Food for youth: study guide

              /\ 171 9 : l'lo FOOD FOR YOUTH STUDY
GUIDE
U.S. Department of Agriculture I Food and Nutrition Service I October 1975 I FNS-140
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The "Food for Youth" series
and study guide originated
under terms of a Food and
Nutrition Service, U.S. Depart­ment
of Agriculture contract to
the New England States Educa­tion
Council, Inc. The series
was produced by WGBH Educa­tional
Foundation of Boston
in conjunction with the Depart­ment
of Nutrition in the School of
Public Health at Harvard
University.
The cooperation and
assistance received from the
many individuals and groups
involved in the develo_pment
of this course series is gratefully
acknowledged.
USDA policy does not permit
discrimination because of race,
color, national origin, sex or
religion. Any person who believes
he or she has been discriminated
against in any USDA-related
activity should write immediately
to the Secretary of Agriculture,
Washington, D.C. 20250.
I
I
FOOD) FOR YOUTH STUDY
GUIDE
Prepared by Food and Nutrition Service
United States Department of Agriculture
October 1975 I FNS-140
For sale by Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington. D.C. 20402.
CONTENTS
Program 1
Program 2
Program 3
II
Page
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
' .
Overall Course Objectives . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . .. .. . . . . .. .. 2
How to Use This Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Look Ahead to Program 1, "What's Nutrition?" ...... .
What's Nutrition? .................................... .
Nutrition is a Young Science ..................... .
Food Satisfies Many Needs ...................... .
The Facts About Nutrition are Important ............ .
3
4
4
5
6
Basic Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Some Useful Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Look Ahead to Program 2, "Fuel for Life" . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Fuel For Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 o
The Need for Calories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Source of Calories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Calories for Activity (chart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Calories From Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Basic Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Some Useful Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Look Ahead to Program 3, "What's In It for Me?" . . . . . 15
What's In It For Me? . . .. . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Six Classes of Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Protein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Carbohydrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Minerals and Vitamins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Nutrients and Foods for Health (chart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (ADA's) . . . . . . 22
Basic Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Some Useful Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Look Ahead to Program 4, "What's A Balanced Diet?". . 25
Program 4
Program 5
Program 6
Page
WhaU's A Balanced Diet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Basic Four Food Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Meat Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Vegetable and Fruit Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A Daily Food Guide (chart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Milk Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Bread and Cereal Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Other Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Basic Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Some Useful Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Look Ahead to Program 5, "Three Meals a Day, Plus". . 35
Three Meals A Day, Plus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The Type A School Lunch-Guide to the Amounts
of Food for Boys and Girls of Specific Ages (chart) . . 39
Type A Foods: Food For Iron (chart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Steps in Planning A Type A Menu (chart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Snacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Tips for Menu Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Basic Points to Rememb~r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Some Useful Words ..... ·. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Look Ahead to P'rogram 6, "Preparing Meals:
The Last Step" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Preparing Meals: The Last Step. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Organize Your Food Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Use USDA Food Preparation Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Practice Good Food Preparation Techniques . . . . . . . . 51
Check For Food Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Find a Better Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Basic Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Some Useful Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Look Ahead to Program 7, "Places We Eat In" . . . . . . . . 59
Ill
Program 7
Program 8
Program 9
Program 10
IV
Page
Places We Eat ln. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60
Meal Environment is Important 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60
You Can Make a Difference 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60
The Food Has a Major Effect 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 61
The Cafeteria Holds Many Possibilities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 61
You Can Affect Change 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 62
Basic Points to Remember 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 62
Look Ahead to Program 8, " Classroom and Cafeteria" 0 0 63
Classroom and Cafeteria. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 64
More Than Nutritious Meals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 64
Three Ways to Learn Nutrition 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 64
Look Ahead to Program 9, "It's Not Good For You " 0 0 0 67
It's Not Good For You! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 68
Diet-Oriented Health Problems 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 68
Obesity 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 68
Dental Caries 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 o 69
Iron-Deficiency Anemia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 70
Teenage Pregnancy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 71
Fad Diets 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 72
Some Useful Words 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 72
Look Ahead to Program 10, "Innovations and
Challenges" 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73
Innovations and Challenges. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 74
A Course Review 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o o 0 74
Appendix 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78
Basic References 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78
Other References 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78
Nutrition Education Materials 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 79
Quizzes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 80
INTRODUCTION
As a school food service
worketr, you play a very impor­tant
part in the health and
well-being of each one of the
children in your school lunch
program. You may be providing
some of your children with the
only nutritionally sound meal
they ~jet all day. Five times a
week you're taking the place of
such children's parents. Perhaps
equal ly important, you help your
children to form nutritionally
sound eating habits. These habits
will help them choose and eat
nutritionally sound meals for
their whole lives. This series,
"Food for Youth," is planned to
help you in both of your im­port~
mt roles.
Fortunately, there's little
guesswork in deciding what
food!~ and combinations of foods
are nutritionally sound. What
thero is in foods that's health- ·
giving, and what the human
bod)' needs from its food to grow
and develop, have been studied
by sdentists. And what those
sciel'ltists have learned is
what this series of programs
is alii about.
OVERALL COURSE
OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of
this study guide is to supplement
the nutrition series, "Food for
Youth," by providing a struc­tured
course in nutrition for
school food service personnel
like yourselves. More specifically,
this nutrition course was
developed:
1. To motivate school food
service personnel to use their
existing knowledge, skills,
and tools to upgrade the diets
of students in child nutrition
programs,
2. To increase the knowledge
and improve the under­standing
of nutrition among
school food service per­sonnel,
and
3. To illustrate the significance
of nutrition to the growth,
development, health, and
productivity of the individual.
The content of the course
is based on the nutrition educa­tion
concepts formulated by
the former Interagency Com­mittee
on Nutrition Education
(ICNE) of the Federal Govern­ment.
You will be introduced
to these concepts throughout
the series. They read as follows:
1. Nutrition is the way the
body uses food. We eat food
to live, to grow, to keep
healthy and well, and to get
energy for work and play.
2
2. Food is made up of different
nutrients needed for growth
and health. Nutrients include
proteins, fats, carbohydrates,
minerals, and vitamins.
All nutrients needed by the
body are available through
food. Many kinds and combi­nations
of food can lead to
a well-balanced diet.
No single food has all the
nutrients needed for good
growth and health. Each
nutrient has specific uses in
the body. Most nutrients do
their best work in the body
when teamed with other
nutrients.
3. All persons, throughout life,
have need for the same
nutrients, but In varying
amounts. The amounts of
nutrients needed are influ­enced
by age, sex, body size,
activity, state of health,
and heredity.
4. The way food is handled
influences the amount of
nutrients in food, its safety,
quality, appearance, taste,
acceptability, and cost.
Handling means everything
that happens to food while it
is being grown, processed,
stored, and prepared for
eating.
HOW TO USE THIS
STUDY GUIDE
Each program in this study
guide parallels one of the 10
filmed programs in "Food for
Youth," generally providing more
details and insight into the
subject matter. For this reason,
the study guide and television
programs are numbered and
named the same.
Before you watch each
program, it will be helpful for you
to look at the materials for that
program contained in this study
guide: (1) the content of the
study guide chapter, (2) the
basic points to remember, and
(3) the list of useful words.
After you have viewed the pro­gram,
re-read the section of
the study guide for that program.
When you feel sure you've
mastered all the material in
each program of the study guide,
turn to the quiz in the Appendix
that carries the same name
and number as the program
you're on, and fill it in. (When
you enrolled in a "Food for
Youth" course, you were In­structed
where to send the
completed quizzes.)
After completing the quiz,
read the last section of the
study guide which looks ahead
to the program for the next
week.
Feel free to underline in your
study guide or make any notes
you like. The guide is yours
to keep. Long after this series
is over, you'll want to refer
to it to answer any questions
that arise, or to help you refresh
your general knowledge about
nutrition.
LOOK AHEAD to program 1 "What's Nutrition?"
0 How would you complete the sentence which begins
"Nutrition is . . . "?
0 What does food mean to you? What does food mean to
members of your family?
0 Do you recall anything about the history of nutrition?
0 What are some reasons people select the foods they do?
0 Can food habits be changed?
0 Are you getting to know the food habits of students
in your school cafeteria?
Before you watch Pro­gram
1, look at the study guide
materials for that program:
(1) the content of the study
guide chapter, (2) the basic
points to remember, and (3) the
list of useful words.
3
WHAT'S NUTRITION?
What do you think nutrition
is? Is it eating one miracu­lous
food to take care of all
your needs? Is it taking
vitamin pills? Is it three
meals a day? Is it eliminat­ing
snacks? Think about
your concept of nutrition
and how nutrition affects
your daily life, especially
your work In the school
lunch program.
You might think that some­thing,
as basic as the relationship
between the food we eat and
our physical and mental well­being
would have been studied
for centuries and centuries.
Oddly enough, that isn't so.
The science of how food affects
health and growth is a compar­atively
young science.
Nutrition Is a Young Science
It's really only since the
early 1900's that most of what
we know about nutrition has
been discovered. Other sciences
are much older. The ancient
Egyptians studied geography
5,000 years before Christ.
The science of biology has been
around since before 1600. In
contrast, the science of nutrition
is only about 170 years old.
, Food means survival, and
early man survived on the
food at hand-berries, nuts, fish,
or animals he could hu~t.
Gradually he learned how to
grow food and raise herds or
flocks of antmals to eat. His
success depended largely upon
the season, the elements of
nature, and his farming skills.
Early men of science raised
questions about food and the
body, and conducted experi­ments
to try to find the answers.
And the answers finally did start
coming once chemistry was
well developed and food could
be analyzed to find what it
was made of; once physiology
became a science that could
provide understanding of the
human body and how it func­tions;
and once physics,
medicine, agriculture, and biol­ogy
were developed. Like most
sciences today, the science of
nutrition is constantly being
studied, and each new finding
affects its application to the
everyday diet.
We know that there are
many different nutrients needed
by all living things, including
human beings. Not only do
different foods contain different
important health-building
nutrients, they contain them in
different amounts. That's why we
can't live on one food alone. We
need many different foods-a
dietary mix-if we are to take
into our bodies all the different
important nutrients we need to
insure good health.
How these important dis­coveries
were made is reviewed
by "What's Nutrition?", the
first television program in the
series. The discovery wasn't
made all at once. Like most sci­entific
breakthroughs, it took
a lot of different investigators
working in many different
countries on a lot of different
srnall problems over a long
period of time to reach the many
small understandings that led
up to this one big understanding:
An adequate diet is one com­posed
of many different nutrients
provided in amounts and com­binations
that afford the best
health, efficiency, and growth.
Once that truth was dis­covered,
you might think that
everyone would change his
way of eating to insure good
health. You'd think diseases
associated with nutritional
deficiencies, like scurvy and
rickets, would disappear, that
people would no longer die of
malnutrition, and that everyone
would feel well and full of energy
and pep all the time. But,
odd as it may seem, this just
didn't happen. In tact, it hasn't
happened even to this day.
We know that many people
make poor use of money avail­able
for food by making poor food
choices. As a result, many people
have inadequate diets. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture
makes periodic surveys of
household food use. In the most
recent survey USDA found that
there are fewer good diets
and more poor diets today
than In 1955 for both the rich
and the poor. This information
makes it fairly clear that
it's not just the poor who eat
poorly. We know the truth about
good eating, so why doesn't
everyone rush to adopt proper
eating habits?
Food Satisfies Many Needs
People use food to satisfy
needs besides hunger and the
physiological needs of the body.
What are some of the needs
that can be satisfied by food?
Why are people in the habit
of eating only certain combi­nations
of foods, whether or
not those combinations are best
for them? Here are some of
the common assumptions about
why we eat as we do:
1. We eat for emotional security.
Certain foods remind us of
a time when we were happy.
When we're unhappy, we tend
to eat those same foods,
to make ourselves feel better.
That's one reason many
people eat ice cream when
they're upset; it reminds them
of when they were little
children and life was simpler.
2. We eat to belong to a group.
Different nationality groups
have different foods that are
particularly their own.
Italian families often eat lots
of pasta-spaghetti, maca­roni,
lasagna, and the like.
Many Jewish cooks use
chicken fat as a shortening
in many dishes. Oriental
families eat rice frequently.
People tend to eat the foods
eaten by others in their
ethnic group, although there
is a tendency today to try
the foods of other nationalities
as well. Similarly, we are
influenced in what we eat by
the people we know and see
every day. Joining friends for
a coffee-and-Danish break
or for an after-school soda is
part of being one of the gang.
People we know can
influence what we don't eat,
too. Have you ever noticed
that when a child in the food
service line announces loudly,
"Yecchl I can't stand broc­coli,"
several other kids are
likely to decide then and there
that they can't stand broccoli
either?
3. We eat to be in style. There
are fashions in foods, just
as there are in clothes. The
tempting color pictures in
the homemakers' magazines
show us what editors think are
the most attractive and
delicious meals that can be
made. From advertisements
in the newspapers and maga­zines,
and from commercials
on radio and television, we get
introduced to the " newest,"
the "latest," the "most-up-to­date"
in food products, and
we buy them and eat them
to keep in style. We have seen
plain and fancy fondue,
creamy dips, quiches, hot
canapes, Oriental fare, and
pizzas of every description.
4. We eat to have pleasant taste
sensations. Some foods just
seem to taste better to us
than others. If we feel like
having something that tastes
good, that's what we choose,
whether or not it's in our
body's best interest.
5
5. We eat to be sociable. People
like people, and like being
with people. Often, being
together means eating to­gether.
At parties and other
social gatherings, we often
eat not because we are
hungry, but because it goes
along with the pleasure of
being with and talking to other
people.
6. We eat to save time and
money. When we're in a rush,
we choose convenience foods,
foods that can be fixed
quickly, or that can be eaten
on the run. When we're on a
strict budget, we choose foods
that may fill us up at little
cost.
