Food for Young Children

Food for Young Children

A page from the Food for Young Children guide (Farmers' Bulletin 717). The photo illustrates a "sensible supper for a child" which covers nearly all of the guide's food groups. It consists of milk, bread, prunes, and cookies.

For over a century, the United States Department of Agriculture has issued nutritional recommendations. While these guidelines have evolved a lot over the years, a few basic principles have endured.

The first dietary recommendations were outlined in 1894, in the Farmers' Bulletin, written by W.O. Atwater. It was suggested that American males base their diet on protein, carbohydrates, fat, and "mineral matter." At that time, there were several nutrients that had not even been discovered. Although primitive by today's standards, Atwater's researched paved the way for the creation of a food guide, which would address food intake rather than nutrient intake.

The first food guide came in 1916, with the publication of Food for Young Children. Written by nutritionist Caroline Hunt, it outlined five food groups (milk/meat, cereals, produce, fats, and sugar). How to Select Foods, which was targeted for adults, followed a year later.

Caroline Hunt

1916

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Food_for_Young_Children_-_NARA_-_5709999_%28page_4%29.jpg

For Further Exploration Please Visit http://1.usa.gov/SuSSdQ

Link: The National Archives 

Source: Frazao, E. (n.d.). America's Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences. USDA ERS . Retrieved October 4, 2012, from http://1.usa.gov/SuSSdQ.

National Archives and Records Administration

Caroline Hunt

Medium: Illustration.

English

Guide

Caroline Hunt, Dietary Guide, Food for Young Children, USDA

United States