_Manage your buying so that your guests may enjoy your company as well as your feasts_
The body needs food to keep it warm, to furnish energy for the activities of daily life; to build and repair tissue and to regulate the body process.
Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral matter, and water, are the chief classes of food. The chief work of proteins is to build and repair tissue. Meat and milk are the principal sources of protein. Nuts, vegetables and some cereals also supply this element.
Carbohydrates are the starches and sugars. They are found in vegetables, cereals, and fruits and give heat and energy to the body. Fats give two and a half times as much energy as any other food.
Mineral matters enter into the composition of the body tissues and blood. They act as regulators, preserving the alkalinity of the body. They are found in varying proportions in all foods, but milk contains all the essential ones.
Vitamines are necessary for growth and are abundant in leafy vegetables and milk. Foods rich in vitamine content are known as protective foods. They prevent the development of deficiency and old age diseases.
Water is necessary as a carrier and regulator. It aids digestion, removes waste, and keeps the temperature normal.
A general balance of food should be maintained in each day’s diet: 1/5th meat or meat alternatives, 1/5th fat, and 3/5ths carbohydrates, with a serving of fruits and vegetables and plenty of liquid, completes the necessary variety.
Before assimilation, the food we eat must be oxidized or burned. The heat resulting from this oxidation is measured in terms of calories, or heat units.
While the number of calories supplied by the diet is important, the proper balance as to the classification of the food is of prime importance. We cannot build up the diet on calorie values alone without consideration of the food elements.
Man at light work 2500 to 2800 Calories per day Man at moderate work 3000 to 3500 “ “ “ Man at very hard work 4000 to 5000 “ “ “ Woman at light work 1800 to 2400 “ “ “ Woman at moderate work 2400 to 2800 “ “ “ Child from two to six 1200 to 1800 “ “ “ Child from six to fifteen 1800 to 2500 “ “ “ Aged Man 1800 to 2000 “ “ “ Aged Woman 1600 to 1800 “ “ “