7. We eat to achieve status. In
years past, white bread en­joyed
more prestige than
brown bread because it orig­inally
was more expensive
and only prosperous people
could afford it. For the same
reason, steak or roast beef
are often served as our way of
saying, "I can afford the most
expensive!"
These are just some of
the reasons that we have for
eating as we do. There's nothing
wrong with using food to help
satisfy some of these needs,
so long as the foods we choose
are in line with what we know
about good nutrition. Too often,
however, eating for the reasons
mentioned above doesn't insure
us of getting full nutritional
value from our foods, and that's
where the trouble lies. These
8
ar~ eating habits, and because
they're hard to break, many
people don't try to break them,
even in favor of eating more
wisely.
In fact, this is why there's
so much emphasis on the im­portance
of experiences with
food in the early years as a
way of shaping proper food
habits. The school food service
program in which the school
food service worker is involved
is a big part of these early
day-by-day learning experiences
with foods.
Children do not automati­cally
like all foods. They can
learn to like most foods. And
your school food service pro­gram
can be important to that
learning process. For example,
yitamin-rich broccoli may be
a good vegetable to serve and it
may be an old standby to you.
But, some of your young cus­tomers
may never have tasted it
and may react to It by saying '
"Phew, it smells funny" and "I
don't wanna try it." You can help
those children learn that
unfamiliar foods are not the
same as unappetizing foods and
in the process, help them to '
develop good eating habits that
will last a lifetime. You can make
food appeal to the eye and the
appetite by following good
preparation techniques. Preserve
natural food flavors. Contrast
or blend flavors carefully.
Perk up foods with spices and
herbs.
The Facts About Nutrition
Are Important
Often people don't choose
foods with as much care and
thought as they should because
they don't know any better or
they just don't care. Many
persons lack knowledge about
food and its relationship to
health and well-being. Under­standing
and applying good
nutrition has nothing to do with
how educated or how rich you
are. The information is easy
to get, but it's widely ignored.
This is why it's so important to
you, the food service worker, to
learn the facts about nutrition.
Not only will you and your family
benefit, but so will the children
who take part in the school
lunch program. When you've
learned about nutrition, you'll be
able to guide them in the value
of choosing and eating a bal­anced
assortment of foods. You
will set a good example.
Contributing to the lack of
knowledge about food is what
might be called "false knowl­edge"-
unproven or untrue
Information about such things as
vitamin pills and how they work,
and the supposed value of
"organic'' or "natural" foods.
Sometimes this kind of wrong
information gets circulated as the
result of advertisements in
newspapers and on radio and
television for products of un­proven
or questionable nutri­tional
value. Sometimes it gets
circulated through magazine
articles written by people
untrained in the science of
nutrition. Sometimes it's merely
the result of wishful thinking
or of superstition of food faddists
and "quacks" (pretenders to
knowledge). Wherever it comes
from, this information is prob­ably
more destructive than no
information at all!
When we don't know about
the nature of foods, it's difficult to
choose foods wisely. When we're
in the habit of eating poorly,
it's hard to change. Yet until
we do begin eating according to
the rules of good nutrition, men
and women and boys and girls
and even babies won't be as
well, as strong, as healthy, or as
alert as they could be.
As you can see, it's a
matter of great importance that
we all learn more about nutrition.
After all, as more than one
writer on the subject has ob­served,
"We are what we eat."
In the movement for greater
understanding of nutrition,
school food service workers
can be among the leaders.
Now that you've completed
Progr:am 1 ...
Has your definition of nutri­tion
changed? You should
understand that good nutrition
has to be a way of life, and that
the habits associated with good
nutritiion need to begin early
in life. What can you do as a
school food service employee to
help your students on the way
to healthful eating habits? Does
your llunch serve to acquaint
the students with a variety of
foods? Try to think up new ways
to introduce new foods to your
students. What did you learn that
will rnake you a better school
lunch manager?
Basic Points
To Remember
1.
As a school food service worker,
you play a very important part
in the health and well-being
of each one of the children in
your school lunch program.
2.
The science of how food affects
health and growth is a com­paratively
young science.
3.
The science of nutrition is
constantly being studied, and
each new finding affects its
application to the everyday diet.
4.
An adequate diet is one com­posed
of many different nutrients
provided in amounts and com­binations
that afford the best
health and growth.
5.
People use food to satisfy a
whole host of needs besides
hunger and the physiological
needs of the body for the various
nutrients which are in food. These
are some of the psychological
values of foods:
• We eat for emotional security.
• We eat to belong to a group.
• We eat to be in style.
• We eat to have pleasant taste
sensations.
• We eat to be sociable.
• We eat to save time and
money.
• We eat to achieve status.
7
8
6.
Many persons lack knowledge
about food and its relationship
to health and well-being.
Some Useful Words
Nutrition
The science of how the
body uses food. Food is
eaten to live, to grow,
to keep healthy and well,
to get energy for work
and play.
Malnutrition
Problems in nutrition
caused either by over­nutrition
or undernutri­tion.
Nutritional Status
The state of nutrition of
an individual. It concerns
the relationship of food
consumption to total
health. It is the result not
only of food intake since
birth but of the mother's
food intake during
pregnancy.
Hunger
Diet
The urge to eat that
pushes a person to seek
food. A physical sen­sation.
The entire range of foods
eaten by a particular
person or group. To most
of us, diet refers to a
range of foods that has
been purposely limited
in order for someone
to reduce their weight,
but that isn't really
accurate. Every person
who eats is on a diet;
but some people are on
weight-reducing diets.
Deficiency
A major limitation of
something. A dietary de­ficiency
refers to a diet
that is severely limited in
some important ele­ments.
Food Fad
A food habit pattern
based on unsupported
scientific evidence in the
belief that a certain food
or a certain combination
of foods has unusual
health-promoting proper­ties.
Natural Foods
Foods just as they come
from field or tree, with
nothing added or taken
away during or after
growing.
Organic Foods
Foods grown without
commercial fertilizers,
herbicides, pesticides,
and without preservatives
or additives.
When you feel sure you've
mastered all the material in this
program, turn to the appropriate
quiz in the Appendix and fill
it in. (When you enrolled in a
"Food for Youth" course, you
were instructed where to send
the COI'T' ,Aeted quizzes.)
LOOK AHEAD to program 2 "Fuel for Life"
0 Where does all the world's energy originate?
0 Does your body require energy to do work?
0 How does the body get this energy?
0 What happens to food once you swallow it?
0 How would you describe calories in food?
0 How do the nutrients in food get to your body cells?
0 In your cafeteria have you observed variation in
growth rate among boys and girls of the same age?
0 Are height-weight figures obtained on students in your
school on a regular basis?
0 How important is good nutrition early in one's life?
Before you watch the next
program, look at the study guide
materials for that program:
(1) the content of the study guide
chapter, (2) the basic points to
remember, and (3) the list of
useful words.
9
FUEL FOR LIFE
Just as cars need gasoline
to run and lights need elec­tricity
to work, human
beings need food to stay
alive, and they need the
right kinds of food to stay
healthy. Different nutrients
in foods do different things
to help keep the body func­tioning.
Are you providing
your students with a variety
of good food so they can
get the necessary nutrients?
Do you know which nutri­ents
are contained in the
various food groups of the
Type A paHern?
What is a calorie? Think
about it for a moment. You've
heard the term, but just exactly
wh:<tt does it mean? Is it a
substance found in food? Is it
something that produces weight?
Is' it a combination of elements
such as sugar and starch and
fat? The answer is that it's none
of these things though it's
related to all of them. Quite
simply: A calorie is a unit meas­ure
of heat; it is the amount of
heat necessary to raise the
temperature of water 1 degree
centigrade.
The energy content of foods
signifies the potential energy
which may be released as heat
upon combustion. It is called
calories. For convenience, we
talk about that energy in meas­urement
units called calories.
The energy consumed by the
body comes from certain nutri­ents
in the food we eat.
Nutritionists use the caloric
measurement in two ways: they
refer to the caloric value of a
given food item ("A large raw
carrot has 40 calories."), and they
refer to the number of calories
required to perform a given
function ("It takes 40 calories to
swim 4 minutes."). Forty calories
is the "caloric cost" of swimming
4 minutes. Using this exam-ple,
a large raw carrot can be
converted into 40 units of
energy, and those 40 units of
energy can then be used for
swimming 4 minutes.
The Need for Calories
The human body is a non­stop
consumer of energy.
Standing, sitting, or lying down,
awake or asleep, moving or
still, the body uses energy. It
takes energy for the heart to
beat, for the blood to circulate,
for the lungs to breathe, and
for hair to grow. It even takes
energy to think.
A variety of factors combine
to determine the number of
calories any individual requires.
Such factors include a person's
age, sex, general health con­dition,
and body size, plus a
person's occupational activities,
recreational activities, and gen­eral
activity.
A woman who does all her
own housework and who walks
to and from the grocery store,
for example, will expend more
energy than a woman of the
same age and general physique
and health who has a house­keeper
to do all the heavy work
at home and who does her
marketing by automobile. A boy
who spends all his spare time
curled up with a book will expend
less energy than his twin brother
who spends all his spare time
playing basketball. And anyone
who is confined to bed is likely
to expend less energy than
they would when they're up and
about their daily affairs. Thus,
the amount of energy required,
and the caloric intake needed to
provide that energy, will vary
not only from person to person,
b~fiomtime~timefur~e
same person.
The approximate number of
calories per hour it takes to
perform each of five different
types of activity is given in the
tabulation below. A range of
caloric values is given for each
type to allow for differences in
activities and in persons.
The body's use of energy
might be compared in some
respects with a car's use of gas­oline.
The harder a car engine
has to work, the more gas it
uses. And when the car is out
of gas, the car stops. So it is with
the human body. The harder
the body works, the more calo­ries
it uses, or "works off."
If you drastically decrease your
caloric intake, you will gradually
run down.
Unlike a car, the body has
no gas tank that overflows
when it gets too much fuel. The
body will just keep taking in
as many calories as you give it.
All that extra fuel is stored as fat
which can lead to overweight
and obesity. The only way to
prevent that from happening is
to keep energy intake and output
in balance.
There is another very im­portant
point to remember about
the body's use of energy. The
body first uses energy to maintain
body functions, activity, and
body temperature before it uses
energy for growth. During
periods of growth, therefore, it
is especially important that
children be provided with enough
calories. If a child doesn't have
enough food energy left from
his activities, his growth and
development may suffer.
In your school lunch pro­gram,
you probably have chil­dren
of all ages. Those children
in the early school years are
growing at a fairly slow, steady
pace. But adolescent students
are entering a period of rapid
growth. Both groups need an
adequate supply of calories, but
the adolescents have a greater
need.
For this reason it's important
that the Type A lunch you
serve contribute sufficient cal­ories
to each age group. The
food quantities specified in the
Type A pattern are for children
10-12 years old. Students
who are older will need larger
portions in order to give them
ample supplies of all nutrients, in­cluding
calories, for proper
growth. (Program 5 will give you
further information on adjusting
the lunch portions.)
The Source of Calories
We obtain calories from the
protein, fat, and carbohydrate
nutrients in food. Of the three,
fat is the most concentrated
source. It furnishes more than
twice as much energy for a given
weight as protein or carbo­hydrate.
Food energy is formed in
plant life by a combination of
light from the sun, water from
the soil, and carbon dioxide from
the air. When we eat plant
foods and plant products-fruits,
vegetables, cereal grains-we
take these foods and the nutrients
they contain into our bodies.
When we eat animal products­meat,
fish, poultry, milk, eggs­we
are consuming not only the
animal product but also nutri­ents
that the animals originally
took in from plants.
11
CALORIES FOR ACTIVITY
TYPES OF ACTIVITY
SEDENTARY
LIGHT
MODERATE
VIGOROUS
STRENUOUS
12
ACTIVITY
'
Reading; writing; eating;
watching television or movies;
listening to the radio; sewing;
playing cards; and typing, office
work, and other activities done
while sitting that require little or
no arm movement.
Preparing and cooking food;
doing dishes; dusting; hand­washing
small articles of
clothing; ironing; walking slowly;
personal care; office work and
other activities done while
standing that require some arm
movement; and strenuous sitting
activities such as rapid typing.
Making beds, mopping and
scrubbing; sweeping; light
polishing and waxing; laundering
by machine; light gardening and
carpentry work; walking moder-
' ately fast; other activities done
while standing that require mod­erate
arm movement; and
activities done while sitting that
require more vigorous arm
movement.
Heavy scrubbing and waxing;
handwashing large articles of
clothing; hanging out clothes;
stripping beds; walking fast;
bowling; golfing; and gardening.
Swimming; playing tennis;
running; bicycling; dancing;
skiing; and playing football.
CALORIES PER HOUR
80 to 100
110 to 160
170 to 240
250 to 350
350 or more
Calories From Food
Protein, fat, and carbo­hydrates
in food release their
calories or energy Into the body
through digestion and metab­olism.
These processes begin
once the food enters our mouths.
The food is reduced to simpler
forms which can be transferred
by the blood stream to every
cell in every tissue of the body.
In the cells, some nutrients are
oxidized (a chemical term
equivalent to burning), making
energy available to the body
to supply its needs.
You might get the idea that
calories are the only things
the body has to have! But calo­ries
are only one of the body
needs. A whole host of other
substances-nutrients-keep the
body growing and developing
normally. These nutrients,
together with calories, help to
ensure that children grow and
mature physically and mentally
into functioning adults.
Now thstt you have completed
Progran1 2 ...
How do you feel about
calories•? We'd be in pretty sad
shape without them, but some
of us are in sadder shape with
them. Vou should understand
that all foods contribute calories
to the dliet, even though only
three nutrients-protein, fat,
carbohydrate-supply us with
calorie!~.
Do• any of your students in
the lun•ch program suffer from
calorie over- or under-nutrition?
What c.an you do to help them
improve their own well-being?
13
Basic Points to Remember
1.
A calorie is a unit measure of
heat.
2.
The human body is a nonstop
consumer of energy.
3.
