It is, of course, not important that each meal, or the total food of each individual day, should have just the right amount of nutrients, or that the proportions of protein and fuel ingredients should be exactly correct so as to make the meal or day's diet well balanced. The body is continually storing nutritive materials and using them. It is not dependent any day upon the food eaten that particular day. Hence an excess one day may be made up by a deficiency the next or _vice versa_. Healthful nourishment requires simply that the nutrients as a whole, during longer or shorter periods, should be fitted to the actual needs of the body for use. MENU IV.--_For family equivalent to 4 men at moderate muscular work._ ----------------------------+-----------+----------+---------+---------- | | | | Fuel Food materials. | Weight. | Cost. | Protein.| Value. ----------------------------+-----------+----------+---------+---------- | | | | _Breakfast._ |Lbs. Oz. | Cents. | Pounds. | Calories. | | | | Bananas, 4 (or grapes, | | | | 1 pound) | 1 4 | 6-1/2 | .009 | 362 Breakfast cereal | 4 |\ | / .031 | 421 Milk | 6 | > 3 |< .012 | 122 Sugar | 2 |/ | \ ... | 232 Mutton chops | 1 4 | 20 | .165 | 1,812 Potatoes | 1 0 | 1-1/2 | .018 | 325 Butter | 3 | 6 | ... | 653 Rolls | 12 | 4 | .077 | 1,148 Coffee | ... | 3-1/2 | .010 | 410 |-----------+----------+---------+--------- Total | | 44-1/2 | .322 | 5,485 | | | | _Dinner._ | | | | | | | | Tomato Soup | 2 0 | 12 | .036 | 370 Roast pork | 2 8 | 32 | .353 | 3,350 Potatoes | 1 4 | 1-1/2 | .022 | 406 Turnips | 8 | 1 | .005 | 67 | | | | Tapioca pudding: | | | | Tapioca | 3 |\ | / .001 | 310 Apples | 1 0 | \ |/ .004 | 255 Sugar | 2 | / 7 |\ ... | 232 Cream | 4 |/ | \ .006 | 228