THE FOOD REQUIREMENTS OF A 

 "NORMAL" 1 WORKING-CLASS FAMILY 



By SIR HENRY THOMPSON, K.B.E., M.D., Sc.D., 



Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Food 



It is a matter of importance to determine as accurately as 

 possible the quantity of food required to maintain an average 

 working-class family in a state of health and efficiency. This 

 knowledge supplies a constant factor essential to every con- 

 sideration of the cost of living, and indirectly of production. 

 To be at all complete it should be supplemented by an estimate 

 of the outlay in money necessary to provide the food. This 

 latter is, however, a factor which varies both with time and 

 place. Unlike the quantity of food, it has no fixed or per- 

 manent value, and has to be determined for each locality and 

 period. No useful purpose would be served by supplying a 

 statement of cost in the present instance. 



The following attempt to arrive at a safe estimate of quan- 

 tities was made in response to inquiries from more than one 

 quarter. The family is supposed to consist of father, mother, 

 and four children of the respective ages of 13, 11, 9 and 7 

 years. 



Before proceeding to consider the requirements in actual 

 food it is necessary to fix at the outset the number of calories 

 or units of energy needed per day and per week by each member 

 of the family. The father is assumed to be engaged in average 

 manual work, and the mother to be occupied with household 

 duties. 



The requirements given below in units of energy, it is 

 believed, will be conceded to represent an adequate, but not 

 excessive, supply. The food is assumed to be " as purchased." 



1 A " normal " working-class family is defined as consisting of father, mother, 

 not more than five children, the eldest being under fourteen years of age, and 

 without lodgers or dependants. 



79 