The greater the activity, the more
food calories used, or "worked
off."
4.
A variety of factors combine to
determine the number of calories
any individual requires: age,
sex, general health condition,
individual body size, occupa­tional
activities, recreational
activities, and general activity.
5.
Energy is needed by the body
not only for maintaining body
processes and to support activity
but for growth as well.
6.
Energy is used for conducting
activities, maintaining a normal
body temperature, and support­ing
body functions before it
is used for growth.
7.
A supply of too few calories is
referred to as calorie under­nutrition.
14
Q.
A supply of too many calories is
referred to as calorie over­nutrition.
9.
The nutrients-protein, fat, and
carbohydrate-supply us with
energy (or calories).
10.
Protein, fat, and carbohydrates
release their calories or energy
into the body through the pro­cesses
of digestion and meta­bolism.
Some Useful Words
Calorie
A unit measure of heat.
Remember, a calorie is
not a substance, it's only
a measure of heat en­ergy.
Digestion
The breaking down of
foods into simpler parts in
preparation for their ab­sorption
from the diges­tive
tract into the blood
stream.
Metabolism
All chemical changes
which occur in the body
as food is made into
body tissues, energy is
produced, and body
tissue is broken down.
Oxidized
Cells
The chemical process
which occurs in body
cells whereby certain nu­trients
release the energy
they contain for the
body's use.
The structural units of
the body of which all
tissues, organs, muscles,
skin, and bones are built.
To remain healthy, cells
must be provided with
some 50 or so nutrients
on a regular basis,
though in differing
amounts.
Nutrients
Substances found in food
which are needed for
growth and health. All
nutrients needed by the
body are available
through food.
When you feel sure you've
mastered all the material in
this program, turn to the appro­priate
quiz in the Appendix and
fill it in. (When you enrolled in
a " Food for Youth" course,
you were instructed where to
send the completed quizzes.)
I.OOK AHEAD to Program 3 "What's in it for Me?"
[] What are nutrients? Where do they come from? Why do
we need to know about them?
[] What foods supply what nutrients?
[] Why do cells need nutrients?
10 What does protein do for the body? What foods
give you protein?
0 Can you name some high carbohydrate foods?
0 What's the difference between saturated fat and
unsaturated fat?
0 What foods are likely to increase the cholesterol
content of your school lunch menus?
0 Name some minerals needed by the body. What foods
supply each of the minerals you named? What does
each mineral do in the body?
0 What foods on your school menu provide what vitamins?
What are some functions of each vitamin in the body?
0 How can you be sure your students are getting all the
nutrients they need?
Before you watch the next
program, look at the study guide
materials for that program:
(1) the content of the study guide
chapter, (2) the basic points to
remember, and (3) the list of
useful words.
15
WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?
Think about why you eat. If
all you had to do was satisfy
a hunger pang, you could ·
eat a big candy bar three
times a day and be done
with it. But you need to think
of more than just your
growling stomach. You have
to feed those millions of
cells in your body. If they
just get candy bars, they'll
die. With this in mind, just
why do you eat?
The human body is com­posed
of millions of cells, all of
which must be fed with nutrients.
The cell is the basic building
block with which all tissues,
organs, muscles, skin, and bones
are built. When we talk about
feeding the body, what we really
mean is feeding the cells. When
we ask what kinds of nutrients
the body needs, we're really
asking what kinds of nutrients
the cells need.
The Six Classes of Nutrients
There are some 50 or so
different nutrients needed by the
cells in the body on a regular
basis, though in differing
amounts. Fortunately, most
foods contain more than just one
of the nutrients. Otherwise, we'd
have to eat more than 50 differ­ent
foods each day.
The nutrients needed by the
cells have been grouped into
six basic classes or categories:
proteins, fats, carbohydrates,
minerals, vitamins, and water.
Good nutrition is assured by
selecting a variety of foods that,
all together, provide the proper
balance of nutrients from each
of these six categories. A diet
that is consistently deficient in
nutrients from even just one of
those categories will eventually
lead to serious deterioration of
health. So, when we refer to "a
well-balanced meal," what we're
really referring to is a well­balanced
array of protein, fat,
carbohydrate, minerals, vita­mins,
and water.
Protein
Protein builds and repairs
all body tissues (skin, bone, hair,
blood, muscle, etc.), helps form
antibodies to fight infection, and
is a part of hormones and
enzymes which are responsible
for regulating body functions
such as digestion and growth.
Protein is made up of
chemical substances called
amino acids. When we eat foods
containing protein, two things
happen. First, our bodies break
down the protein into amino
acids. Second, the cells in the
body take those amino acids and
rearrange them to build the pro­tein
needed for growth, for
maintaining the body tissues,
and for producing substances
that help the body function
properly.
New proteins are constantly
being made by each cell, and
they are an essential part of the
structure, maintenance, and life
of every cell in our body. The
body can make its own supply
of more than half of the needed
proteins. Eight amino acids must
come from food because the
body cells cannot manufacture
them or enough of them. They
are called essential amino acids.
The remaining 14 or so amino
acids used by the body can be
obtained from food, but the body
can also manufacture them.
The amino acid makeup of a
food protein determines its
nutritive value. We call the
protein in animal foods complete
protein because it contains all
the essential amino acids needed
by the body for normal growth.
We call the protein in plant foods
Incomplete protein because
some of those essential amino
acids are missing or are present
in very small amounts.
By combining some plant
food with some animal food,
we get protein that's as good as
if we used all animal food.
Cereal with milk, macaroni and
cheese, peanut butter sandwich
and milk, spaghetti with meat­balls,
and lots of other dishes
that we commonly eat are as
good for us as eating all meat.
With the proper know-how,
it is also possible to combine
plant proteins to get favorable
combinations and amounts
of the amino acids.
All food proteins taken in
by the body, over and above what
the body needs for building or
repairing its cells and for certain
other specific purposes, are
used for energy. If the energy
isn't used up, it will be converted
Into fat and stored by the body
in that form. But we don't
specifically need protein for
energy. We can meet our energy
needs from two other nutrient
classes-fats and carbohydrates.
What foods contain protein?
Protein is usually most highly
concentrated in animal foods
such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs,
and cheese. Other important
sources of protein are legumes
(dried peas and beans), nuts, and
peanut butter.
Fat
Fat has many functions In
our bodies. It Is a concentrated
source of energy, supplying a
large amount of energy in a small
amount of food. Like the energy
unused from protein, the en­ergy
unused from fat is stored
as body fat. Body fat, in moderate
amounts, is useful because it
helps to pad the internal organs,
insulates the body against heat
and cold, and provides a re­serve
of energy. Some fats
carry vitamins A, 0, E, and K.
Fat is needed for a healthy skin
and helps delay hunger feelings. ·.
Fatty acids are the building
blocks of fat. Three molecules
of fatty acid combined with
one molecule of glycerol con­stitute
a molecule of fat.
Fats are classified as
saturated, polyunsaturated, or
monounsaturated depending on
the kind of fatty acids present.
Most food fats are a combina­tion
of different saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids.
· Saturated fats are usually
hard at room temperature. They
occur in both animal and vege­table
fats, but chiefly in animal
fats such as butter or the fat
in meat.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
are usually oils and are most
abundant in plant seeds and
fish oils. Vegetable oils such as
cottonseed, corn, soybean, and
safflower are about half poly­unsaturated
fat. Nearly all fats
from plant sources are un­saturated.
The only major
exception is coconut oil, which
is highly saturated.
Olive and peanut oil are ex­amples
of monounsaturated fatty
acids.
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate supplies food
energy and helps the body
make the best use of other nu­trients.
For most of us, carbo­hydrate
provides roughly half of
the day's food energy, and sugar
accounts for over one-half of
this. Like the energy from
unused protein and unused fat,
unused energy from carbohy­drate
will be stored as body fat.
Carbohydrate is found in
a wide variety of foods and
generally takes two common
forms: sugars and "starches."
Cane and beet sugar are pure
carbohydrate. Syrups, honey,
molasses, and products made
with a lot of sugar, such as
jelly and candy, are high in
carbohydrate. Grains such as
breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and
flour are mainly starch. Less
concentrated amounts of carbo­hydrate
come from other foods
like fruits, vegetables, and milk.
17
The carbohydrate in vegetables
is mainly starch; in fruits and
milk, mainly sugar.
As a general rule, the more
moisture in fruits and vegetables,
the less concentrated is the
carbohydrate. Potatoes are a
concentrated source of carbohy­drate
compared with vege­tables
high in water content, like
lettuce and spinach. Dried
fruits such as raisins or prunes
are richer in carbohydrate-than
juicy ones such as oranges,
grapes, and plums.
Sugars and sweets are
almost pure carbohydrate. That
is, there's very little else in
them. But foods such as fruits,
vegetables, breads, and cereals
carry other nutrients, too, like
minerals, vitamins, and, In the
case of cereals, some proteins.
Sugar, in moderation, is a
part of an acceptable diet, but
only a part. Sugar and sugary
foods don't provide the bulk, or
roughage, that many other foods
provide. We need that roughage,
not only to stimulate the walls
of the intestine for proper
elimination, but for healthy teeth
and gums as well. Fruits, vege­tables,
and whole grain cereals
are good sources of roughage.
18
Minerals and Vitamins
, The body needs as many as
1-8-20 different minerals to
regulate the body processes and
build certain body structures.
Some of the essential minerals
are calcium, phosphorous,
iodide, fluoride, and iron. Many
minerals are dissolved in body
fluids or form part of compounds
that are essential for proper
body functioning. Some minerals
are part of soft tissues, and
some form hard tissue such as
bone and teeth.
More than a dozen vitamins
have been identified as essen­tial.
They serve in a variety of
ways. Fortunately, a well-chosen
assortment of foods will pro­vide
all the vitamins a person
needs. Unused vitamins are
either stored by the body for
, future use, or eliminated by ex­cretion
in the urine.
The following table lists
some of the important minerals
and vitamins, and indicates
some of the ways the body uses
them and some of the food
sources from which they are
obtained.
NUTRIENTS AND FOODS FOR HEALTH
MINERALS
CALCIUM
PHOSPHORUS
IRON
IODIDE
FLUORIDE
BODY FUNCTION
Helps build strong bones and
teeth. Helps blood clot. Helps
muscles and nerves function
normally. Needed to activate
certain enzymes which help
change food into energy.
Helps build strong bones and
teeth. Needed by certain
enzymes which help change food
into energy.
Combines with protein to make
hemoglobin, the red substance in
the blood that carries oxygen
from lungs to cells, and
myoglobin which stores oxygen
in muscles. Needed to prevent
iron deficiency anemia.
Necessary for proper functioning
of thyroid gland. Prevents some
forms of goiter.
Helps prevent tooth decay in
children and brittle bones in
older persons.
FOOD SOURCE
Milk and milk products such as
cheese; sardines and shellfish;
dried fruits; soybeans.
Meat; fish; poultry; dried peas
and beans; milk and milk
products; egg yolk; whole grain
bread and cereal.
Liver, red meats; shellfish; egg
yolk; dark green leafy
vegetables; dried peas and
beans; dried prunes, raisins, and
apricots; molasses; whole grain
and enriched bread and cereal.
Seafoods and iodized table salt.
Fluoridated water supplies, either
those fluoridated naturally or by
man.
19
20
NUTRIENTS AND FOODS FOR HEALTH
VITAMINS
c
A
D
BODY FUNCTION
Helps bind cells together and
strengthens walls of blood
vessels. Needed for healthy
gums. Helps body resist
infection. Promotes healing of
wounds and cuts.
Helps keep the skin healthy.
Helps eyes adjust to dim light.
Promotes growth and develop­ment.
Helps build resistance to
infection.
Helps the body absorb calcium
and phosphorus which build
strong bones and teeth.
FOOD SOURCE
Certain fruits and vegetables
such as citrus fruits and juices,
broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes,
cauliflower, raw cabbage,
melons, green leafy vegetables,
and potatoes cooked in skin.
Liver; fish liver oils; dark green
leafy vegetables; deep yellow
fruits and vegetables; egg yolk;
butter; fortified margarine; whole
milk; vitamin A fortified skim
milk.
Vitamin D fortified milk; liver;
fish liver oils; egg yolk.
NUTRIENTS AND FOODS FOR HEALTH
VITAMINS
B, {THIAMIN)
B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)
NIACIN
Bu
BODY FUNCTION
Promotes normal appetite and
digestion. Necessary for a
healthy nervous system. Needed
in certain enzymes which help
change food into energy.
Helps cells use oxygen. Helps
maintain good vision. Needed for
smooth skin. Helps prevent
scaling or cracking of skin
around mouth and nose. Needed
in certain enzymes which help
change food into energy.
Promotes normal appetite and
digestion. Necessary for a
healthy nervous system. Needed
in certain enzymes which help
change food into en~rgy.
Helps prevent anemia, along
with vitamin 86 and folic acid.
FOOD SOURCE
Liver; meat (especially pork);
dried peas and beans; wheat
germ; whole grain and enriched
bread and cereal.
Liver; milk and milk products,
such as cheese; green leafy
vegetables; meat; eggs; whole
grain and enriched bread and
cereal.
Liver; meat; fish; poultry; green
vegetables; nuts (especially
peanuts); whole grain bread and
cereal (except corn); enriched
bread and cereal.
Foods of animal origin only,
especially liver and other organ
meats; cheese; milk; eggs.
21
Water
Water, though often over­looked,
is an essential nutrient.
As a matter of fact, one can
survive for a longer period of
time without food than one
can without water. It's part of
every cell in every tissue of
the body. Water is the medium
of body fluids, secretions, and
excretions. It carries food mate­rials
frorn one part of the body
to the other. It is the solvent
for all products of digestion.
It regulates body temperature by
evaporation through the skin
and lungs.
Besides drinking water,
we get water from all beverages
and most foods. For example,
fruits and vegetables contain
75% to 95% water, meat con­tains
50% to 70% water, and
bread contains about 35% water.
