HOME ECOMOMICS ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17756, 28 January 1926, Page 9

HOME ECOMOMICS ASSOCIATION.

There is a radiance where women move About small household tasks if they but Beyond the polished surface of old

woods The dazzling triumph of a living tree If they but see beyond the white

heaped flourBevond the red, glassed jellies on a sill—- " Wide, joyous wheat fields laughing in

the sun, God’s face above an orchard on a hill. Dana Hanford in “Journal of Home Economics.”

On December 3 last, the first bulletin published by the Home Science Department of the Otago University was reviewed in this column. Two further bulletins have recently been received. by the editor. Bulletin No. 2 is entitled "Food for the Growing Child,” and has for its motto “To make the best better.” Bulletin No. 3 treats of “Vegetables as Necessities.” Both are written by Lillian B. Storms, Ph.D., assisted by E. Neigc Todhunter. Bulletin No. 2, “Food for the Growing Child.”—The first paragraph of this bulletin is so important that it is quoted in full: — “Every mother to-day knows that the well-being of her child depends very largely on correct feeding. If this were riot so, there w’ould not be so many healthy and happy children as there are. During the first year, the baby’s food and care closely follow a well-prescribed schedule, but after weaning he is allowed to follow his own caprice as to the kind and amount of food he eats. Thus, instead of his rightful inheritance of perfect health and vigor, he is below par, is easily tired, is irritable, suffers from frequent colds, and is laying up for himself the many digestive disturbances of later life. The infant’s regular meal times, and same amount of food at each feeding, change to varj-ing amounts of food eaten at any and all hours of the day, and ‘piecing’ between meals takes away his appetite for the more wholesome food at the regular meal. After three years of age, a healthy child should have but three meals a day, though some children need one extra lunch, which should be at a regular time each day, and should consist of nourishing food. A glass of milk, a rusk, or milk and fresh fruit, are best, and do not spoil the appetite for the next meal as would biscuits or sweets. At other times, all a child needs is a drink of water. Many adult troubles can be laid at the door of poor food habits acquired during this period of formation of life habits.”

Town life is hardest on children, who require a maximum of mineral matter, vitamines and sunlight to build up a strong, bony skeleton, and the supply of each of these necessities of child life is apt, in big cities, to be scarce. The 20th Century is an age of food refining and over-cooking, and it is hard to say which .process causes greatest loss or destruction of the essentials of growth. “Food for. the Growing Child” is a most useful publication on a supremely important subject. In it, the special needs of children are clearly shown, and the most useful foods and their preparation explained in language so simple as to be readily understood by all. We should like to have seen more emphasis laid on the great importance of suitable raw fresh fruits and green vegetables in a child's daily dietary. Bulletin No. 3 “Vegetables as Necessities.” —Again the first paragraph of the bulletin is quoted:— “ Many people serve potatoes alone, or, in addition, only cabbage or cauliflower and neglect the wonderful variety and flavour -which can be added to a meal by the use of other vegetables. The use of vegetables should not be restricted to serving at dinner, but they make tempting and valuable luncheon and tea dishes. At least one vegetable other than potato should be served each day, and two are preferable. Vegetables are so valuable as food that those who say ‘ I do not like vegetables ’ are putting themselves at a serious disadvantage, and depriving themselves of one of the most valuable forms of food that Nature has provided for our use. Perhaps they think that vegetables are an expensive way to buy water and woody fibre or cellulose. Scientists have studied the question of our needs for food, and have found that vegetables are the very best sources of the vitamines, the minerals and body regulating substances, as well as furnishing bulk to our too highly refined foods.” The coincidence of cereals growing into pride of place amongst human foods at the very time when milling methods have brought them to their lowest food value through removal of their mineral matter and vitamines, makes it of urgent importance that the ability of fresh green vegetables to make good these deficiencies should be widely known and not interfered with by waste of essentials in cooking. The growing dependence of civilised man on grocery foods, and the evergrowing and widening of food refining and its attendant losses of food essentials, is, year by year, bringing us nearer to the danger zone in the supply of mineral matter essential to growth and health and the vitamines necessary to the assimilation of food generally. In most cities many, particularly of the children, arc already suffering from such deficiencies, as the presence of rickets, for example, demonstrates. Hence bulletin No. 3 of the Home Science Department of the Otago University dealing, as it does, with the food value of vegetables and with methods of cooking designed to accomplish the minimum of loss of essentials, is very timely and valuable. More stress might have been laid on the fact that greens may lose as much as seventy per cent of their lime and probably a similar proportion of their vitamines by careless and unscientific methods of cooking. The following correspondents are thanked for their contributions: Esmeralda.—Now that apples are cheap and plentiful your readers may find the following recipe useful. Take 21b of cooking apples, 1 lemon, ilb sugar, ioz powdered gelatine, flavouring to taste. Peel, core and cut apples in small pieces, put on stewpan with a gill of water, thinly peeled rind and strained juice of lemon and sugar. Simmer gently until quite soft and then rub through hair sieve. Dissolve gelatine in two tablespoonfuls of water and stir into apples. Turn into cold, wet mould and leave in cold place until set. Turn out and serve with whipped cream or boiled custard. Keep on Smiling.—l think your

readers will like this poem by Nancy Byrd Turner in “ Good Housekeeping.” HERE IS THIS NIGHT. What though the day was full of weariness, With many a jarring sound and fretful sight, Here is this night. Whatever went before, here is an hour Of pure, clear dark, with peace on wood and hill. And every flower folded honey-cool, And every quiet pool Brimful of starlight, and the winds all still. The day went hard, and with tomorrow’s light May come new cares; but by the tender grace Of God’s good thought, there falls a little space Of dusk and dew and dreams, Here is this night.