For the older pupils, baked beans
_Carbohydrates_--Bread, cake, cookies, jam, honey, dates, figs, raisins, prunes, candy
_Fats_--b.u.t.ter, cream, peanut-b.u.t.ter
_Mineral matter_--Celery, lettuce, radish, tomatoes; fresh fruits
_Note._--When possible, a bottle of clean sweet milk should form part of every lunch.
SUGGESTIONS FOR DESSERTS
Cup custards of various flavours
Cookies with nuts and fruits
Cakes--not too rich
Pies well made and with good filling
Candy--plain home-made
Preserves
Canned fruits
Fresh fruits
As often as possible, a surprise should be included, generally in the form of a dessert of which the pupil is fond. A surprise adds to the pupil"s pleasure in eating and, indirectly, aids digestion.
PACKING THE LUNCH BOX
Much of the attractiveness of a lunch depends upon the manner of packing. We must consider the fact that the foods must be packed together closely and must remain so packed for several hours. This makes careful packing a necessity.
RULES FOR PACKING
1. Be sure that the box is absolutely clean.
2. Line it with fresh paper every time it is used.
3. Wrap each article of food in wax paper.
4. Place in the box neatly, the food that is to be used last in the bottom of the box, unless it is easily crushed.
5. Lay a neatly folded napkin on the top.
EQUIPMENT FOR PACKING
Lunch box Waxed paper Paper napkin Cup or container with screw top Drinking cup Knife, fork, and spoon Thermos bottle or jar for milk or other liquid
The box itself should be of odourless material, permanent, and light in weight, admitting of safe means of ventilation. Paper bags should never be used for food containers, as it is impossible to pack the lunch in them firmly and well and there is danger of their being torn or of insects or flies creeping into them. Boxes of fibre, tin, basket weave, or other material, may be used. The box will require scrubbing, and should be frequently dried and aired well. Many types of lunch boxes have compartments provided for the various kinds of food.
Waxed paper and paper napkins, or the somewhat heavier paper towels of much the same size, are very useful for packing lunches, and may be obtained at a low price, particularly if bought in large quant.i.ties. An extra napkin, either of paper or cloth, should be put in the basket, to be spread over the school desk when the lunch is eaten. Napkins can be made out of cotton crepe at a cost of a very few cents each. The crepe may be bought by the yard and should be cut into squares and fringed.
Such napkins have the advantage of not needing to be ironed.
Paper cups, jelly tumblers with covers which can now be bought in several sizes, and bottles with screw tops, such as those in which candy and other foods are sold, may all be used for packing jellies, jams, honey, etc. The thermos bottle may be used for carrying milk, or, if this is too expensive, a gla.s.s jar with a tight cover may be subst.i.tuted. If the thermos bottle is used, hot drinks may also be carried.
SERVING A HOT DISH
The serving of a hot lunch or of one hot dish need be neither an elaborate nor an expensive matter. Many rural schools in the United States, some of them working under conditions worse than any of ours, are serving at least one hot dish to supplement the lunch brought from home. The advantages of this plan are:
1. It enables the pupils to do better work in the afternoon.
2. It adds interest to the school work and makes the pupils more ready to go to school in bad weather.
3. It gives some practical training and paves the way toward definite instruction in Household Science.
4. It gives a better balance to meals, and as compared with a cold lunch it aids digestion.
5. It teaches neatness.
6. It gives opportunity to teach table manners.
7. It strengthens the relationship between the home and the school.
THE METHOD
The teacher should have a meeting of the school trustees and of the mothers of the pupils and outline the method of procedure. It is only in this way that the co-operation of all can be secured, and without this co-operation there can be no success. This meeting should be addressed by the Public School Inspector; and after the consent of the parents and the trustees has been secured, the scheme may be put into operation.
Some thought will have to be given to the organization, in order that the plan may work smoothly. If properly organized, there need be little or no interruption to the ordinary routine of the school.
The pupils, both boys and girls, should be arranged in groups, each group taking the work in turn. Even the smallest pupils should be allowed to take part, as there are many duties which they can perform successfully. If each group is composed of five or six pupils, the work may be arranged as follows: two will prepare the dish, two will get the table or the desks ready (or each pupil may prepare his own desk), and the others will wash the dishes.
The furnishing of supplies is a problem which each teacher will have to solve for herself, according to the conditions which exist in the community. Supplies which can be stored are best purchased by the school trustees; while the mothers of the pupils should furnish the perishable articles, such as milk and b.u.t.ter. As often as possible, the pupils may be asked to bring various articles, such as a potato, an apple, a carrot, an egg, etc. These may be combined and prepared in quant.i.ties.
The school garden should be relied upon to supply many vegetables in season, thus adding interest and life to both the garden work and the lunch. In some districts the neighbourhood is canva.s.sed for subscriptions in order to provide funds to purchase supplies for the term lunches. Some schools give a concert or entertainment in order to raise funds for this purpose, and in others all the supplies have been purchased by the school trustees.
The pupils who are to prepare the hot dish may make the necessary preparations before school or at recess, and they must so time the cooking that the dish will be ready when required. They should be allowed to leave their desks during school hours to give it attention if necessary. In schools where this method is adopted, it has been found that the privilege has never been abused, nor have the other pupils been less attentive on account of it. However, most of the recipes suggested later require little or no attention while cooking.
At twelve o"clock the a.s.signed pupils get the dish ready for serving and set the table. The others wash their hands, tidy their hair, and get their lunch boxes. All pa.s.s to their places. The pupils who have prepared the dish may serve it, using trays to carry each pupil"s supply, or the pupils may pa.s.s in line before the serving table and to their places, time being thus saved. When the meal is finished, the pupils rise and bring their dishes to the serving table and stack them with the other dishes. Two remain behind to clear up and wash the dishes, while the others go to play. If the desks are used, each pupil is responsible for leaving his own desk clean.
The pupils may be required to keep an account of the cost of the food and to calculate the cost per head per day or per week. A schedule of the market prices of food should be posted in a conspicuous place, and the pupils may take turns in keeping these prices up to date. A separate black-board may be used for this purpose.
The dish chosen should be as simple as possible--a vegetable or cream soup, cocoa, baked potatoes, baked apples, white sauce with potatoes or other vegetables, apple sauce, rice pudding, etc. It may be well, in some cases, to have plans made on Friday for the following week. As a rule, each day a little before or after four o"clock, the recipe for the following day should be discussed, the quant.i.ties worked out to suit the number of pupils, and the supplies arranged for. The element of surprise should be made use of occasionally, the pupils not being allowed to know the dish until they take their places.
SUGGESTED MENUS
The following are some suggested menus in which the food brought from home is supplemented by one hot dish. (The name of the hot dish is printed in italics.)