Our everyday drinking water
has minerals in it. Fluoridated
water is the most reliable
source of the mineral nutrient
fluoride. Water is one of the best
nutrition friends our body has!
22
The Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA's)
. ~ The Recommended Dietary
Allowances (ADA's) are the
levels of intake of essential
nutrients considered by the Food
and Nutrition Board of the
National Academy of Sciences,
on the basis of available scien­tific
knowledge, to be adequate
to meet the known nutritional
needs of practically all healthy
persons. The ADA's are re­viewed
and modified periodically
as new knowledge becomes
available.
Don't feel that malnutrition
will occur whenever the require­ments
are not completely met,
for these are not the nutritional
requirements of individuals;
they are goals for planning food
supplies and diets. These
allowances have been widely
. u~ed as guides, in planning
nutritionally adequate diets for
population groups. Although not
all nutrients are listed in this
table, it is assumed that a diet
which meets these recommenda­tions,
and is derived from a wide
variety of different foods, will
also meet the body's needs for
all other nutrients.
Now that you've completed
Program 3 ...
You've learned about the six
major nutrient categories, and
you've touched briefly on the
50 or so other nutrients that we
know are necessary for life.
But has it ever occurred to you
that there may be essential
nutrients that we still don't know
about? Nutrients that we're
sure to get by eating a balanced
diet, but which we can't get from
pills because we don't even
know to put them into the pills.
What could this mean in rela­tionship
to the Type A lunch
you serve everyday? Maybe it
provides even more reason to
justify eating the variety of
foods that the Type A lunch
provides.
......
Basic Points
to Remember
1.
The human body is composed of
millions of cells, all of which
must be provided with nutrients.
2.
The six basic categories of
nutrients are: protein, fats,
carbohydrates, minerals, vita­mins,
and water.
3.
Protein is made up of substances
called amino acids.
4.
Protein is most highly concen-trated
in animal foods.
5.
Fat, an important part of our
diet, is our most concentrated
form of energy.
6.
There are various kinds of fat in
foods: saturated fats, poly­unsaturated
fats, and mono­unsaturated
fats.
7.
Cholesterol is a fat-like material
present in animal foods but not
in vegetable foods.
8.
Carbohydrates are found in
a wide variety of foods and
generally take two forms: sugars
and "starches."
9.
Minerals help regulate the body
processes and provide the rigid
structure of bones and teeth.
The body needs as many as 18 to
20 different minerals.
10.
More than a dozen vitamins
have been identified as essential.
11.
Water is an essential nutrient,
one that we often overlook,
and it frequently provides some
minerals.
23
Some Useful Words
Amino Acids
Chemical substances
that make up protein.
Also the products of di­gestion
of protein. In the
body cells, amino acids
are rearranged to build
the protein needed for
growth, for maintaining
the body tissues, and
for producing substances
that help the body to
function properly. Anum­ber
of arnino acids are
manufactured by the
body.
Essential Amino Acids
The eight amino acids
which must come from
food, because the body
cells cannot manufac­ture
them or enough of
thern. The remaining 14
or so amino acids used
by the body are also
obtained from food, or
the body can manu­facture
them.
Legumes
Plants, such as peas and
soybeans, which grow
a pod containing seeds.
Cholesterol
24
A fatty substance found
in animal foods, and
also manufactured by the
body.
Protein
Fat
A nutrient made up of
substances calred amino
acids. Used for build­ing
and repairing body
cells.
A nutrient. Most concen­trated
source of energy.
Serves as the carrier
of fat-soluble vitamins.
Some fats are sources of
essential fatty acids.
Carbohydrate
A nutrient. Takes two
common forrns: sugars
and "starches." Fur­nishes
energy for body
processes and to support
activity and growth.
Minerals
A nutrient category which
Includes calcium, phos­phorus,
Iodide, fluoride,
and iron. Regulates the
body processes and pro­vides
rigidity to body
structures, such as bones
and teeth.
Vitamins
A nutrient category. Con­tribute
to body func­tioning
and health.
RDA
Recommended Dietary
Allowances. Suggest
amounts of nutrients to
use as goals in planning
diets. Prepared by the
Food and Nutri-tion
Board of the National
Academy of Sciences.
Nutrients
Bulk
Substances provided by
food that are essential
for the building, upkeep
and repair of body tis­sues,
and for the efficient
functioning of the body.
Everyone needs the
sarne nutrients through­out
life but in different
amounts. All nutrients
are available through
food.
Undigested fiber of cell­ulose
needed to stimulate
the walls of the intestine
for proper elimination.
Fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains contribute
bulk to the diet.
When you feel sure you've
mastered all the material in this
program, turn to the appropriate
quiz in the Appendix and fill it in.
(When you enrolled in a "Food
for Youth" course, you were
instructed where to send the
completed quizzes.)
LOOK AHEAD to Program 4 "What's a Balanced Diet?"
0 What is a balanced diet?
0 What are the basic four food groups?
0 What does each of the basic four food groups
contribute to the diet?
0 Which foods are included in each of the basic four
food groups?
0 Do all foods fit into the basic four food groups?
0 How can the Daily Food Guide be used?
Before you watch the next
program, look at the study
guide materials for that program:
(1) the content of the study
guide chapter, (2) the basic
points to remember, and (3) the
Jist of useful words.
25
WHAT'S A BALANCED DIET?
As we learned in Program 3
there are six basic cate­gories
of nutrients and the
Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA's) indi­cate
the amount of each
nutrient that ideally should
be included in one's daily
diet. The next step is to
translate these nutrient
needs into everyday foods
by using the Daily Food
Guide.
The Basic Four Food Groups
A balanced diet is one that
includes a sufficient variety
of foods to insure that an individ-
, ual takes in all the nutrients his
body needs on a regular basis.
As we've seen, there are six
basic classes of nutrients re­quired
by the body's cells:
proteins, fats, carbohydrates,
minerals, vitamins, and water.
All these nutrients are in foods.
For convenience in thinking
about which foods supply which
nutrients in abundance, nutrition­ists
have divided most food into
four basic food groups: meat,
vegetables and fruits, breads
and cereals, and milk.
The Daily Food Guide pic­tured
on the next page helps
translate nutrient needs into
everyday foods. As we learned
in a previous lesson, the Food
and Nutrition Board of the
National Research Council has
' established Recommended
Dietary Allowances (RDA's) for
some nutrients. That is, the
amount of each nutrient that
ideally should be included in
one's daily diet. The Food Guide
is based on this standard, trans­lating
nutrient need into terms
of foods widely available.
Minimum servings from each
food group, taken together, will
go a long way toward meeting
the RDA's.
The Type A' lunch pattern
has been developed especially to
help in the wise choice of foods
that will provide one-third or
more of the nutrients boys and
girls need each day. It includes
foods from all the food groups of
the Daily Food Guide, and a
specified amount of butter or
fortified margarine.
Each of the four food groups
provides certain specific nu­trients,
but they vary in the
amounts they provide in a serv­ing.
They are enough alike that
we can make different selections
from a group with the assurance
that our choice will contribute
their share of nutrients toward a
good diet. There is ample
choice within each food group
to allow for varied meals from
day to day, tc accommodate
children's food likes and dislikes,
and to consider their cultural,
ethnic, and religious food prac­tices
in menu planning. Foods
from all four groups work
together to supply the nutrients
and energy necessary for health
and for growth. Repeatedly
omitting foods from any one of
the groups may lead to poor
nutrition, and ultimately to poor
health.
Meat Group
Foods Included
Beef, veal, lamb, pork, variety
meats such as liver, heart,
kidney.
Poultry and eggs.
Fish and shellfish.
As alternates-dry beans, dry
peas, lentils, nuts, peanuts,
peanut butter.
Amounts Recommended
Choose 2 or more servings
every day.
Count as a serving: 2 to 3
ounces (not including bone
weight) cooked lean meat,
poultry, or fish. Count as alter­nates
for 1f2 serving meat or
fish: 1 egg, 1f2 cup cooked
dry beans, dry peas, or lentils,
or 2 tablespoons peanut
butter.
Nutrients Supplied
Major source of protein in the
diet. Also a good source
of iron, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin, other vitamins and min­erals,
and food energy.
The meat group is, for most
people, the major source of
protein in the diet, as well as a
number of vitamins and minerals.
It includes meat, fish, and
poultry, plus a few other foods
which are meat alternates.
Eggs are included In the
meat group because they are
such a good source of protein.
So are legumes (beans, peas,
and peanuts). At first glance
these seem to belong to other
food groups. Not so, say the
nutritionists. The foods included
in the meat group are grouped
together for two reasons-they
provide roughly the same cluster
of nutrients (protein, minerals,
and vitamins) and they often
are used as main dishes in meals.
The whole point of arranging
foods into basic groups is to
insure a balanced diet. Does
this mean that any food chosen
from the meat group is as good
as any other in the same group?
Not quite. For one thing, a
lot depends upon how much of
what you buy is truly edible.
Bones, gristle, and thick rinds of
fat sometimes come with the
meat you buy. In comparing one
meat group food with another,
you should compare only the
nutritional value of what actually
gets eaten.
Although Americans are
eating more and more meat, we
still seem to avoid the nutritious
variety meats, such as liver,
heart, and kidneys. Remember
that these, too, are high in
protein as well as being excellent
sources of iron and the
B vitamins.
Vegetable and Fruit Group
Foods Included
All vegetables and fruits.
Sources of Vitamin C
Good sources: Grapefruit or
grapefruit juice, orange or
orange juice, cantaloup,
guava, mango, papaya, raw
strawberries, broccoli, brus­sels
sprouts, green pepper,
sweet red pepper.
Fair sources: Honeydew
melon, lemon, tangerine or
tangerine juice, watermelon,
asparagus tips, raw cabbage,
cauliflower, collards, garden
cress, kale, kohlrabi, mustard
greens, potatoes and sweet
potatoes cooked in the jacket,
rutabagas, spinach, tomatoes
or tomato juice, turnip greens.
Sources of VItamin A
Dark green and deep yellow
vegetables and a few fruits,
such as apricots, broccoli,
cantaloup, carrots, chard,
collards, cress, kale, mango,
persimmon, pumpkin, spinach,
sweet potatoes, turnip greens
and other dark green leaves,
winter squash.
Sources of Iron
Dried fruits, such as apricots,
dates, figs, peaches, prunes,
raisins; dark green leafy
vegetables, such as beet
greens, chard, collards,
endive, escarole, kale, mustard
greens, spinach, turnip greens;
squash; sweet potatoes;
canned tomatoes.
27
28
A DAILY FOOD GUIDE
SOME CHOICES FOR THRIFTY FAMILIES
EVERY DAY EAT FOODS FROM EACH OF THE FOUR FOOD GROUPS
ffl MilkGroup
2 OR MOll SIRVINGS
--~" ...... --"'
llll.:>i;i"!!e~~~~
/"!-~~ll..fl~ft<:::;~~
r n
CHOOSE EXTRA SERVINGS
FROM THE FOUR FOOD GROUPS AND,
AS NEEDED, OTHER FOODS SUCH AS BUffiR OR MARGARINE,
SAlAD DRESSINGS AND OILS, AND JAMS AND JElliES
TO ROUND OUT MEALS
HOW TO COUNT DAILY SERVINGS
FOLLOW THE FOOD GUIDE EVERY DAY!
Milk Group
COUNT AS A SERVING
1 CUP OF MJLKW
CHEESE CAN BE USED
IN PlACE OF MILK
PART OF THE TIME.
THIS CHART SHOWS THE
NUMBER Of SERVINGS
EACH DAY FOR:
CHilDAEN UNDU 9 WWro WWW
CHILOAEN 9-12 ••• Ott MOAE
TEENAGER$ •••• OA MOtE
MI<K ADUlTS •• OR MOttE
c:;_ ..... -- PREGNANT <::~~~~::L~~ \!'-~-·~)WOMEN ••• ORMOttE
: 1~:' .•.•- ,!..' ~ NURSING •••• MOTHEt$ 0• MOttl
lqetabk-Fruit Group
4 OR MORE SERVINGS
COUNT AS A SERVING:· OR 1 PORnON, SUCH AS-
• SUVINO Sllf.S MAY If: SMAU(It fOIYOIJNG (Hit04tfH
t wtiatf OtUSE: IS USE.O IN f'\ACt Of MLAT. IT (ANM01 IE USED tN P\ACE Of MilK lSH MilK Gt~
29
Amounts Recommended
Choose 4 or more servings
every day, including:
1 serving every day of a good
source of vitamin C or 2
servings of a fair source.
1 serving, at least every
other day, of a good source of
vitamin A. If the food chosen
for vitamin C is also a good
source of vitamin A, you can
omit an additional vitamin A
food.
The remaining 1 to 3 or more
servings may be of any vege­table
or fruit, including those
that are valuable for vitamin C,
vitamin A, and iron.
Count as 1 serving: Y2 cup
of vegetable or fruit, or a
portion as ordinarily served,
such as 1 medium apple,
banana, orange, or potato;
half a medium grapefruit or
cantaloup; or the juice of
11emon.
Nutrients Supplied
Vegetables and fruits as a
group are important sources
of minerals and vitamins.
They also supply fiber, or
roughage, needed for proper
functioning of the intestinal
tract. Many contain a large
amount of water.
Vegetables and fruits can
complement any meal. Served
cooked, raw, or in juice form,
they add colorful eye-appeal,
Interesting flavors, and textural
contrasts with other foods served.
The nationwide consumption of
vegetables and fruits has been
declining in recent years.
Teenagers, in particular, are
30
notorious for omitting these
foods from their diets. If there
is any single eating habit that's
worth starting, it's the habit of
eating vegetables and fruits.
Whether the vegetables and
fruits are fresh, canned, or
frozen, they contain comparable
amounts of nutrients. Today's
methods of food handling, food
processing, and food trans­portation
are all designed to
preserve the nutritive value of
the food.
