5 of fruit (not including lemon juice), 4.1 of green vegetable, 8 of meat (including salmon), 18 of bread, and 22 of butter, but no eggs. We have a good representation of the different kinds of foodstuffs, with this exception, and as the boys would need the eggs most, we could put them in for their breakfast, thus adding about 140 total Calories and 50 protein Calories. With this addition we are still slightly deficient in total energy, but to add one or two hundred Calories is a very simple matter. A second serving of potatoes, an extra roll for those whose fuel requirement is highest, or a slightly more liberal use of butter, might well solve the problem. This dietary calculation shows how the menu may help in getting a balanced diet, and how knowledge of food values can be applied as a check on the menu. If we had had fewer dishes in each meal, we should have had to plan to serve larger portions of some or all of them, or to use more freely such staples as bread, butter, and milk.

Each family must find out the kind of menu best suited to its resources. Some typical meal plans suitable for everyday use are given below.