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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19031, 3 June 1936, Page 11

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DIET FOR THE YOUNG CHILD In New Zealand wc have the lowest rate of infant mortality in the world. Our Plunket system provides help and advice to the mother when her baby is bom, and the trained nurse conies ill to instruct her in the rules necessary for the normal development or. her child. Ac the end of, the last year, howover, there is a tendency to break awnv from the planned routine ot t.te day," in such matters as food and rest. Often a child of from two to three years is allowed to choose his own 'food, both in kind and quantity, ami this choice may be influenced by the whim of the older members of the familv. Faulty food habits form, which mav oasiiy lead to malnutrition. Perhaps "too little attention is paid to the amount, of sleep which a child gets. Here, again, this may lie influenced by the convenience of the family.

Another bad habit which is sometimes found is that of giving laxatives. Undoubtedly this has been thought to be a short" cut to avoid the trouble of training the child in proper health habits.. This training is often hard, but eventually you will win and establish a good habit for life. If necessary, the'diet may be arranged to include such foods as prunes, figs or spinach. Irregular Eating.

Irregular eating is often permitted at this time. A child may be given sweets, a cake or a piece of bread and jam in the middle of the morning or afternoon. It this habit is allowed to continue, the consequences may be serious—the child will not take his proper meals at the proper time and will develop a craving for sweet things. If he is hungry let him have mid-morning or mid-afternoon nourishment, but let it be in the form of milk or fruit, which do not harm the teeth fir digestion. Now foods are gradually added to the diet, but care must be taken that the right, amount of milk and cereals is still included. .Milk should still form the basis of the diet. At least one pint per day should be used — preferably 1 J pints. Some of this can be given on the cereal or in puddings and soups. Some children have a definite aversion to milk, and in this case it should be given in disguised form in junkets, milk puddings, etc.

Fruit and* Vegetables. fruit and vegetables are highly important for building healthy bones and tissues. (Jive a piece of raw fruit each day. It is a good habit to give a piece of raw apple or orange at the end of each meal, as this helps to remove particles of food from the teeth. ; By no means the least, important of the'matters to be thought of is water for drinking. This should be given frequently during the day between meals. Fruit juices may sometimes be given instead. Those foods which should not be used are cakes, pastry, tea, coffee, fried foods, heavily seasoned foods, spices and pickles.

The Child ftom One to Three Years. The following menu will serve as a guide for 'the dietary of the child from about one to three years:—

Breakfast. —Orange, juice only for youngest child; porridge, strained for youngest child; crisp toast or stale bread with a little butter; milk to

rink. (Cocoa with, plenty of mill iay be used for an older child.)

Dinner. —Gravy from meat or one egg, for the younger child; minced lean beef, steamed fish, etc, for the older child; bilked potato, in jacket;

green vegetables, sieved for the younger child; jolly or milk pudding or custard.

Supper. —Rusk or brown bread or plain hard crackers with butter or honey, or milk soup and toast; soft stewed fruit or custard (if not served at noon), or baked apple.