Milk Group
Foods Included
Milk: fluid whole, evaporated,
skim, dry, buttermilk.
Cheese: cottage; cream;
cheddar-type, natural or
process.
Ice cream, ice milk.
Amounts Recommended
Some milk every day for
everyone. Below are recom­mended
amounts of 8-ounce
cups of whole fluid milk:
Children under 9-2 to 3
cups
Children 9 to 12-3 or more
Teenagers-4 or more
Adults-2 or more
Pregnant women-3 or more
Nursing mothers-4 or more
Part or all of the milk may be
fluid skim milk, buttermilk,
evaporated milk, or dry milk.
Cheese and ice cream may
replace part of the milk. We
determine equivalent amounts
on the basis of calcium con­tent.
Common portions of
various kinds of cheese and
ice cream and their milk
equivalents in calcium are:
• 1-inch cube cheddar-type
cheese = Y2 cup milk
• Y2 cup cottage cheese = Y3
cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
= 1 tablespoon milk
• Y2 cup ice cream or ice
milk = V3 cup milk
Nutrients Supplied
Milk products are our lead­ing
source of calcium as well
as high quality protein, ribo­flavin,
vitamin A, vitamin D,
other vitamins and minerals,
and food energy.
Milk is available in various
forms. It may be fresh, fluid,
evaporated, condensed, or. dried.
It may be whole milk which
contains all of its original
butterfat, or it may be partially
or entirely skimmed. Dry milk
and evaporated milk are also
available In both whole and skim
forms. Any of these forms of
milk can meet all or part of
the day's milk quota.
To some extent, cheese, ice
cream, and other milk foods
are satisfactory replacements for
part of the day's milk needs,
but they shouldn't be relied on
to do the whole job. There's
really no substitute for a couple
of glasses of milk. This Is
especially true for teenagers,
whose diets, on a national aver­age,
are low in calcium.
For young children milk Is
an especially impo'rtant food.
Young children derive as much
as 20% or more of their calories,
a like amount of protein, and
as much as 70% or more of their
calcium, from milk and milk
products.
Persons who are weight
conscious and trying to cut down
on calories needn't exclude
foods from this group from the
diet. Today's markets have dairy
cases filled with low-fat products.
Foods like skim milk and cottage
cheese provide the calcium
and protein you need without
adding too many calories.
Milk that has been skimmed
has had its content of vitamin
A and D reduced. Some proc­essors,
therefore, add vitamin A
and D to the finished skimmed
product. This is important.
Read labels carefully and try
to select those milk Items which
have been fortified.
Bread and ·cereal Group
Foods Included
All breads and cereals that
are whole grain, enriched, or
restored. Check labels to
be sure.
Specifically, this group in­cludes
breads, cooked cereals,
ready-to-eat cereals, corn­meal,
crackers, flour, grits,
macaroni and spaghetti,
noodles, rice, rolled oats,
quick breads and other baked
goods if made with whole­grain
or enriched flour. Bulgur
and parboiled rice and wheat
also may be included in this
group.
Amounts Recommended
Choose 4 servings or more
daily. If no cereals are chosen,
have an extra serving of
breads or baked goods.
Count as 1 serving: 1 slice of
bread; 1 ounce ready-to-eat
cereal; 1/2 to% cup cooked
cereal, cornmeal, grits,
macaroni, noodles, rice, or
spaghetti.
Nutrients Supplied
Foods from this group supply
important amounts of many of
the 8-vitamins. They also
contribute worthwhile amount~
of iron, protein, and calories.
Whole grain products furnish
fiber, or roughage, needed
for proper functioning of the
intestinal tract.
Traditionally, breads or
cereals are on the table at prac­tically
every meal we eat. They
are nutritious and are an im­portant
source of calories.
In fact, 25% of the calories and
some of the protein Americans
eat come from this group of
foods.
Any product that is made of
enriched flour or cereal is more
nutritious than the same product
made with unenriched flour.
Whole grains are those that con­tain
all of the germ and outer
layers of the grain: whole wheat
flour, dark rye flour, brown rice,
whole ground cornmeal, and
the products made from them.
Whole grain products are
important, too, for the fiber
they provide, which helps to
keep the intestinal tract func­tioning
properly and in good
condition. Enriched foods are
ones to which specified amounts
of iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and
niacin have been added. Be sure
to buy products made of whole
grain or that are labeled enriched,
so they may be grouped under
breads and cereals.
31
Other Foods
When we discuss food
groups we talk about the "Basic
Four," but there are some other
foods which do not fall into
any of these four groups. These
other foods are used to round
out the overall diet and to help
meet energy and nutrient needs.
They are often ingredients
used in a recipe or added to
other foods during preparation,
like sugar, oils, butter or mar­garine.
Many common snack
foods are included, such as
candy, cakes, potato chips,
pretzels, and soft drinks.
Remember, back when we
talked about the reasons people
eat as they do, we spoke of
lots of reasons other than the
need to nourish our bodies.
Wanting to be in style, to be
sociable, to save time, or to have
pleasant taste sensations influ­ences
why we eat what we eat.
These are some of the reasons
snack foods are so popular.
32
In looking at our total diet,
it's important to count everything
we eat as part of our daily
food intake-including snack
foods and other foods which are
not in the basic four food groups.
As part of our food intake, they
should become part of a good
diet instead of a substitute for
a good diet. Their use may
need to be limited if we are to
get recommended amounts of
protein, minerals, and vitamins
without getting too many calories.
Studies indicate that the
American diet often provides
too many calories, too much fat,
and too much sugar. A variety
of foods helps safeguard nutrient
levels. Moderation in the use
of foods that provide fat and
sugar may be needed to avoid
obesity and still get the vitamins,
minerals, and protein needed.
Basic Points
to Remember
1.
A balanced diet is one that
includes a sufficient variety of
foods to insure that an individual
takes in all the nutrients his
body needs on a regular basis.
2.
The basic four food groups are
meat, vegetables and fruits,
bread and cereals, and milk.
3.
The meat group is, for most
people, the major source of pro­tein
in the diet. It also provides
iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin,
other nutrients and food energy.
4.
The vegetable and fruit group
provides most of the vitamins A
and C, some iron, and other
vitamins and minerals, plus
fiber or roughage. Many foods
in this group contain a large
amount of water.
5.
The bread and cereal group
contributes a number of the B
vitamins, calories, protein, iron,
and other minerals. Whole grain
products also furnish fiber or
roughage.
6.
The milk group is our leading
source of calcium, riboflavin, and
phosphorus. It also provides
some protein, food energy, and
may provide vitamins A and D.
7.
The "Dally Food Guide" helps
translate nutrient needs into
everyday foods.
8.
Foods for all four groups work
together to supply the nutrients
and energy necessary for health
and for growth.
33
Some Useful Words
Balanced Diet
A diet made ~p of a
variety of foods which
provide all the nutrients
needed in proper or bal­anced
amounts on a
regular basis.
Enriched Foods
Foods to which specific
nutrients have been
added as established in
a Federal standard of
identity and quality
(for example, enriched
bread). The amounts
added generally are mod­erate
and include those
commonly present at
even lower levels.
Fortified Foods
34
Foods to which specific
nutrients have been
added. The amounts
added are usually in ex­cess
of those normally
found in the food because
of the importance of
providing additional
amounts of the nutrients
to the diet. Some foods
are selected for fortifica­tion
because they are
an appropriate carrier for
the nutrient (for exam­ple,
milk is frequently
fortified with vitamin D).
, Basic Four Food Groups
Meat, vegetables and
fruits, bread and cereals,
and milk. Each food
group is relied on for pro­viding
certain specific
nutrients.
Other Foods
Foods which do not fall
into one of the basic
four food groups. Used
to round out the overall
diet and to help meet
energy and nutrient
needs.
Daily Food Guide
A guide to use when
translating nutrient need
into terms of foods
widely available.
When you feel sure you 've
mastered all.the material in
this program, turn to the appro­priate
quiz in the Appendix
and fill it in. (When you enrolled
in a "Food for Youth" course,
you were instructed where to
send the completed quizzes.)
...
LOOK AHEAD to Progam 5 "Three Meals A Day, Plus"
0 Do you believe that people who are poorly fed always
look poorly fed?
0 Why is breakfast important to children?
0 Are you familiar with the meal components of school
breakfast programs?
0 What food groups do they represent?
0 What are ways in which you adjust the Type A pattern
to meet the food preferences of the different students
served in your school cafeteria?
0 What are some of the nutritious snack foods you
serve in your school meals?
0 Which of these foods do your students like best?
0 What tools and guidelines do you use in planning
nutritious meals?
Before you watch the next
program, look at the study guide
materials for that program:
(1) the content of the study
guide chapter, (2) the basic
points to remember, and (3) the
list of useful words.
35
THREE MEALS A DAY, PLUS
It's not always realistic to
plan menus on the assump­tion
that everyone's nutrient
needs mu•t be met by three
meals a day. While the
"three meals a day" pattern
is generally thought of as
standard or normal, Ameri­cans
vary that pattern con­siderably.
In fact, America
may be called a country of
snackers, with the day con­sisting
of one continuous
meal. Should we plan meals
as if we all eat only three
meals a day, or should we
plan as If snacking is a part
of the dally food intake and
not something outside it?
The concept of eating three
meals a day has been with us
' for many, many years. Do you or
the children in your school sit
down and eat only three meals
a day every day? Do the meals
always provide a well-balanced
diet?
The "three meals a day"
pattern is a manageable concept
for menu planners to work with.
In fact, a general plan for all
the meals for a week can save
time, work, and money. It will
also help avoid humdrum
meals. Many people-factors
alter the "three meals a day"
pattern. People snack between
meals, munch In front of the
television in the evening, have
five or six mini-meals evenly
spaced throughout the day, find
food available 24 hours a day
at food service establishments
usually close to home, frequent
fast food operations and use
convenience foods, want fast,
quick meals to keep pace with
their busy schedules.
As mentioned in Program 4,
a balanced diet is one that
includes a sufficient variety of
foods to insure that an individual
takes in all the nutrients his
body needs on a regular basis.
Using the "three meals a day"
concept as a benchmark helps
people plan a balanced food
intake. People can then adapt
their eating pattern to suit their
individual habits, tastes, needs,
and preferences.
Breakfast
The word breakfast means
literally to break the fast which
results from 8 hours or more
of going without food during the
night. Breakfast can set the
stage for the activities of the
day, especially if it provides a
substantial share (approximately
one-fourth) of our daily nutrient
needs. It's very difficult to
get all the nutrients we need
unless we eat a good breakfast,
and the body needs energy and
nutrients to function at its best.
Studies have shown that
people who have eaten a good
breakfast perform better than
those who have eaten a poor one
or have skipped breakfast
altogether. Teachers have re­peatedly
observed that children
who do not eat breakfast often
do not concentrate well in
school. They are restless, in­attentive,
and not alert.
What is a good breakfast?
Here's a three-point test of a
good breakfast:
• It gives you protein, vitamins,
and minerals needed to
build and repair the body and
to help keep you healthy.
• It provides fuel for body
energy.
• It tastes good.
t-;tere are some good break­fast
patterns:
• Fruit, cereal or bread, milk to
drink, other beverage if
desired.
• Fruit, cereal or bread, or
both, egg, beverage.
• Fruit, cereal or bread, or both,
eggs with meat, such as
bacon, sausage, hash, or fish,
beverage.
Breakfast should be the
most important meal of the day
for everyone, including chil­dren.
More and more schools
and school food service workers
like you are playing an increas­ingly
important and responsible
role in the proper nutrition of
our young population by starting
them off with their first meal
of the day.
The School Breakfast
Legislation passed by
Congress in 1966 instituted the
National School Breakfast Pro­gram
because so many of the
Nation's children were going
to school hungry. A meal plan
was developed that would
allow for variety in the kinds of
foods offered for breakfast as
well as provide important nu­trients.
The plan was developed
for breakfasts at school, based
on food needs for 9- to 12-year­old
boys and girls.
As specified in school
breakfast regulations, section
220.8, the school breakfast
pattern shall contain, as a min­imum,
each of the following
food components in the amounts
indicated:
Fluid Milk
One-half pint of fluid milk served
as a be'J•erage or on cereal or
used in 1part for each purpose.
Milk i:s the leading source of
calcium, it also provides
good quality protein, riboflavin,
vitam in A, and other nutrients.
Additlional milk used in
preps~ration of breakfast
dishes steps up the nutritive
content of the meal.
Fruit, Fruit or Vegetable Juice
A Y2 CUfP serving of fruit or
full-strength fruit or vegetable
juice.
Brealcfast is an excellent time
to serve a vitamin C food.
Citrus fruits, such as orange
or grapefruit sections, or
oran~Je and grapefruit juices,
are 01utstanding for vitamin C.
Other food choices for vitamin
C include tomato juice, straw­barrios,
and cantaloup, in
season. Dried fruits, such as
raisins and prunes, are valu­able
1'or iron.
Bread o,r Cereal
One slice of whole-grain
or enriched bread; or an equiv­alent
se1rving of cornbread,
biscuits, rolls, muffins, dough­nuts,
et•c., made of whole-grain
or enriched meal or flour or
~ cup :serving of whole-grain
cereal or enriched or fortified
cereal; or an equivalent quantity
of any c:ombination of these
foods.
Th«~se foods provide some
protein, iron, the B-vitamins
(thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin),
and cal1ories.
To Improve the nutrition of
participating children, break­fasts
shall also include as
often as practical:
Meat and Meat Alternates
One egg; a 1-ounce serving
(edible portion as served) of
meat, poultry or fish; 1 ounce of
cheese; 2 tablespoons of peanut
butter; or an equivalent quan­tity
of any combination of any of
these foods.
Breakfast should include a
meat or meat alternate daily,
if possible. These foods add to
the quality of breakfast and
are important sources of
vitamins and minerals.
Additional Foods
May be served with breakfast
as desired.
