DIET LISTS OR MENUS FOR THE SICK
Diet for the sick may be divided into three kinds: Liquid, Light, and Convalescent's or Invalid's Diet.
Liquid diet consists entirely of liquids, of which milk is the most valuable. The meat broths (those made with beef, chicken, and mutton), oyster and clam broth, albumen water, eggs in the form of egg-nog, egg cream, and mulled wine, and tea and coffee are excellent. To this list may be added, as the patient shows signs of recovery, soft custards, and jellies made with wine, lemon, coffee, or orange-juice, which quickly become liquid when eaten.
A patient is given liquid diet during times of severe and dangerous illness. Usually the amount of food and intervals at which it is to be given are prescribed by the physician.
The following table may be of assistance to those who are without such aid:
LIQUID DIET
If nourishment is to be given throughout the night, either hot or warm milk or cocoa is good. They are soothing and sometimes induce sleep. Tea and wine whey should be avoided at night, unless, of course, the patient needs stimulating, in which case use the wine only, for tea often causes wakefulness.
The whites of eggs beaten and strained, and mixed with finely crushed ice, is a valuable form of food for a typhoid fever patient. Toast-water and cracker tea are good in all feverish conditions. Milk may be varied by making it into milk-punch, with a very little sugar (a scanty teaspoon) and a tablespoon of brandy or sherry to each tumbler, or it may be made with a few drops of vanilla, instead of the brandy or sherry.
LIGHT DIET
Light diet consists of everything included in liquid diet, and in addition fruits, such as grapes and oranges; porridge of granum or farina; soft-cooked or poached eggs; dry, water, milk, and cream toast; the maigre soups, such as celery and mock-bisque, and chicken; delicate puddings, coffee and velvet cream, and baked custards, with perhaps for dinner a meat ball, a small bit of beefsteak or roast beef, and a baked potato.
Jellies made with gelatine, especially when flavored with wine, are a very valuable form of food with which to make the transition from liquid to light diet. They are palatable, nutritious, and, being in solid form, are satisfying to the minds of those who think they are not getting much to eat when fed on liquids alone.
The change from liquid to light diet should be made gradually, adding one kind of solid food at a time. Perhaps after the jellies a bit of water or milk toast, then an egg, then a little soup or pudding, until, as strength is gained, the person is able to take anything in the list, and finally is able to eat almost any kind of nutritious and well-prepared food.
First Day.
Breakfast.
Poached Egg on Toast. Cocoa.
Lunch.
Milk-punch.
Dinner.
Raw Oysters. Cream-crackers. Port Wine.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Beef Broth.
Supper.
Milk Toast. Wine Jelly. Tea.
Second Day.
Breakfast.
Soft-cooked Egg. Milk Toast.
Coffee with Sugar and Cream.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Soft Custard.
Dinner.
Cream-of-celery Soup. Sippets.
A little Barley Pudding, with Cream. Sherry Wine.
Lunch.
Milk-punch.
Supper.
Water Toast, Buttered. Wine Jelly. Tea.
Third Day.
Breakfast.
Scrambled Egg. Cream Toast. Cocoa.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Chicken Broth.
Dinner.
Chicken Panada. Bread. Port Wine.
A little Tapioca Cream.
Lunch.
An Egg-nog.
Supper.
Buttered Dry Toast. Baked Sweet Apples and Cream.
Tea.
Fourth Day.
Breakfast.
An Orange.
Farina Mush, with Cream and Sugar.
Poached Egg on Toast. Baked Potato. Cocoa.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Soft Custard.
Dinner.
Potato Soup. Croutons.
A small Piece of Beefsteak. Creamed Potatoes.
Baked Custard. Coffee.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Chicken Broth, with Rice.
Supper.
Raw Oysters. Banquet Crackers.
Graham Bread, Toasted. Wine Jelly. Tea.
Fifth Day.
Breakfast.
An Orange.
Coffee. Mush of Wheat Germ, with Cream and Sugar.
Broiled Mutton Chop. Toast.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Mulled Wine.
Dinner.
Chicken Soup. Bread.
Creamed Sweetbreads. Duchess Potato.
Snow Pudding. Cocoa.
Lunch.
Siphon Soda, with Coffee Syrup and Cream.
Supper.
Buttered Dry Toast. Orange Jelly.
Sponge Cake and Cream. Tea.
CONVALESCENT'S DIET
Convalescent's diet includes the liquid and light diets, and, in addition, all easily digested and nutritious food. For meats, game, especially venison and birds, beef, mutton, and chicken may be given, but never either pork or veal. They are difficult of digestion. Eggs in all ways, soft-cooked, scrambled, poached, and as omelets, well-baked potatoes, creamed potatoes, celery, snow pudding, cream of rice pudding, and tapioca cream, jellies, both those made from gelatine and fruits, Graham bread, Graham gems, rusk, and, in fact, any well-made bread, and good cake.
A convalescent may use for drinks plenty of good milk, cocoa, carefully made tea and coffee, occasionally good wine, and the different mineral and drinking waters. Some foods to be avoided are pastry, dark or badly made cakes, pork, veal, any highly seasoned meat dish made with gravy, all kinds of fried food, sausages, heavy puddings, badly made bread, lobsters and crabs.
