The diet of a child in its second year would he about as follows: or about SS5 calories for a child of 12.5 kg.: this would be 2.5 Gm. protcid and 71 calories per kg.
When we want to give three meals only, then we give a little more milk at breakfast and supper, and we also give a more liberal dinner.
At dinner and supper we must see that the food does not get cold, because these children eat very slowly and they should therefore be fed from a hot-water plate.
We do not approve of giving children eggs or meat during their second year, but reserve this for the following stage, for the third and fourth year of age. As these children do not yet chew carefully enough, we give the meat cut very finely. The carbohydrates may now be given, as bread, toast or rolls and the coarser vegetables. We do not want to be misunderstood, while we allow meat occasionally, yet we consider it wrong to give an entirely carnivorous diet, or to give a child meat every clay or even several times daily, but we also think that eggs given too freely during this age.
I have stated before that the meat should be cut up very finely and it should therefore be either scraped or chopped before or after cooking; we generally give either the soft meats like calf's brain and sweetbreads, or squab. chicken, partridge, veal, tenderloin of beef and Westphalian ham; these are either broiled or quickly fried in butter. Of the vegetables we add the different kinds of cabbages, for instance, cauli flower and Brussels sprouts, also parsnips, turnips, beet-tops and aspar agus; of fruit we may add those with pits and the different berries, also apples and pears; eggs are given soft boiled, scrambled or as omelette and pancakes and these with the addition of stewed fruit, or cold milk puddings with fruit juice (Recipe No. -:19, p. 473) make nice variations for supper.
It is very important that this increase in animal protcid from meat and eggs should be met by a reduction of the quantity of milk given, and for this reason the child should not be allowed to nurse any longer from the bottle. Whenever a child has been accustomed to a bottle it is best to break this habit during the second year of life and never later than at the beginning of the third year, because it is very hard to reduce the quantity of milk as long as the child gets the bottle, the emptying of which is a matter of habit and not determined by the child's appetite, and many times we will hear mothers make the statement that they have given their child the bottle up to the third and fourth year because they took their milk so much better.
- Following is an example of the diet for a child of three and one-half years: . . .
This amounts to about -10 Gin. proteid, 33 Gin. fat, 119 Cm. carbo hydrates and 1082 calories, which would be 2..5 Gin. of proteid and 70 calories per kg. at a weight, of 11;.5 kg.
During the fifth and sixth years of Life we may safely demand still more work of the digestive apparatus. The children are slowly accustomed to chew their meat, and are now given the legumes well cooked with the shells on, which so far had only been allowed mashed. The child should by now be accustomed to three meals daily. We must pay especial attention that, children acquire the habit of chewing their food well, especially their meat, and do not form the habit of bolting. Some children are extremely lazy in chewing, and throw their food from one side of the mouth to t he other and introduce the next mouthful before the last has been swallowed. This is a matter of education and this as well as other had habits in eating should be continuously cor rected at this age especially as otherwise they will never learn it. The amount of food increases in proportion to the demand for same. The child is now as a rule admitted to the family table and may eat of most any of the dishes of the household fare, though we have to watch that now, when the portions are specially served, they do not get too much. We will frequently hear the complaint Wont children of this age that they have turned against milk, though this usually happens in children who arc forced to drink large quantities, though sometimes children who are properly fed refuse even their morning cup of milk. In some cases it is only the boiled or pasteurized milk that is refused, while raw milk. which can safely be given when its quality is above reproach, is relished, or we may correct its taste with hitilt coffee, cocoa-nibs, cocoa or choco late. Sonic children also prefer buttermilk.