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of meat alone as the main
dish. It might even be a matter of
changing from eating beef to eating
lamb, chicken or fish, which may
be more abundant and economical
in your area.
You may be accustomed to eat–
ing oranges, but where you now
live oranges may be scarce and
expensive and instead there is an
abundance of cheaper papaya and
mango. These can be substituted
for oranges for a lower cost and
similar food value.
Tomatoes may be considered a
necessity. When they are scarce
and expensive, other foods súch as
green cabbage, broccoli, brussels
sprouts and dark green leafy vege–
tables may be more abundant and
cheaper. They can be used instead
of tomatoes for similar nutrit ive
value.
Milk is generally considered fair–
ly abundant and economical in
sorne parts of the world, but in
others it is scarce and expensive. In
this situation the calcium, for
which milk and milk products are
valuable, may be low in the diet.
With careful planning, desirable
amounts of calcium can be pro–
vided in the diet by using adequate
amounts of such food s as fish
where the bones are also caten (as
with sardines); soybean products;
dark green vegetables, such as vari–
ous greens and broccoli; and lime–
treated corn tortillas.
l t is wise to develop tastes for all
seasonal foods, as finicky food hab–
its can lead to costly unnecessary
purchases of more scarce and more
expensive foods. ff a move is made
to another country and culture, or
even a different part of a country,
the foods that are plentiful may
be quite different from the ones
you are accustomed to. Develop–
ing a liking for foods new to you
may mean the difference between
being well-fed or being poorly
nourished.
The more variety
included in the diet
the more like-
It might be a matter
of changing
from eating beef to
eating lamb,
chicken or fi sh.
ly you are to obtain the nutrients
needed. From this standpoint it is
also wise to develop a laste for
many foods.
T ry to get nutritive value from
foods instead of pills or other sup–
plements. If there is a need for a
supplement it should be planned to
do just that- supplement, rather
than be used instead of a nutritious
die
t.
Tbe daily schedule or routine
should be considered. It may have a
direct influence on when or where
you buy food and the time available
for food prepa ration. Along with
this the mode of transpor tation
plays an important part. Shopping
may need to be done on the way
borne after a day at work or after
children are taken to or picked up
from school, or sorne other time
during the day. Where shopping is
done and how much is bought at a
time, are not only affected by
when
the shopping is done, but whether
one is walking or riding a bus or in
one's own car or in a friend's car.
The amount that can be carried is
more limited when on foot or riding
a bus, than when in a car.
The daily schedule for food prep–
aration needs to be considered real–
istically so it can be used to
greatest advantage for the health
and welfare of all concerned. When
time is limited it is wise to concen–
trate on preparing those foods that
would provide the greatest food val–
ue for the family-not in preparing
those unnecessary extras, such as
time-consuming desserts.
The equipment available for food
preparation-and for storage–
needs to be considered before food
items are bought. Oven-baked
homemade bread can be delicious
and nutritious, · but if you do not
have an oven or an oven that func–
tions adequately, other alternatives
should be considered. Yeast breads
in the form of muffins or pancakes
can be made on griddles or in sur–
face cooking pans.
Jf
a refrigerator
or a freezer is not a part of your
household, then foods that do not
need such storage, or that can be
bought in amounts needed and pre–
pared and consumed soon after
preparation, should be selected.
Even though you may have con–
sidered all of these factors , what
about your skills in food prepara–
tion'? Are you trying to do what a
friend, who is quite accomplished
in food preparation, does, yet end
up with a waste of time, money and
food?
It
is wisest to recognize your
abilities and start there with sim–
pler food preparation techniques.
Besides, many of the easier things
to prepare are often most nutritious
and economical.
In addition to these factors, spe–
cial healt b conside ra tions may
require a modified diet because of
such conditions as diabetes and
high blood pressure. Arthritis, the
wearing of dentures or other poten–
tially limiting conditions need to be
remembered in planning the kinds
of food that will be easiest to eat as
well as most nourishing and eco–
nomical.
Plan o f A c t ion
Consideration of various factors
that affect the food intake is just
the beginning of a program that
can help you obtain the most nour–
ishing and economical food avail–
able to you. To be of real value
these factors need to become part
of a plan that can work favorably in
your situation.
The first part of this plan is to
decide what foods you intend to
serve for the coming week. Writ–
ing menus for a week's meals can
be a great help to make the best
use of your time and money, as
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