claimants for it—even though farmers have broken all food-production 
records and are going to produce to the limit next year. 
When people realize that a few simple conservation measures at 
home can actually increase the food available for family consumption, 
they will gladly take necessary action. 
Hence, it is necessary to instill in everyone a deeper respect for 
food . . . the same respect which the English, the Russians, the 
Chinese, and the starving millions in the occupied countries have for 
their food. That will not be easy, for until recently, food—lots of 
food and the kind of food desired—had been available to anyone who 
had the money to pay for it. 
To alter public habits and attitudes toward food calls for drama¬ 
tizing the many ways food can be conserved. We need to enlarge 
people’s concepts of what is edible ... to encourage new ideas of 
what is palatable. This calls for changes in eating habits of many 
years’ standing. It also means persuading people to consume more 
of the food they buy . . . persuading the housewife to prepare all of 
the produce that can be made edible . . . persuading her and her 
family to eat all of each portion taken on the plate. 
2. To the Homemaker 
The key objective in the information program on food conservation 
is the homemaker. She plans meals, buys food, prepares it, serves it, 
and stores it for later use. She can do more toward conserving our 
food supply than any other individual. Alteration of her attitudes 
and practices will influence her family and the other people with 
whom she comes in contact—the grocer and the restaurant operator. 
3. To the Children 
Enlisting the aid of young people in conserving food requires a 
simple, direct, and understandable approach, coupled with suggested 
action which can be easily carried out. 
Such action is the “clean your plate” practice. It is simple. It 
appeals to children because it makes them feel they are participating 
in an important project. 
The “clean your plate” idea fits logically into the whole conser¬ 
vation program, but by itself it will do little good unless it is linked 
with conservation practices in the buying, cooking, and serving of food. 
SUGGESTED INFORMATION APPROACHES 
In developing an information program on the conservation of food 
in the home, these approaches may be helpful in suggesting ways of 
dramatizing the facts. 
What the Soldier Needs 
The Army must purchase over 5 pounds of food per day to keep a 
soldier in fighting trim. To insure the success of military operations, 
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