Page:The Road to Wellville (1926).djvu/35

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Our Daily Food Requirements
 

proteins, vitamins and minerals, and which, at the same time, add the fewest number of calories. This means he will leave off the table the highly refined foods containing pure sugars and starches.

To reduce, one must drive his body to consume its own stored up fat supply to get the fat it needs for fuel. If one is too thin, he should just reverse the process. To his daily requirement of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, he should add carbohydrates and fats to an extent that will exceed his actual need for daily activities.

Choosing an Adequate DietWhen we have an understanding of our various food requirements and the desire to use this knowledge to keep us safe upon the Road to Wellville, the following chart will be an invaluable aid in helping us to make wise selections for the table. It will enable us to give appetizing meals their proper balance and be a guide to the amount of each food we should have, to give the proper energy for our daily tasks. The chart is arranged in six divisions, as follows:

Division I. Name of the food.

Division II. Approximate measure and weight of an average serving.

Division III. Tissue-building factors. The figures for protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron are expressed in terms of the percentage of the total daily requirement for an adult that one serving of a given food material furnishes. These figures show then the comparative value of the commonly used food materials as sources of the daily supply of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and

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