Additional foods help round
out the breakfast, satisfy
appetites, and meet children's
food needs. They may include
the following:
• Larger servings or seconds
of foods required in the
breakfast.
• Foods that help to add
popular appeal to the break­fast
(potatoes, bacon).
• Spreads on bread (butter or
fortified margarine, jams,
jellies, honey, syrup).
• Sweeteners for cereal and
pancakes (sugar, brown
sugar, honey, and syrup).
37
Lunch
Generally, we consider
lunch the second meal of our day.
It's a very important meal to '
most people. Whether we speak
of school students, office work­ers,
construction workers,
school food service personnel, or
any other group, lunch is much
more than just a time to-eat. It's
that long-awaited break in the
daily routine, a til'ne to relax,
a time to be with friends, a
chance to run errands, and a
time just to do what you want
to do.
Of course, having something
to eat quiets the hunger pangs,
provides energy to continue
on with the day, and supplies
more of the nutrients needed.
The noon meal for a child should
have a meat or meat alternate,
some foods for energy, and
some foods high in minerals and
vitamins.
The School Lunch
The meal pattern you follow
as part of the National School
Lunch Program is known as the
Type A pattern. As mentioned in
a previous program it includes
foods from all the food groups
of the " Daily Food Guide"
and a specified amount of
butter or fortified margarine.
38
The nutritional goal for
school lunches is to furnish at
least one-third of the Recom­mended
Dietary Allowances
(ADA's) of the National Research
Council for children of various
age groups. The Type A lunch
requirements provide the frame­work
for nutritionally adequate
school lunches. The kinds
and amounts of foods listed in
the Type A lunch pattern are
based on the 1968 ADA's for 10-
to 12-year-old boys and girls.
As specified in the school
lunch regulations, a Type A lunch
shall contain as a minimum
each of the following food com­ponents
in the amounts
indicated:
Meat and Meat Alternate
Two ounces (edible portion as
served) of lean meat, poultry or
fish; or 2 ounces of cheese;
or one egg; or% cup of cooked
dry beans or dry peas; or 4
tablespoons of peanut butter; or
an equivalent of any combination
of the above-listed foods. To
be counted in meeting this
requirement, these foods must
be served in a main dish or in
a main dish and one other menu
item to provide protein, iron,
B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin} and other nutrients.
Vegetables and Fruits
Three-fourths cup serving
consisting of two or more vege­tables
or fruits or both. A serving
(V4 cup or more) of full-strength
vegetable or fruit juice may
be counted to meet not more
than 1/.l cup of this requirement
to provide most of the vitamin
A and vitamin C and some of
the iron and other vitamins and
minerals.
Bread
One slice of whole-grain or
enriched bread; or a serving of
other bread, such as cornbread,
biscuits, rolls, muffins made of
whole-grain or enriched meal
or flour, to provide some of
the B vitamins (thiamin, niacin),
minerals (especially iron), and
calories.
BuHer or Fortified Margarine
One teaspoon of butter or
fortified margarine to provide
some of the calories and
vitamin A.
Fluid Milk
One-ha'l""f',-p...i, .n-:t:-o-f:cf-::1u- -=i d--,-m--..,i. .l,'"k"'_a_s
aoeverage to provide most of
the calcium and riboflavin, some
protein, vitamin A, vitamin D
(if fortified), phosphorus, and
other nutrients.
Add other foods which are
not part of the lunch requirements
as needed to complete lunches,
to help improve acceptability,
and to provide additional food
energy and other nutrients.
To help assure that all
Type A lunches meet the nutri­tional
goal, it is recommended
that lunches include a vitamin A
vegetable or fruit at least twice a
week, a vitamin C vegetable or
fruit several times a week, and
several foods for iron each day.
It is also recommended that
fat in the Type A lunch be kept at
a moderate level and iodized
salt be used in preparing
lunches.
THE TYPE A SCHOOL LUNCH
GUIDE TO THE AMOUNTS OF FOOD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS OF SPECIFIED AGES
Elementary school children Secondary school
girls and boys (12
up to 18 years)* •
Pre-school children 6 up to 10 years 10 up to 12 years
Pattern (3 up to 6 years) (Type A Lunch)
Meat and/or alternate: One ot the
following or combinations to give
equivalent quantities:
Meat, poultry, fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Y2 ounces
Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Y2 ounces
2 ounces
2 ounces
Egg•......................... 1 1
Cooked dry beans or peas . . . . . . V4 cup 1/3 cup
Peanut butter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 tablespoons
Vegetable and/or fruit' . . . . . . . . . . . V2 cup
3 tablespoons
~cup
Bread' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y2 slice
Butter or fortified margarine . . . . . . 1h teaspoon
1 slice
1 teaspoon
Milk ......... . ....... . ......... ~ cup5 Y2 pint
' When a range In amounts is given,
the smaller amounts are suggested
for girls and the larger amounts for
older boys. An amount midway
between the amounts shown Is
suggested for younger boys.
'When egg is served as the main
dish In the lunch, use in addition
When a variety of the foods
listed above are used in the
amounts specified and in com­bination
with other foods needed
to satisfy the appetite, the
lunches will make a significant
contribution toward the daily
dietary allowances recom­mended
by the National Re­search
Council for 10- to 12-
Year-old boys and girls.
a half portion of meat or other meat
alternate for all children except
those 3 up to 6 years.
' Must include at least two kinds.
• Or a serving of cornbread, biscuits,
rolls, muffins, etc., made of whole­grain
or enriched meal or flour.
• If this is impractical, serve .V2 pint.
See pages 40 and 41 for a
detailed listing of foods for
Type A school lunches and
pages 42 and 43 for the steps to
follow in planning a Type A
menu.
Since younger children are
not always able to eat the
amounts specified in the Type A
lunch, the regulations permit
serving these children lesser
2 ounces
2 ounces
1
V2 cup
3 ounces
3 ounces
1
:Y4 to 1 V4 cups
4 tablespoons
%cup
4 to 5 tablespoons
1 to 1 V2 cups
1 slice
1 teaspoon
1h pint
1 to 3 slices
1 to 2 teaspoons
Y2 pint
*NOTE: These portion sizes also
serve as a guide for the amounts of
foods to serve older boys and girls
(12 and over) in the Special Food
Service Program.
REMEMBER: The amounts of foods
for all age groups, except 10 up to
12 years, are Intended as guides
and their literal use is not ·
mandatory.
amounts of selected foods than
are specified.
To meet the nutritional
needs of teenagers, the regula­tions
allow you to serve older
boys and girls larger amounts of
selected foods than specified
in the Type A lunch
requirements.
39
TYPE A FOODS
MEAT AND MEAT VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
ALTERNATE
Cheese
Cheddar
Cottage
Swiss
Include a VITAMIN A vegetable or
fruit at least twice a week'
Include a VITAMIN C vegetable or
fruit several times a weekt
Include these
vegetables and fruita
as needed
Dry beans
Dry peas
Eggs
Dried, whole
Frozen, whole
Shell
Fish and shellfish
Meat-canned, dried,
fresh and frozen
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Veal
Variety meats and
luncheon meats
Frankfurters
Liver• and
other organ
meats
Luncheon meats
(including'
bologna,
liverwurst')
Peanut butter
Poultry-canned,
fresh and frozen
Chicken
Turkey
Protein-fortified,
enriched macaroni
(when mixed with
meat, poultry, fish, or
cheese)
textured vegetable
protein
(when mixed with
meat, poultry, or fish)
FOOD IRON
Meat and
Meat Alternate
Dry beans and peas
Eggs
Meats in general
especially liver
(liverwurst) and
other organ meats
Peanut butter
Poultry
Shellfish, Tuna
Vegetables and Fruits
A ~ cup serving
(about 1500 or more
International Units of
vlt. A)
Beet greens
Carrots
Chard, Swiss
Chili peppers, red'
Collards'
Cress, garden'
Dandelion greens'
Kale'
Mangoes'
Mixed vegetables
(frozen)
A Y4 cup serving
(about 750-1500
International Units of
vit. A)
Apricots
Broccoli'
Cantaloup'
Chicory greens
A 1h cup serving
{about 750-1500
International I.Jnits of
vit. A)
Asparagus, green'
. Cherries, red sour
Chili peppers, green
{fresh)'
Endive, curly
Escarole
Nectarines
Vegetables and Fruits
Apples (canned)
Asparagus
Beans-green, wax,
lima
Berries
Dried fruits-apricots,
dates, figs,
peaches, prunes,
raisins
' Vitamin A vegetables and fruits-the vegetables
and fruits listed below will supply at least 750
International Units of vitamin A per Y• or Y:t cup
serving. When these vegetables and fruits are
served at least twice a week In recommended
amounts along with a variety of additional vege­tables
and fruits used to meet the Y• cup vege­table
and fruit requirement (10- to 12-year-old
boys and girls), the 1 teaspoon of butter or lor­tilled
margarine, and the Y:t pint fluid milk re­quired
In each lunch, the vitamin A content of
the lunch will generally meet or exceed the
1500 International Units goal for the lunch.
40
Mustard greens'
Peas and carrots
(frozen)
Peppers, sweet red'
Pumpkin
Spinach'
Squash, winter
(acorn, butternut,
Hubbard)
Sweet potatoes'
Turnip greens'
Papayas'
Purple plums
(canned)
Peaches (except
canned)
Prunes
Tomatoes'
Tomato juice or
reconstituted paste
or puree'
Peas, green,
immature
Cowpeas, immature
seed
Purple plums
(canned)
Rhubarb
Vegetables and Fruits
A ~ cup serving
(about 25 milligrams
or more of vit. C)
Acerola
Broccoli'
Brussels sprouts
Chili peppers, red'
and green
Guavas
A Y4 cup serving
(about 15-25
milligrams of vit. C)
Cauliflower
Collards'
Cress, garden•
Grapefruit
Grapefruit juice
Grapefruit-orange
juice
Kale'
Kohlrabi
A V4 cup serving
(about 8-15
milligrams of vlt. C)
Asparagus
Cabbage
Cantaloup•
Dandelion greens'
Honeydew melon
Okra
Potatoes (baked,
boiled or steamed)
Potatoes
(reconstituted
instant mashed­vitamin
C restored)
Raspberries, red
Rutabagas
Squash
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes (canned)
Tomato juice, paste,
puree
t Vitamln C vegetables and fruits-the vegetables
and fruits listed below will supply about 8 mil­ligrams
or more vitamin C (ascorbic acid) per
~ cup servin.g. When these vegetables and
fruits are served several times a week in recom­mended
amounts along with a variety of ad­ditional
vegetables and lru its to meet the ~
cup vegetable and fruit requirement (10- to 12-
year-old boys and girls), and the Y:t pint of fluid
milk required in lunches each day, the average
daily vitamin C content of the lunch will gen­erally
meet or exceed the 13 milligram goal for
the lunch.
Orange Juice
Oranges
Papayas•
Peppers, sweet,
red• and green
Kumquats
Mangoes•
Mustard Greens•
Pineapple juice
(canned-vitamin C
restored)
Strawberries
Tangerine juice
Tangerines
Sauerkraut
Spinach•
Sweet potatoes•
(except those
canned in sirup)
Tangelos
Tomatoes
Tomato juice or
reconstituted
paste or puree
Turnip greens•
Turnips
Vegetables:
Dark green leafy­beet
greens, chard,
collards, endive,
escarole, kale,
mustard greens,
spinach, turnip
greens
Vegetables and Fruli
Apples
Applesauce
Avocados
Bananas
Beans, green or wax
Beans, lima, green
Bean sprouts
Beets
Berries (black, blue,
etc.)
Celery
Chinese cabbage
Corn
Cranberries
Cranberry sauce
Cucumbers
Dates
Eggplant
Figs
Fruit cocktail
Fruits for salads
Grapes
Lettuce
Other dark green­broccoli,
brussels
sprouts
•see listing of vitamin C foods.
•See listing of vitamin A foods.
' One ounce provides more than 1500 Interna­tional
Units or vitamin A.
j
BREAD
(enriched or
whole a rain)
Group 1 (25 gms.)
Bagels
Biscuits
Boston brown bread
Mixed vegetables Buns (all types)
(canned) Cornbread
Mushrooms English muffin
Olives French or Vienna
Onions "Fry" bread
Parsley Italian bread
Parsnips Muffins
Peaches (canned) Pretzels (soft)
Pears Pumpernickel
Peas and carrots Raisin bread
(canned) Rolls
Peas, green, Rye bread
immature Salt sticks
Cowpeas, Immature Stuffing {bread)
seed Syrian bread (flat)
Pimentos White bread
Pineapple Whole wheat bread
Plums Group 2 (20 gms.)
Potatoes (mashed, Bread sticks {dry)
fried, etc.) Graham crackers
Radishes Melba toast
Raisins " Pilot" bread
Rhubarb Rye wafers
Squash, summer Saltine crackers
Watercress Soda crackers
Watermelon Taco shells
Fruit juices (apple, Zwieback
grape, pineapple, Group 3 (30 gms.)
etc.) Dumplings
Hush puppie.s
Meat pie crust
Meat turnover crust
Pancakes
Pizza crust
Popovers
Sopapillas
Spoon bread
Tortillas
Waffles
Breads, enriched or
whole-grain
Biscuits
Boston brown bread
Cornbread
loaf
Muffins
Rolls
-
• Foods for I ron-because of the way Iron Is dis·
trlbuted among many• foods (meats, vegetables,
and fruits and breads), it is recommended that
each lunch Include several foods that are worth·
While aourcea of Iron In sufficient quantities for
_the age group served. The list of fooda for Iron
•ncludee meat and meat alternate foods that sup·
Ply at least 1.0 milligram of iron per serving and
vagelablee, fruits, breads and other foods that
supply 0.8 milligram of Iron per serving. The
goal for Iron for the lunch Is 5.0 milligrams.
......
