Woman's Institute Library of Cookery. Volume 5: Fruit and Fruit Desserts; Canning and Drying; Jelly Making, Preserving and Pickling; Confections; Beverages; the Planning of Meals

by Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

COMPOSITION OF FOOD

32. To feed her family properly, the housewife should understand that the daily food must include the five food substances--protein, fat, carbohydrate, mineral matter, and water. As these are discussed in Essentials of Cookery, Part 1, they should be clear to the housewife, but if they are not fully understood, a careful review should be made of the discussions given there. The ways in which these food principles contribute to the growth and health of the body, as well as the ordinary foods that supply them in the greatest number, are tabulated in Table II for easy reference. This information will assist the housewife materially in the selection and preparation of food for her family; consequently, close attention should be given to it and constant application made of it.

33. As has already been learned and as will be noted here, a food substance often has more than one use in the body. For instance, protein builds tissue and also yields energy, but its chief work is that of building tissue, and so it is classed first as a tissue-building food substance. The fats and carbohydrates also have a double use in the body, that of producing heat and energy and of building fatty tissue. However, as their chief use is to produce heat and energy, they are known principally as heat-producing foods. Mineral matter not only is necessary for the building of bone and muscle, but also enters into the composition of the blood and all the fluids in the body. Growth and development are not ideal without an adequate supply of the many kinds of these salts, which go to make up the tissues, nerves, blood, and other fluids in the body.

34. The body regulators must be included in the food given, for they assist in all processes carried on in the body. Some are necessary to aid in the stimulation required to carry on the processes of digestion and in some cases make up a part of the digestive fluids. Consequently, vegetables and fruits that supply these body regulators and foods that supply vitamines should be provided.

Water, the chief body regulator, not only is essential to life itself, but forms by far a greater proportion of the body than any other single substance. The largest part of the water required in the body is supplied as a beverage and the remainder is taken in with the foods that are eaten.

TABLE II
FOOD SUBSTANCES AND THEIR RELATION TO GROWTH AND HEALTH

I Body-building materials	Proteins.	Meat
		Fish and shell fish
		Poultry and game
		Eggs
		Milk and milk products
		Legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils)
		Wheat and wheat products, as corn starch
		Nuts
	Mineral matter, or ash	Vegetables
		Fruits
		Eggs
		Milk
		Cereals
		Meats
II Heat-producing materials	Fats	Animal	Lard
			Suet
			Tallow
			Butter and cream
		Vegetable	Olive oil
			Corn oil
			Cottonseed oil
			Coconut oil
			Nut oils
		Mixed oils	Oleomargarine
			Butterine
			Nut butter
			Crisco, etc.
	Carbohydrates	Starch	Cereals and cereal products
			Irish and sweet potatoes
		Sugar	Cane sugar and molasses
			Beet sugar
			Maple sugar and sirup
			Honey
			Corn sirup and other manufactured sirups
		Proteins	Same as in I
III Body regulators	Water
	Mineral matter, or ash	Same as in I
	Cellulose	Fruits
		Vegetables
		Covering of cereals and nuts
	Food Acids	Sour fruits--citric and malic
		Tomatoes--malic
		Spinach--oxalic
		Rhubarb--oxalic
	Vitamines	Fat soluble A	Milk
			Butter
			Egg yolk
		Water soluble B	Green vegetables, as spinach, chard, lettuce, beet greens
			Asparagus and stem vegetables, as celery
			Fruit vegetables, as tomatoes, peppers, okra
			Fruits

The importance of bulk in foods cannot be emphasized too much. The indigestible cellulose of fruits, vegetables, and cereals is of such importance in the body that some of these foods should be supplied with every meal. Therefore, their incorporation into the diet should be considered as a definite part of the menu-making plan.

The acids of fruits are valuable as stimulants both to the appetite and to the digestion. Then, too, they give a touch of variety to a menu otherwise composed of rather bland foods. The stimulation they produce is much more healthful than that of condiments, drugs, or alcoholic beverages and should receive the preference.

Vitamines are substances necessary for both growth and health. A child deprived of the foods containing them is usually not well and does not grow nor develop normally. These substances are also required in the diet of adults in order to maintain the body in a healthy condition. The leafy vegetables and milk are the foods that yield the greatest supply of vitamines. In fact, it is claimed by those who have experimented most with this matter that these two sources will supply the required amount of vitamines under all conditions.

---

BALANCING THE DIET

QUANTITY AND PROPORTION OF FOODS

35. FACTORS INFLUENCING FOOD.--Numerous factors affect the kind and quantity of food necessary for an individual. Chief among these are age, size, sex, climate, and work or exercise. In addition to determining the amount of food that must be taken into the body, these factors regulate largely the suitability of the foods to be eaten. It is true, of course, that all the food substances mentioned in Table II must be included in every person's diet after the first few years of his life, but the quantity and the proportion of the various substances given vary with the age, sex, size, and work or exercise of the person and the climate in which he lives. Merely to provide dishes that supply sufficient food value is not enough. This food material must be given in forms that can be properly digested and assimilated and it must be in the right proportion for the person's needs. The aim should therefore be to provide a balanced diet, by which is meant one that includes the correct proportion of the various food substances to supply the needs of the individual.

