PLANNING THE MEALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 60, 11 March 1944, Page 4

PLANNING THE MEALS

SOME HOUSEWIVES STILL A LITTLE UNCERTAIN ALTERNATIVE DIET \ Some housewives are still slightly bewildered as to where and how they can begin to economise under present, day butter and meat rationing. As a general rule it is an advantage to make more use ot cereals, ot the cheaper cuts of meat, of fats of van* ous sorts, including cheese and suet, which will make up for the shortage of meat and butter. Meals will have to be carefully planned to give the nutriment, needed. We are being told that fish, egge and liver dishes supply the necessary vitamins, hut the two former food* are sometimes scarce and highly priced. Fish especially, which should be in plentiful supply in this country, is a food needed for good health, but its cost in the past seven years haa been so high that it is a luxury obtainable only for those with large salaries, and is far beyond the average family purse. The shortage of fish since ihe war has been the cause of fish shops closing for several days In the week. These facts are hardly likely to cause an increase in the demand for this food.

As winter approaches eggs, too, will not he plentiful, and consequently will be higher priced. There are thousands of people who do not like rabbit or tripe dishes. It is only reasonable to suppose that the nonrationed lines of meat will be in such demand that they, too will become scarce.

As many housewives procured large Joints for the week-end before coupon* were required, them was not. a great demand for meat during the early part of this week. Windows of butchers’ shops in Wanganui displayed very few joints. In some windows there were only two, and these were very small. Most of the rationed meats were ticketed with the price: For ins-tance, chops were marked at 3d each and tlie tiny joints Is 3d and Is 6d. People have refrained from using their coupons during the week, preferring to use them for the week-end joint. Butchers, noticing this trend, made preparations .for the demand, and vesterday there were more joints in the windows but mostly small In size, for the rationing has come harder on the small family and the household of only one or two.

While the weather continues warm, and there are plenty of vegetables and salad foods available, the rationing will not be a great hardship to many people. In the colder days it will be a nroblem for housewives who have used meat plentifully to reorganise the meals, particularly now that butter is also on the rationed list.

There is no doubt (.hat one gets the greatest nutriment for the smallest outlay by using the cheaper joints and meats for pot roasts, casseroles and stews. Nothing whatever is wasted and all the good from the bones is included in the gravy. Vegetables can b" cooked with the meat, too, so that fuel is saved and their full nutriment is also retained.