In addition to determining the
amount of food that must be taken into the body, these factors regulate
largely the suitability of the foods to be eaten. It is true, of course,
that all the food substances mentioned in Table II must be included in
every person's diet after the first few years of his life, but the
quantity and the proportion of the various substances given vary with
the age, sex, size, and work or exercise of the person and the climate
in which he lives. Merely to provide dishes that supply sufficient food
value is not enough. This food material must be given in forms that can
be properly digested and assimilated and it must be in the right
proportion for the person's needs. The aim should therefore be to
provide a _balanced diet_, by which is meant one that includes the
correct proportion of the various food substances to supply the needs of
the individual.
36. QUANTITY OF FOOD IN CALORIES.--Without doubt, the most intelligent
way in which to feed people is to compute the number of calories
required daily. As will be remembered, the calorie is the unit employed
to measure the amount of work that the food does in the body, either as
a tissue builder or a producer of energy.
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