FOOD REQUIREMENTS
It is important that the diet should contain the proper amount of protein, starches and fats, suitable to the individual needs. Age, weight, height, occupation, season and climate must all be considered. Numerous and careful researches regarding food requirements made during the last fifty years have led to the realization that the majority of civilized men and women consume from two to three times the amount of food necessary.
FOOD FOR THE AGED
Many people at the ages of sixty and seventy still lead an active life, while others retire from activity at forty-five or fifty. Therefore, the food should conform to the person’s mental and physical requirements. If the teeth are poor and the digestive powers weak, the food should be light, consisting mainly of well cooked cereals, baked potatoes, rice, cooked greens, a small amount of meat, raw fruits and raw greens in combination with fatty foods, as salads, milk and buttermilk, toasted breads and soups.
The total fuel requirement depends upon whether the individual leads a quiet or active existence. For a person who lives mainly indoors, and makes little use of the muscles of the arms, shoulders and trunk, 1000 to 1200 calories is sufficient for twenty-four hours. If more food is eaten than the body requires, the excess will manifest itself by the development of chronic ailments and obesity, or feeble-mindedness.
The morning and evening meals should consist of fluid and semi-fluid foods, or of toasted breads and salads. Meats, eggs (except the yolks), cheese, beans, peas and nuts should be eaten only during the middle of the day in small quantities. One can cut down his amount of food greatly by thoroughly chewing each morsel. The demand for protein at this period is small, while the amount of fat should be increased.
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