The first part of a family dietary will have to be calculated according to the age, weight, and occupation, as stated on pages [299]-303. When complete, it will stand somewhat like this:

Food Requirements

Members of
Family		AgeWeight
Pounds		Total
Calories		Protein
Calories
Man401542680268-402
Woman381202160216-324
Girl161102200220-330
Boy12752250225-338
Boy6401600160-240
Total requirements 10,8901089-1634

In selecting food to satisfy these requirements it is a good plan to make first a list of those foods that need to be included in the day’s dietary, no matter what the particular menu may be. This will include foods for growth where there are children, special dishes needed if any one is sick, and those common foods which we are accustomed to include in every day’s menu, such as bread and butter.

For the family which we are considering, this list will stand somewhat as follows:

Food100-calorie Portions
Milk20[20] (6 for each child, the rest for the adults)
Cereal5
Eggs (for children)2 (counting 2⁄3 portion per egg)
Fruit5
Green vegetable2
Meat or meat substitute5
Bread15
Butter15

This list is to be kept in planning the menu, whose character is further determined by certain dishes which we wish particularly to have included. For instance, we may desire roast beef for dinner. This is a highly flavored meat, and a protein food which will go a long way towards satisfying the adult’s protein needs. Special protein food for breakfast may well be omitted, or take the form of eggs, which are a contrast to the meat in flavor, form, etc. Protein food for luncheon might be fish or some other meat substitute.

Vegetables for dinner should not only harmonize with the meat, but contrast pleasingly with each other. This result is insured by choosing one vegetable from the starchy type, as potatoes or sweet potatoes, and the other vegetable of the green or succulent group, as spinach or asparagus.

Below are two menus, in which have been kept in mind the