Page:Helen Rich Baldwin - Nutrition and Health (1924).pdf/76



The human body is a working machine, for which the fuel is food. This food, which is composed of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, has the function of supplying the body with energy. Energy is easily transformed into heat, and this form is readily measured. The measure of energy is the heat unit or calorie. One calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one kilogram (2.21 lbs.) of water one degree Centigrade or one pound of water four degrees Fahrenheit. By measuring the food intake in terms of calories you can determine whether a child is receiving the right amount of food per day.

AVERAGE TOTAL ENERGY REQUIREMENT OF CHILDREN

Age in Years

Total Calories 900-1200 1200-1500

12-

6-9

1800-2400

10-13

2300-3000

Sample Menu for the Diet of the Child from 6 to 9 Showing Calorific Value Breakfast: Orange

ioo

Shredded Wheat

ioo

Top Milk (io oz.) Milk, Eagle Brand

ioo

Toast Butter

100

125 50

575
 * Included through the courtesy of Dr. Mary Swartz Rose, Assistant Professor, Dept, of Nutrition, Teachers College, Columbia Univ., N. Y. C.