FOOD OF RURAL CHn.DREN 117 



Comparison of Scores of Different Foods 



Tabulations were made to ascertain what relationship, if any, exists be- 

 tween the scores for milk and those for vegetables, for milk and fruit, and 

 for vegetables and fruit. It seems evident that neither in the diets of 

 Carver nor in those of Southwick is there any tendency for high milk scores 

 to be associated with high or low vegetable or fruit scores; and that fruit 

 scores bear no apparent relation to vegetable scores. 



The fruit scores of Carver and Southwick diets were compared with the 

 corresponding total diet scores. No relationship could be discovered, in spite 

 of the fact that the maximum allowance for fruit is 21 per cent of the 

 optimum total score. In the case of vegetable scores and total diet scores, 

 there was a slight positive relationship. When the vegetable score is high, 

 the score for the diet as a whole tends to be high also; and when vegetables 

 are low the total score is apt to be low. The diiference between the relation 

 of fruit scores to total scores and that of vegetable scores to total scores 

 is not because of diiference in the allowances made for fruit and vegetables, 

 since the maximum for vegetables, 23, is only two points higher than that for 

 fruit. Whether or not a real distinction exists between the two relationsliips 

 cannot be determined from the data secured in Carver and Southwick. 



Between milk scores and total scores there was a moderate degree of 

 positive relationship. The maximum allowance for milk, it will be recalled, 

 is 24, so that the possible effect of the milk score on total score is not much 

 greater than that of the vegetable score, with its maximum at 23. It seeims 

 evident from the data at hand that when the supply of either milk or vege- 

 tables is adpoii;ite the diet as a whole tends alco to t.c adequate. 



Adequacy of the Diets 

 Because of the almost identical size of the two groups of white children of 

 native and mixed parentage — 95 in Carver and 93 in Southwick — and because 

 of the fact that they come from families of the same general economic and 

 intellectual level, certain con.parisons between the diets of the groups are of 

 interest. The tabulation below recapitulates for each town the information 

 regarding the proportions of these children of native and mixed parentage 

 who may be considered to have in their diets approximately adequate even 

 If not ideal amounts of the various types of food. 



Children of native and 

 Food An.ount Equivalent mixed parentage; per cent 



score with designated scores 



Carver Southwick 



Milk 3V;. C.+ 



a day 20-f 16 67 



Vegetables potato and 



1 other each 



day 15 -t- 51 26 



Fruit twice a day 14-|- 34 18 



Whole grain 10 times 



cereals or a week 10-f- 3 8 



bread 

 Eggs or meat 9 times 14+ 58 89 



a week 



