52. One of the difficulties of every housewife having a family composed
of persons of widely different tastes and ages is the preparation of
meals that will contain sufficient food of the correct kind for all of
them. Children up to 6 years of age usually require something especially
prepared for their meals, except breakfast, but, as a rule, the
selection of the diet for children from 6 years up to 15 or 16 years of
age is merely a matter of taking from the meal prepared for the
remainder of the family the right amount of the various foods. Tea and
coffee should not be included in the diet of growing children, and
should under no circumstances be given to small children. If the proper
method is followed in this matter, no difficulty will result, but where
children expect to eat the food served to the others at the table and
are not content with what is given to them, it is better not to feed
them at the same table with the adults.
53. The most satisfactory way in which to arrange meals that are to be
served to persons of different ages is to include several foods that may
be fed to all members of the family and then to select certain others
proper only for adults and still others suitable for the children. A
sample of such a menu for supper is the one here given. It is assumed
that the children that are to eat this meal are not infants.