SPRING
No. 1
Breakfast.
An Orange.
Porridge of Wheat Flakes, with Cream and Sugar.
Omelet, with Broiled Ham.
Coffee. Hot Graham Gems and Butter.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Beef Broth. A Cream-cracker.
Dinner.
Chicken Soup. Creamed Fish.
Mashed Potato. Snow Pudding.
White Cake. Tea.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Milk.
Supper.
Broiled Squab on Toast. Creamed Potatoes.
Bread and Butter. Jelly.
Cocoa.
No. 2
Breakfast.
An Orange.
Farina Porridge, with Cream and Sugar.
French Chops (Mutton). Baked Potato.
Cream Toast of Graham Bread.
Cocoa.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Cracker Gruel.
Dinner.
Mock-bisque Soup. Sticks.
Roast Beef. French Peas. Mashed Potato.
Bread and Butter.
Baked Cup Custard. Coffee or Claret.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Bouillon.
Supper.
Scrambled Eggs. Creamed Potatoes.
Water Toast, with Apple Compote.
Feather Cake. Tea.
SUMMER
No. 1
Breakfast.
Blackberries.
Farina Porridge, with Cream and Sugar.
Broiled Steak. Baked Potatoes.
Dry Toast. Cocoa.
Lunch.
1 Tumbler of Kumiss.
Dinner.
Potato Soup made with New Potatoes.
Baked Fish. Mashed Potatoes. Peas.
Chicken Salad. Lemon Jelly.
Tea.
Lunch.
Soda-water, with Vanilla Syrup and Cream.
Supper.
Cold Broiled Chicken. Bread and Butter.
Blueberries. White Cake.
Cocoa.
No. 2
Breakfast.
Blueberries.
Broiled Perch. Baked Potatoes.
Hot Snow Cakes, with Butter.
Coffee.
Lunch.
Milk-punch.
Dinner.
Broiled French Chop. Duchess Potato.
Peas. Tomato Salad.
Tapioca Cream. Wine Jelly.
Lemonade.
Lunch.
Egg-nog.
Supper.
Hot Water Toast, Buttered. Berries.
Omelet, with Parsley.
Tea. Soft Custard in Cups.
AUTUMN
No. 1
Breakfast.
Oatmeal Mush, with Cream and Sugar.
Broiled Steak. Baked Potatoes.
Oatmeal Muffins, Hot, with Butter.
Coffee.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Beef Broth. A Banquet Cracker.
Dinner.
Celery Soup. Sippets. Roast Pheasant, with Jelly.
Potatoes. Stewed Mushrooms.
Velvet Cream. Cocoa.
Lunch.
A thin Sandwich of Bread and Butter. Tea.
Supper.
Raw Oysters. Cream Toast. Baked Apples.
Rusk. Tea.
No. 2
Breakfast.
Cantaloup.
Farina Porridge, with Cream and Sugar.
Broiled Mutton Chop. Baked Potatoes.
Dry Toast. Coffee.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Chicken Broth.
Dinner.
Oyster Soup. Sticks.
Roast Beef. Creamed Potatoes.
Celery Salad.
Coffee Cream. Tea.
Lunch.
A Cup of Hot Oatmeal Gruel.
Supper.
Poached Egg on Toast. Cocoa.
Graham Bread and Butter. Sponge Cake.
WINTER
No. 1
Breakfast.
An Orange.
Oatmeal Porridge, with Cream and Sugar. Coffee.
Broiled Steak. Baked Potato. Cream Toast.
Lunch.
Egg-nog.
Dinner.
Celery Soup. Croutons.
Roast Chicken. Creamed Onions. Duchess Potato.
Lettuce Salad (plain). Velvet Cream. Coffee.
Lunch.
Cocoa Cordial. Sponge Cake.
Supper.
Fancy Roast of Oysters. Dry Toast.
Chocolate, with Whipped Cream. Orange Jelly.
No. 2
Breakfast.
An Orange.
Wheat Germ, with Cream and Sugar.
Broiled Partridge. Dry Toast. Coffee.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Hot Chicken Broth.
Dinner.
Consommé. Bread.
Roast Beef. Mashed Potatoes.
Tomato Salad.
Cream of Rice Pudding. Coffee.
Lunch.
1 Cup of Mulled Wine.
Supper.
Venison Steak, with Port Wine Sauce.
Toast. Sponge Cake, with Sweet Cream.
Cocoa.
[SERVING]
If cooking be a science, then serving is an art. It perhaps more closely resembles painting than any other, for a well-spread table should be a picture, and each separate dish a choice bit in the landscape. The invalid's tray should be a dainty Dresden water-color of delicate hues and harmonious tints.
It is not easy to give definite directions in regard to serving, for it involves so much of good taste in so many directions, and depends so largely upon the individual and the circumstances. It requires intelligent study, a cultivated habit of thought, and the appreciation of symmetry, and the harmony of colors; to do it well one must ever judge anew and arrange again, for no two meals are exactly alike in all their details.