36. QUANTITY OF FOOD IN CALORIES.--Without doubt, the most intelligent way in which to feed people is to compute the number of calories required daily. As will be remembered, the calorie is the unit employed to measure the amount of work that the food does in the body, either as a tissue builder or a producer of energy. The composition and food value of practically all foods are fairly well known, and with this information it is a simple matter to tell fairly accurately the amount of food that each person requires.

As has been stated, the number of calories per day required by a person varies with the age, size, sex, and occupation of the person, as well as with the climate in which he lives. For the adult, this will vary from 1,800 to 3,000, except in cases of extremely hard labor, when it may be necessary to have as high as 4,500 calories. The average number of calories for the adult, without taking into consideration the particular conditions under which he lives or works, is about 2,500. Still a small woman who is inactive might be sufficiently fed by taking 1,800 calories a day, whereas a large man doing heavy, muscular work might require 3,500 to 4,000 daily.

37. IMPORTANCE OF PROPER AMOUNT OF FOOD.--Most authorities agree that it is advisable for adults and children well past the age of infancy to take all the food required in three meals. The taking of two meals a day is sometimes advocated, but the possibility of securing in two meals the same quantity of food that would ordinarily be taken in three is rather doubtful, since it is assumed that large amounts of food are not so easily disposed of as are smaller ones.

On the other hand, to overeat is always a disadvantage in more respects than one. Taking food that is not required not only is an extravagance in the matter of food, but overtaxes the digestive organs. In addition, it supplies the body with material that must be disposed of, so that extra work on the part of certain organs is required for this activity. Finally, overeating results in the development of excessive fatty tissue, which not only makes the body ponderous and inactive, but also deadens the quickness of the mind and often predisposes a person to disease or, in extreme cases, is the actual cause of illness.

38. EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON DIET.--An idea of the way in which the weight of a person affects the amount of food required can be obtained by a study of Tables III and IV. As will be observed,

Table III gives the number of calories per pound of body weight required each day by adults engaged in the various normal activities that might be carried on within 24 hours. It deals only with activity, the various factors that might alter the amounts given being taken up later. The figures given are for adults and the factors mentioned are those which affect the intake of food to the greatest extent.

The lowest food requirement during the entire 24 hours is during the time of sleep, when there is no activity and food is required for only the bodily functions that go on during sleep. Sitting requires more food than sleeping, standing, a still greater amount, and walking, still more, because of the increase in energy needed for these activities.

In a rough way, the various occupations for both men and women are classified under three different heads: Light Work, Moderate Work, and Heavy Work. It is necessary that these be understood in examining this table.

TABLE III
CALORIES PER POUND FOR 24 HOURS FOR ADULTS

Occupation	Calories
Sleeping	12
Sitting	14
Standing	17
Walking	20
Light work	22
Moderate work	24
Heavy work	27

Those considered as doing light work are persons who sit or stand at their employment without any great degree of activity. They include stenographers, dressmakers, milliners, teachers, clerks, shoemakers, tailors, machine operators, elevator operators, and conductors.

Moderate work involves a little more activity than light work, but not so much as heavy work. Professional cooks, professional housekeepers, housekeepers in their own homes, professional chambermaids, waitresses, masons, drivers, chauffeurs, plumbers, electricians, and machinists come under this class.

Persons doing heavy work are the most active of all. They include farmers, laundresses, excavators, lumbermen, miners, metal workers, and soldiers on forced march.

39. To show the variation in the amount of food required according to body weight, Table IV is given. The scale here presented has been worked out for two persons who are normal and whose weight is correct, but different, one weighing 130 pounds and the other 180 pounds. It is assumed, however, that they are occupied in 24 hours with activities that are identical, each one sleeping 8 hours, working at moderate labor for 8 hours, walking 2 hours, standing 2 hours, and sitting 4 hours.

TABLE IV
DIFFERENCE IN FOOD REQUIREMENTS THROUGH VARIATION IN WEIGHT

Number of Calories for 130 Pounds
8	hours, sleeping	520
4	hours, sitting	303
2	hours, standing	184
2	hours, walking	216
8	hours, moderate work	1,040
--		-----
24		2,263
Number of Calories for 180 Pounds
8	hours, sleeping	720
4	hours, sitting	430
2	hours, walking	300
2	hours, standing	238
8	hours, moderate work	1,440
--		-----
24		3,128

To find the total number of calories required for these activities, the weight, in pounds, is multiplied by the calories per pound for 24 hours for a certain activity. Thus, as in Table IV, if a person weighing 130 pounds sleeps for 24 hours, the number of pounds of weight, or 130, would be multiplied by 12, which is the number of calories required per pound in 24 hours for sleeping. However, since only 8 hours is occupied by sleep and 8 is 1/3 of 24, the required number of calories would be only 1/3 of this number. In this way each item is worked out in the table, as is clearly shown by the following figures:

