passed the tenth year. Salads are difficult to digest and a cause of
much disturbance in children of all ages.


CEREALS

_What are the most important points in selecting and preparing
cereals?_

The important things are that they are properly cooked and not used in
excess. The ready-to-serve cereals should never be chosen for
children, nor should a child, because he is fond of cereals, be
allowed to make his entire meal of them, taking two or three
saucerfuls at a feeding.

Many of the partially cooked preparations of oatmeal and wheat are
excellent, but should be cooked for a much longer time than is stated
upon the package, usually three or four times as long. Digestibility
is chiefly a matter of proper cooking. Most of the grains,--oatmeal,
hominy, rice, wheaten grits,--require at least three hours' cooking in
a double boiler in order to be easily digested. The prepared
flours,--corn starch, arrowroot, barley,--should be cooked at least
twenty minutes. I know of no preparation in the modern market which
requires no cooking, which is to be recommended for children.

_How are cereals to be given?_

Usually with milk or a mixture of milk and cream; always with an
abundance of salt and with very little or no sugar, one half
teaspoonful on a saucerful of cereal should be the limit.