Nature always does much to sustain strength and to restore health after disease. Diet aids nature when it is such as can nourish the body during growth and in illness, but food that overtaxes a growing or diseased body by excess or wrong food hinders growth and return to health and may leave the body permanently weakened.

It is important the growing body be progressively fed but not more rapidly than it has the power to use foods new to it. Type of food-preparation needs to change too, from liquid food to soft foods, then finely chopped and finally coarser, dried food, compelling mastication.

Foods Needed Child-Age

Before 9 months - Milk. At 9 months - Milk, gruel (cereal), gelatin; water between meals. 1 yr. - Milk, gruel (cereal), broth (chicken or mutton). 1-1 1/4 yrs. - Add butter and ripe peach (skinned). 1 1/4-1 1/2 yrs. - Add potato (baked), orange juice. 1 1/2-2 yrs. - Add egg (soft).

2 1/2 yrs. - Increase variety of similar foods (note below foods excluded). 2 1/2-3 1/2 yrs. - Add digestible, young, fresh vegetables, as peas, beans, squash, and, every 2 or 3 days, meat (as chicken, mutton chop, beefsteak, roast). 3 1/2 - 5 yrs. - Eggs and meat on alternate days. Light dessert, as custard, tapioca, gelatin. 5-7 yrs. - Greater variety, but observe exclusions stated below. 7-11 yrs. - All foods permitted earlier, but more substantial diet. Few foods at a meal, but great variety in meals so as to form taste for all wholesome foods. 11-14 yrs. - Girls' and boys' food-needs begin to differ. Girls need 1/6 less food. Girls prefer more delicate and less highly-flavored foods. Girls tend to undereat. Boys often overeat meat; this may cause eczema. Diet should not be too largely animal food, though more is needed now. See page opposite. 14-16 yrs. - Food-needs of both boys and girls approach those of adult-life. Late eating at this age and stimulating foods and drinks will ruin the constitution. Regulation of life-processes now gives tone to the body, strength, and control for maturity.

(Adapted from "What Children Should Eat." - Greer).