For sleeping	130 X 12 X 1/3 =	520
For sitting	130 X 14 X 1/6 =	303
For standing	130 X 17 X 1/12 =	184
For walking	130 X 20 X 1/12 =	216
For moderate work	130 X 24 X 1/3 =	1,040
Total, as in Table IV		2,263

40. In this connection, it may be interesting to know the ideal weight for persons of a given height. Table V shows the various heights for both men and women, in inches, and then gives, in pounds, the correct weight for each height. When, from this table, a person determines how far he is above or below the ideal weight, he can tell whether he should increase or decrease the number of calories he takes a day. For persons who are under weight, the calories should be increased over the number given in Table III for the normal individual if the ideal weight would be attained. On the other hand, persons who are overweight should decrease the number of calories until there is sufficient loss of weight to reach the ideal. Of course, an adjustment of this kind should be gradual, unless the case is so extreme as to require stringent measures. In most cases, a slight decrease or increase in the quantity of food taken each day will bring about the desired increase or decrease in weight.

TABLE V
CORRECT WEIGHT FOR CERTAIN HEIGHTS

Men		Women
Height Inches	Weight Pounds	Height Inches	Weight Pounds
61	131	59	119
62	133	60	122
63	136	61	124
64	140	62	127
65	143	63	131
66	147	64	134
67	152	65	139
68	157	66	143
69	162	67	147
70	167	68	151
71	173	69	155
72	179	70	159
73	185
74	192
75	200

41. EFFECT OF SEX ON DIET.--The difference in sex does not affect the diet to any great extent. Authorities claim that persons of opposite sex but of the same weight and engaged in the same work require equal quantities of food. But, in most cases, the work of women is lighter than that of men, and even when this is not the case women seem to require less food, probably because of a difference in temperament. That taken by women is usually computed to be about four-fifths of the amount necessary for a man. The proportion of food substances does not differ, however, and when individual peculiarities are taken into consideration, no definite rules can be made concerning it.

In the case of boys and girls up to the age of young manhood and womanhood, the same amount of food is required, except for the difference in activity, boys usually being more active than girls.

42. EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON DIET.--The climate in which a person lives has much to do with the kind of diet he requires. In the extreme North, the lack of vegetation makes it necessary for the inhabitants to live almost entirely upon animal food except during the very short warm season. Consequently, their diet consists largely of protein and fat. Under some circumstances, a diet of this kind would be very unfavorable, but it seems to be correct for the people who live in these regions, for generations of them have accustomed themselves to it and they have suffered no hardship by doing so. It is true, however, that races of people who do not live on a well-balanced diet are not physically such fine specimens as the majority of persons found in countries where it is possible to obtain a diet that includes a sufficient supply of all the food substances.

43. In hot countries, the diet consists much more largely of vegetables than any other class of foods. This means that it is very high in carbohydrate and comparatively low in protein and fat. As can well be understood, a diet of this kind is much more ideal for a warm climate than a diet composed to a great extent of animal foods.

44. In temperate zones, the diet for both summer and winter seasons varies according to the appetite of the inhabitants themselves. Usually a light diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and a small amount of meat is found the most desirable for summer weather, while a similar one with a larger proportion of meat is the usual winter diet. On the whole, the desire for food, which, to a certain extent, is regulated by the climate, can be trusted to vary the diet fairly well for the existing conditions.

45. EFFECT OF AGE ON DIET.--The proper diet for infancy and childhood is a matter that must be discussed by itself, for it has practically no connection with other diet. It is also well understood that up to maturity there is a difference in the diet because of a difference in the needs of the body. However, from maturity up to 60 years of age, the diet is altered by the conditions already mentioned, namely weight, size, sex, climate, and work or exercise. At the age of 60, the amount of food required begins to decrease, for as a person grows older, the body and all of its organs become less active. Then, too, there is a reduced amount of physical exercise, which correspondingly reduces the necessity for food. At this time, an oversupply of food merely serves to overwork the organs, which being scarcely able to handle the normal quantity of food certainly keep in better condition if the amount of work they are called upon to do is decreased rather than increased.

It has been estimated that persons 60 years of age require 10 per cent. less food than they formerly did; those 70 years old, 20 per cent. less; and those 80 years old, 30 per cent. less. Usually the appetite regulates this decrease in food, for the less active a person is, the less likely is the appetite to be stimulated. However, the fact that there is also a great difference in persons must not be lost sight of. Some men and women at 70 years of age are as young and just as active as others at 50 years. For such persons, the decrease in quantity of food should not begin so soon, nor should it be so great as that given for the more usual cases.

46. As there is a decrease in quantity with advancing years, so should there be a difference in the quality of the food taken. That which is easily digested and assimilated is preferable to food that is rich or highly concentrated. Usually, it is necessary to increase the laxative food in the diet at this time of life, but this matter is one of the abnormalities of diet and therefore belongs properly to medical dietetics rather than to a lesson on normal diet.