Every housewife, to intelligently select the daily menus for her family, needs a thorough knowledge of dietetics. She must understand the chemistry of food that she may know food values. The difficulty which confronts the housewife, is to provide one meal suited to the needs, tastes, or idiosyncracies of various members of her household. Peculiarities of taste, unless these peculiarities have been intelligently acquired, may result in digestive disturbances. As an illustration: one may cultivate a dislike for meat, milk, or eggs, as is often the case, and the proteins for the family being largely supplied by these, the individual is eating too much of starches and sugars and not sufficient protein,—legumes, nuts, etc., not being provided for one member. Such an one’s blood becomes impoverished and she becomes anaemic. The relief lies in _cultivating a taste_ for blood building foods. Foods which are forced down, with a mind arrayed against them, do not digest as readily, because the displeasure does not incite the flow of gastric juices. One fortunate provision of nature lies in the ability to cultivate a taste for _any_ food. Likes and dislikes are largely mental. There are certain foods which continuously disagree and they should be avoided; but many abstain from wholesome food because it has disagreed a _few_ times. It may be that it was not the particular food but the weakness of the stomach at this time. Any food fails of prompt digestion when the nerves controlling the stomach are weak. Many foods disagree at certain times because of the particular conditions regulating the secretion of digestive juices. Where this condition has continued for some time it becomes chronic and a special diet is required, together with special exercises to bring a better blood supply to stomach and intestines and to regulate the nerves controlling them. Dr. W. S. Hall estimates that the average man at light work requires, each day, 106.8 grams of protein[9] 57.97 grams of fat 398.84 grams of carbohydrates These elements, in proper proportions, may be gained through many food combinations. He gives the following: Bread 1 lb. Lean Meat ½ lb. Oysters ½ lb. Cocoa 1 oz. Milk 4 oz. Sugar 1 oz. Butter ½ oz. A medium sized man at out of door work, fully oxidizes all waste of the system and he requires a higher protein diet,—125 grams. In such event he does not require so much starch and sugar. If on the other hand he were to take but 106.8 grams of protein, as above, he would require more carbohydrates. One working, or exercising in the fresh air, breathes more deeply and oxidizes and eliminates more waste, hence he has a better appetite, which is simply the call of nature for a re-supply of the waste.