BUTTER c•R MILK OTHER FOODS
MARGARINE
Butter Milk, fluid Cereals and
Margarine, whole Cereal Products
fortified w,fth lowfat Bulgur
15,000 I.U .. vitamin skim Cornmeal
A per poUJ~d cultured buttermilk Corn grits
Crackers
(unenriched)
Flour
Hominy
Macaroni
Noodles
Rice
Rolled wheat and oats
Spaghetti
Desserts
Cakes
Confections
Cookies
Doughnuts
Ice cream
' Pastry for pies
and cobblers
Puddings
1 Cereals and Cereal
Products, enriched or
whole-grain
Bulgur, Rice
Rolled wheat and oats
Macaroni, Spaghetti
Miscellaneous
Bacon
Catsup
Chili sauce
Corn chips
Cream cheese
Gelatin, plain or
flavored
Honey
Jams
Jellies
lard
Molasses
Nuts
Pickles
Potato chips & stic
Salad dressings
Salt pork
Shortening
Sirups
Other similar foods
Miscellaneous
Desserts made wit h
le­ur
enriched or who
grain cereal, flo
or meal
Molasses and siru ps
41
STEP1
SELECT A
MEAT
OR MEAT
ALTERNATE
STEP2
CHOOSE THE
VEGETABLES
AND FRUITS
STEP3
DECIDE ON AN
APPROPRIATE
BREAD
STEP4
INCLUDE BUTTER
OR FORTIFIED
MARGARINE
STEPS
INCLUDE
MILK
STEPS
ADD A DESSERT
AND OTHER FOODS
AS NEEDED
42
STEPS IN PLANNING A TYPE uA" MENU
Include 2 ounces of cooked meat or the equivalent as specified In the Type A pattern.
Plan to use a meat or meat alternate In the main dish-alone or In casseroles, stews,
loaves or use In the main dish and one other menu Item-soups, salads, sandwiches or
desserts. From a nutritional standpoint, it is desirable to include an "extra" source of protein
(meat, cheese, peanut butter) when eggs, luncheon-type meats, dry beans or dry peas are
used as the main meat or meat alternate In the lunch.
REMEMBER-Cooked dry beans or dry peas may be counted as a meat alternate or a
vegetable-not as both in the same lunch.
-A 2-ounce portion of a commercially prepared cheese product (cheese food or
, cheese spread) will meet only Y2 of the meat alternate.
-Textured vegetable protein products are allowed as a meat alternate when no
more than 30 percent of the hydrated protein products are mixed with 70
percent uncooked meat, poultry or fish. (See USDA fact sheet.)
-Protein fortified, enriched macaroni-type products-1 ounce of dry macaroni
or spaghetti (Y2 to ~ cup cooked) may be used as 1 ounce of meat alternate
when mixed with 1 ounce of cooked meat, poultry, fish or cheese In a main
dish. (See USDA fact sheet.)
Include 2 or more servings of vegetables and/or fruits in amounts to total ¥.- cup.
Plan to use vegetables raw or cooked-alone or combined in salads, casseroles, stews.
Plan to use fruits raw or cooked-alone or combined in salads, fruit cups, desserts.
For lists of vegetables and fruits that are sources of vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, see the
chart-Foods for Type A School Lunches.
REMEMBER-Full-strength vegetable or fruit juice may be counted to meet no more than V4
cup of the vegetable-fruit requirement. A Y2 cup serving of a fruit juice drink (50
percent juice) provides V4 cup juice.
-Cereal foods such as macaroni, spaghetti, noodles, rice and hominy are
considered Other Foods and do not meet the vegetable-fruit requirement.
-Menu items such as fruit cocktail, peas and carrots, and combination salads are
considered as only one serving of a vege_table or fruit.
Include 1 or more portions of bread made with whole-grain or enriched flour or meal.
Plan to use bread as an accompaniment to the lunch--or In sandwiches.
Plan to use a bread which will "go well" with the main dish and other items in the lunch.
REMEMBER-Unenriched crackers are considered Other Foods and do not meet the bread
requirement.
Plan to use 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine as a spread for bread or in the preparation of
the lunch.
REMEMBER- The use of butter or fortified margarine as a spread for bread is optional only
when the required amount is used in food preparation.
Plan to use Y2 pint fluid milk as a beverage.
Use nonfat dry milk In cooking to keep cost down and nutritive value up.
REMEMBER-Nonfat dry milk and fluid milk used in food preparation may not be counted
toward meeting the milk requirement.
Plan to use a dessert and Other Foods tor appetite appeal and to increase the nutritive value
of the lunch. Include foods for Iron frequently.
REMEMBER-Desserts containing such foods as fruits, eggs, peanut butter, milk and
enriched or whole-grain cereals, flour or meal are desirable.
• Amounts of foods used as examples are tor 10- to 12-year-old boys and girls. See Guide to
the Amount of Food tor Boys and Girls of Specified Age (page 39).
For Each Lunch Use:
1 meat or meat alternate such as-
2 oz. cooked meat, poultry or fish.
2 oz. cheese.
1 egg.
1h cup cooked dry beans or dry peas.
4 tablespoons peanut butter.
or
A combination of meat and meat alternates such as-
1 oz. cooked meat + 1 oz. cheese.
1 oz. cooked meat + 1f.l cup cooked dry beans.
1 oz. cooked poultry + Y2 egg.
1 oz. cooked fish + 1 oz. cheese.
1 oz. cheese + 2 Tbsp. peanut butter.
For Each Lunch Use:
2 servings such as-
Y2 cup vegetable + Y4 cup fruit.
Y2 cup vegetable + Y4 cup vegetable.
% cup (6 Tbsp.) vegetable + % cup (6 Tbsp.) fruit.
3 servings such as­Y4
cup vegetable +
or
1f.l cup vegetable + Y4 cup fruit.
1f.l cup vegetable +
Y4 cup vegetable + Y4 cup fruit juice.
% cup (6 Tbsp.) vegetable + Y4 cup (4 Tbsp.)
vegetable + ~ cup (2 Tbsp.) fruit.
For Each Lunch Use:
1 slice of bread-any variety or
1 roll, biscuit or muffin or
1 portion of cornbread or other hot bread.
For Each Lunch Use:
1 tsp. butter or margarine on bread or In sandwich or
Y2 tsp. on bread + Y2 tsp. in food preparation or
1 tsp. in food preparation.
For Each Lunch Use:
Y2 pint fluid milk.
For Each Lunch Use:
A dessert and Other Foods as needed to
complete the lunch.
Cheeseburger-Pickle Chips
and Onion Ring Garnish
A cheeseburger combines two of the meat and meat al­ternates
listed In the Type A pattern and makes an in­expensive
main dish. It is easy to prepare, cooks quickly
and is an all-time favorite.
The pickle chips and onion rings are added for texture
and flavor contrast.
Mayonnaise, mustard or catsup may be added for taste
appeal.
Polka Dot Corn
Buttered Broccoli Spears
These selections of vegetables with the cherries in the
dessert meet the vegetable-fruit requirement. They make
a pleasing color combination and the flavors are varied
-from mild to strong and sweet to tart. The broccoli pro­vides
vitamin A, vitamin C and iron.
Bun
A school-made bun, plain or split, buttered and toasted,
completes the chees~burger-so popular with children.
Butter
Butter on the bun or as a seasoning for the vegetables or
in the Cherry Crisp adds taste appeal.
Milk
Milk is the beverage.
Cherry Crisp
The crisp topping adds energy and iron to the lunch.
Rolled wheat used in the topping adds a different flavor.
43
Dinner
The dinner, or supper, meal
traditionally has been a family ,
time. It is usually the last planned :
food consumption period of
the day, and marks our last major
effort to get our daily quota of
nutrients.
Dinners may be large or
small, plain or fancy, formal or
informal. Whatever they are,
however, they should be well­balanced,
attractive, and tasty.
A dinner menu is usually planned
around a main dish-a meat
or meat alternate-with the
other component parts of the
meal complementing this choice.
Appetizers from hot soup to a
chilled fruit compote can whet
the appetite. Dinner is a great
time to serve a wide variety
of vegetables. Salads can be
light or hearty, taste sweet or
tangy. There are breads of
many descriptions to serve. .
Desserts round out the menu
nutritionally and taste-wise.
Here are four examples of
dinner menu patterns. The
balance will depend on kinds and
amounts of foods selected.
• Main dish, vegetables or
salad, bread, dessert, bever­age.
• Main dish, vegetables, salad,
bread, dessert, beverage.
• Appetizer, main dish, vege­tables,
bread, dessert,
beverage.
• Appetizer, main dish, vegeta­bles,
salad, bread, dessert,
beverage.
44
Snacks
Food eaten,at times other
than breakfast, lunch, and dinner
are usually called snacks and
must be considered in any
discussion of meals. Snacks are
an important part of our dally
food intake, rounding out our
need for nutrients and energy.
They need to be planned as
carefully and with as much
thought as regular meals.
Healthful snacks can add variety
to our daily food intake and help
provide our daily nutrients.
Empty-calorie foods-those
which primarily contribute
calories to the diet-should only
be selected if the daily nutrient
needs have otherwise been met.
Raisins or peanuts are just
as tempting as potato chips and
more nutritious. Date nut bread
made with enriched flour is
nutritionally a better treat
to offer than a frosted cake. Two
or three varieties of chilled
fruit juice will satisfy an after­school
thirst as well as soft
drinks. An apple, orange, or
banana will help satisfy an appe­tite
anytime.
Tips for Menu Planning
Creative menu planning
calls for originality, imagination,
and a spirit of adventure. Per­sonnel
responsible for planning
menus must recognize that
appealing, interesting, and eco­nomical
lunches can be planned
from the simple box lunch to
the lunch with many choices.
Advances in food technology
make it possible to serve Type A
lunches in many forms, such as
a cup-can lunch, a frozen
TV-type lunch, or a lunch pre­pared
from scratch. Keep the
following points in mind:
1. Plan for Variety
Plan ~o include a wide
assortment of foods.
• Do not use the same food
on consecutive days, like
meat balls with spaghetti
on Monday and beef
patties on Tuesday.
• Do not use the same food
on the same day of each
week. Each Monday
should not be "hot dog
day" nor Tuesday "chicken
and mashed potato day."
Plan for a variety of types of
lunches.
Plan lunches around cas­seroles,
soup and sandwich,
or main dish salads.
Plan to include different
forms of foods prepared in
different ways. Keep a file of
various main dishes, different
ways to prepare vegetables,
and suggestions for variety
in breads.
• Do not use two foods
prepared in the same way
in the same lunch, such
as two creamed dishes or
two casserole-type dishes.
• Do not use foods prepared
in the same way each time
they are served. Vege­tables
can be served raw
or cooked, peeled or un­peeled,
buttered, creamed,
or scalloped with different
sauces or seasonings.
Be sure the different way
of serving is as good or
better than the usual way.
Plan to Include the food com­binations
most acceptable
to students. Include a sur­prise
Item or a small amount
of a new or unfamiliar food.
For example, when serving
roast beef and mashed pota­toes,
add cheese balls rolled
in nuts as a garnish on the
salad, or add a small serving
of an unfamiliar or less
popular food such as a salad
With fresh spinach or raw
cauliflower.
2. Plan1 for Contrast
Plan' to use some crisp, firm
food1s with soft, creamy ones.
• U:se something crisp or
firm in each lunch, such as
a green salad, raw vege­table
sticks, or hard rolls.
• D·o not use too many
starchy foods in the same
menu. Macaroni and
potatoes, noodles and
c<>rn, sweetpotatoes and
ri«ce are too much starch
fo•r one meal.
Pla111 to use a combination of
mlldl and strong 'flavored
fooclls.
• Do not use too many foods
with pronounced flavors
lil<e broccoli, onions,
turrnips, cabbage, and
cauliflower in the same
lunch.
• Do not use two foods of the
same flavor together, like
to•mato juice and stewed
tc•matoes, or macaroni and
cheese and a pineapple­cheese
salad.
Plart to use a pleasing com­blnaltlon
of different sizes and
shaJ)es of foods.
• Do not use too many
chopped or mixed items In
the same lunch (potato­hlam-
cheese casserole,
tCissed salad and fruit cup).
• Do not use too many foods
olf the same shape together
(rneat balls, steamed
p•otatoes, whole beets and
muffins; or cubed meat,
dliced potatoes, mixed
vBgetables and fruit
ct:>cktail).
3. Plan for Eye Appeal
Plan to use combinations of
colors that blend well.
Consider the color of the
dishes to be used as well as
the colors of the foods.
• Use at least one or two
colorful foods in each
menu. The natural red,
green, and orange colors
of fruits and vegetables add
eye appeal.
• Use colorful foods in
combination with those of
little or no color, such as
broccoli spears with
creamed potatoes and
pimiento or green pepper
in corn pudding.
• Use garnishes like a slice
of radish or cucumber,
stuffed olives, a tomato
wedge, sieved egg, a bit of
brightly colored fruit, a
sprig of parsley or water­cress,
or a dash of paprika,
to brighten food naturally
lacking In color.
Plan the way the menu Items
will be placed on the tray
or plate. Visualize how the
foods will look when served
and decide on the most
attractive arrangement.
4. Consider food habits, special
occasions, climate or sea­sons,
and the availability of ,
foods.
46
• Plan lunches that cater to
the regional, cultural, and
personal food preferences
of students without reflect­ing
your personal food
prejudices.
• Along with well-liked or
familiar foods, however,
introduce new foods which
supply the nutrients most
often lacking in home
diets.
• Plan lunches which have
a festive air for school and
national holidays, students'
birthdays, parents' visiting
days, and National School
Lunch Week. Dress up the
foods in these lunches and
use imagination in plan­ning
the kinds of food to
serve, the garnishes to use,,
the shapes of cookies,
and cake decorations.
• Plan lunches that include
more hot foods in cold
weather and more cold
foods and salads in warm
weather.
• Plan lunches to serve
fresh foods in season when
they are plentiful and at
the peak of quality.
'.
5. Remember your limitations
of food cost, facilities, and
personnel.
Plan lunches that are within
the food budget.
• Make maximum use of
USDA-donated foods and
foods in plentiful supply.
• Check food inventories and
schedule the use of both
USDA-donated and locally
purchased foods.
• Use standardized recipes
and portion control.
• Balance the use of high­cost
and low-cost food
items within the period of
time for which lunches are
planned.
Plan lunches that can be
prepared and served with the
facilities and equipment
available.
• Consider oven, surface­cooking,
steamer space,
and refrigeration.
• Consider the numbers
and kinds of serving tools
and dishes needed to serve
each menu. '
Plan lunches that can be
prepared by the employees In
the time available.
• Consider the amount of
hand preparation required
for each menu.
• Schedule employees' time
so that their particular
skills can be used to best
advantage.
• Balance workload from day
to day and week to week.
Basic Points
to Remember
1.
It's not always realistic to plan
menus on the assumption
that everyone's nutritional needs
must be met by three meals a
day.
2.
Combine knowledge of the basic
four food groups, with realistic
knowledge of your students'
habits, tastes, and preferences,
to achieve good nutrition.
3.
Any eating pattern is a good
one if it allows for a good assort­ment
of foods. Use the basic
four food groups as a guide for
food selection.
4.
Menus can be varied from meal
to meal, from day to day, from
season to season.
5.
The Type A pattern is the meal
pattern used In the National
School Lunch Program as a basis
for selecting kinds and quan­tities
of foods.
6.
The school breakfast pattern is
the meal pattern used in the
National School Breakfast
Program as a basis for selecting
kinds and quantities of food.
47
Some Useful Words
Standard Eating Pattern
"Three meals a day" has
generally been thought
of as the standard, nor­mal,
or typical pattern
of eating.
Breakfast
The first meal of the day
which "breaks-the-fast"
that results from going
without food during
sleep. The meal plan
developed for the School
Breakfast Program is
also a good plan to fol­low
at home.
Lunch
Usually the second meal
of the day, which many
people eat away from
home at school or office.
The Type A pattern de­veloped
for the National
School Lunch Program
provides a guide for
planning lunches that will
furnish at least one-third
of the RDA for children
aged 10 to 12. It is a
good plan to follow at
home.
Dinner
48
Generally, the last formal
meal of the day, when
many people try to com­plete
their intake of
necessary nutrients.
Snacks
For many Americans
this has become the type
of food consumed
throughout the entire
day-a gulp here, a
munch there. Its nutri­tional
contribution is as
important as that from
regular meals.
When you feel sure you've
mastered all the material in this
program, turn to the appropriate
quiz in the Appendix and fill
it in. (When you enrolled in a
"Food for Youth" course,
you were instructed where to
send the completed quizzes.)
-
j
LOOK AHEAD to Program 6 "Preparing Meals:
The Last Step"
0 What precautions does your kitchen staff take to keep
the nutrients in fresh foods?
• In preparing meats and meat alternates?
• In preparing fresh salads?
• In cooking vegetables?
• In cooking nutritious breads and cereals?
• In serving milk and milk products?
0 1 Are you acquainted with the basic program aids
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture?
• A Menu Planning Guide for Type A School Lunches
(PA-719)
• Quantity Recipes for Type A School Lunches (PA-631)
• Food Buying Guide for Type A School Lunches (PA-270)
[] Have you used textured plant protein products, or
protein fortified, enriched macaroni-type products?
[] Do you purchase enriched breads and cereals?
[] Do you prepare some foods a day ahead of cooking
and serving?
[] What do you do with vegetable cooking liquid?
[] Do your lunches always meet Type A requirements?
[] Do you make a conscious 'effort to follow sanitation and
food safety rules?
Before you watch the next
program, look at the study guide
materials for that program:
(1) the content of the study
guide chapter, (2) the basic
points to remember, and (3) the
list of useful words.
49
PREPARING MEALS: THE LAST STEP
The most nutritious menu
plan and the highest quality
foods are only part of serv­ing
nutritionally adequate,
student-satisfying meals.
How the food is prepared,
cooked, and stored is equal­ly
important. It's up to you
to make sure that every­thing
nature puts into food
makes it all the way to the
growing bodies you're tak­ing
care of and doesn't
disappear In the kitchen.
Does this sound like a diffi­cult
task? Help is available.
·rhe art of cooking has de­veloped
Into a precise
science with some basic
principles to apply when­ever
you handle food in the
school kitchen. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture
has program aids for
planning, preparing, and
serving Type A lunches.
Food handling Is an Im­portant
part of the whole
subject of nutrition. It really
Is the last step.
Farmers produce and send
to market foodstuffs full of
the nutrients everyone needs.
Food distributors move the food
through the marketplace as
rapidly as possible to preserve
its freshness and high quality.
Food processors watch very
carefully to make sure few, If any,
nutrients are lost. If they are,
the nutrients are often put back
by enrichment or fortification.
By the time the food reaches
your kitchen, some nutrients
have already been lost and more
will be lost as the food is pre­pared,
served, and stored.
There is the obvious physical
loss of nutrients when edible
parts, like the outer leaves of
plants or the fat of meat,
are removed and discarded.
There is also a chemical loss of
nutrients following changes in
the structure of plant or animal
tissue due to temperature,
humidity, length of storage pe-
' riod, method of handling, method
of preparation, or exposure to
light and water. The impor­tance
of any loss depends partly
on its extent and partly on the
value of the food as a source
of the nutrient in question.
Losses can be minimized
when proper techniques are
followed in preparing appetizing,
flavor-packed nutritious lunches.
Organize Your Food Preparation
The goal of every school
program is to serve nutritionally
adequate, attractive, and mod­eratey
priced meals. To accom­plish
this, it's most important
to be well organized before
beginning any actual food prep­aration.
Organization of work
is essential in quantity food
preparation if you wish to retain
maximum nutritive value and
provide quality food to the
students. This means lunches
must be ready on time and foods
must move to the serving
counter at a steady rate. A food
preparation schedule is needed
to spell out everything that
needs to be done, when, and
by whom.
A major part of this overall
schedule is menu planning. To
plan meals you must know
what the body needs for nutrients
and energy (an understanding
of a balanced diet, the basic
four food groups, and the Type A
meal pattern), how to plan
meals which meet Type A re­quirements,
how much food to
buy, and how to prepare that
food to preserve the most
nutrients. Remember, It's the
actual food that is eaten which
builds and maintains health.
Much of this information on
menu planning was covered In
previous "Food for Youth"
programs. Now let's have a
closer look at the actual food
preparation.
Use USDA Food Preparation
Aids
Three basic program aids from
the U.S. Department of Agri­culture,
when used carefully, will
help insure nutritionally ade­quate
and economical meals.
They include:
A Menu Planning Guide for
Type A School Lunches (PA-719),
which will help you understand
the relationship of the Type A
lunch requirements to the
dietary needs of boys and girls,
and help you plan menus to
meet these requirements.
Quantity Recipes for Type A
School Lunches (PA-631), a card
file of quantity recipes suitable
for the Type A menu pattern.
All the recipes are standardized
to result in a product with a
consistent nutritive value every
time the recipe is prepared
according to directions. The
recipes provide lots of helpful
information including:
• The weights and measures of
all ingredients.
• The best and easiest way
of combining the ingredients.
• The ideas for recipe variations
and menu suggestions.
• The most appropriate cooking
utensi Is to use.
• The best temperature and
length of time to cook the
product.
• The most appropriate size and
number of servings.
Food BU'ying Guide for Type A
School L.unches (PA-270), which
provides• information for plan­ning
andl calculating quantities
of food to be purchased and
used by schools serving Type A
lunches.
With these basic program aids
at hand, make a work plan.
This will help get the job done in
the best way, in the shortest
time, with the least effort, and as
safely as possible. Your food
prepara1tion plan should spell out
everything that needs to be
done, wlhen to do it, and who
will do i1t. Once utensils, tools,
and ingredients are assembled
as called for, actual food
preparation can begin.
Practice Good Food Preparation
Techniques
Cooking is a refinement that
present~> many advantages, and
some hazards, in keeping the
nutrition1al values in foods.
Cooking improves the palatability .
of some foods, improves the
digestibility of foods, and some­times
is a safeguard against
disease·-producing organisms.
Cookin~r speeds the loss of some
nutrients and concentrates the
loss of others, mainly by re­moving
moisture and fat. Foods
served raw, such as carrots and
lettuce, are also subject to
perils d1uring preparation.
Good preparation tech­niques
1'or cooking foods and
serving foods raw can contribute
to the nutritional adequacy of
the scht:>ol meal and accept-ability
of foods by students and
teachers.
Preparing Meat and Meat
Alternates.
Vitamin losses in meat are
related to cooking conditions. To
rnaintain tenderness and juici­ness
as well as nutrition, cook
meat at a moderate temperature
for as short a time as needed to
bring it to its recommended
internal temperature. Heat de­stroys
some of the 8 vitamins,
especially thiamin, but, fortun­ately,
the protein value is not lost
by cooking. Prolonged exposure
to high heat can make meat
tough, rubbery, and dry.
Because meats shrink in weight
or volume as they cook, a
serving portion is weighed after
cooking, not before.
Much of the total loss is
water, which either evaporates
or goes into the drippings. That
water carries with it some of the
8 vitamins and minerals which
are water soluble, so it's a
good idea to treat meat juices
with the same respect as water
from cooked vegetables.
Drippings from cooking, juices
released when the meat is sliced
and even the drippings from
thawed frozen meats, can be
added to soups, sauces, and
gravies. French chefs call these
drippings "Chef's Gold." You
save many of those water soluble
nutrients, while at the same
time adding delicious, subtle
flavor variety to meals.
51
Meats, fish, and poultry
should be cooked at staggered
times so. they can be served hot
from the oven all the way through
the serving period. The food
will be at Its merchandisable
best.
To avoid spoilage and food
poisoning, frozen meat, fish,
and poultry should be kept
frozen right up to the time when
thawing should begin. This
time should be noted on the food
production schedule. Directions
for storing, thawing, and cook­ing
meat, fish, and poultry
appear in your USDA recipe
card file. Directions for storing,
preparing, and using shell,
frozen, and dried eggs appear
in the card file too.
Meat alternate products-The
meat and meat alternate com­ponent
of the lunch is generally
the most expensive menu item in
the lunch. This Is especially true
If you serve a 2-ounce serving of
meat, poultry, or fish. If you
combine less expensive Items
with the more costly meat/meat
alternates, economical lunches
can be planned and served.
Additionally, less expensive new
foods may be used to lower
the cost. In 1971, USDA approved
two additional meat alternates
to be used In combination with
meats, textured plant protein
products and protein-fortified,
enriched macaroni-type
products.
52
Textured plant protein prod­ucts
are derived from vegeta­ble
sources, often soybeans,
and may be fortified with
vitamins and minerals. As you
know from the lesson on
the six classes of nutrients,
high quality vegetable protein
combined with animal protein
is as nutritious as straight
animal protein alone. In pre­paring
school lunches, you can
substitute hydrated textured
plant protein for up to 30%
of the meat, fish, or poultry In
a recipe. But note that tex­tured
plant protein cannot be
used as a substitute for other
meat alternate items (beans or
peanut butter) in the Type A
lunch.
Protein-fortified, enriched
macaroni-type products are
made from soybeans a I so.
When prepared and served
'in combination with meat,
poultry, fish, or cheese, they
can supply half the meat
requirement of the Type A
meal. In other words, instead
of serving 2 ounces of meat,
you can serve 1 ounce of
meat and 1 ounce of high
protein macaroni product and
meet the requirement at lower
cost. One ounce of the dry
product cooks to between
V2 and% cup.
The way you cook that
macaroni product, however,
has a lot to do with how
nutritious it actually is when
eaten and how the children
are going to like it. It may
be a wonderful product to
begin with, but it won't stay
wonderful if you leave it
boiling on the back burner for
three-quarters of an hour.
Preparing Vegetables and Fruits.
To help assure that all your
Type A lunches meet the nutri­tional
goar, it is recommended
that lunches include a vitamin A
vegetable or fruit at least twice
a week and a vitamin C vege­table
or fruit several times
a week. In addition to nutrients,
vegetables provide a variety
of colors, textures, and flavors
to the lunch if they are properly
prepared, cooked, and served.
Serve vegetables raw or
cooked. Vegetables can be
enhanced by adding herbs,
sauces, spices, and garnishes.
Vegetables almost always
need a little trimming to remove
damaged leaves, bruised spots,
infected portions, and other
inedible material. Discarding any
amount of food, however, re­duces
the nutrients originally
present.
Different parts of the plant
differ in nutrient content. Re­move
only the bad leaves. The
blade is rich in many nutrients.
The outer leaves are coarser
and contain higher concentra­tions
of vitamins and minerals
than the more tender leaves
and buds they protect. It's
important to handle them care­fully
to keep bruising to a min­imum.
Every bruise damages
plant tissues, exposing more
of the tissue to the air and
increasing nutrient loss. To help
minimize bruising, tear greens
into pieces and use a sharp knife
with most other vegetables.
The three R's of cooking
vegetables to conserve nutrients
are: Reduce the amount of water
used, Reduce the length of
cooking period, Reduce the
amount of surface area exposed.
Vitamin C, for example, requires
tender, loving care if it is to
be preserved. It dissolves in
water. It becomes weakened by
exposure tc;> air. It can be de­stroyed
by heat. If you chop up
cabbage for a slaw, but leave
it standing on the counter for an
hour before serving it, much
of the original vitamin C is
destroyed by the air. Similarly,
there's a great deal more
vitamin C In a freshly-cut
cabbagethanthereisinthe
same amount of cabbage boiled
for 2 hours with corned beef.
Heat hastens the destruction of
vitamin C.
The volume of water used Is
most Important. Ascorbic acid,
all the B vitamins, and some
of the mineral compounds are
water soluble. Avoid heat-
Ing vegetables In more than a
minimum of water or soaking
for a prolonged period. It's
a good nutritional trick to
get in the habit