When you have completed your training and are ready for your first visit to the village where you are to work, you will already have some information and general ideas about the village. Your supervisor or a co-worker will most likely go with you and introduce you to the village chief and other village leaders. Others you will wish to meet are extension coworkers, community development workers, health personnel, religious leaders, school teachers, and shopkeepers, etc. Explain your work so these leaders will understand what a homemaking program is, why their village needs one, and how it can help solve some basic problems. Ask them about the village, its people, and their problems. In time you will gradually get answers to such questions as:

· How big is the village?

· How many families live there and how much distance does the village cover ?

· What is the average size of families ?

· How many children attend the village school?

· How much education do the adults have ?

What crops and livestock are grown ? Are they sold or raised for home use? What is the average family income ? What part do the women play in agriculture? For example, how much work do they do in the fields and with the animals ? Do they help market the crops and livestock? Are there small rural industries and crafts in the area through which the village people can add to their income ? What are they? How much time do women spend on difent chores such as getting water and fuel, planting crops, etc. ?

What are the road conditions leading in and out of the village? How do the village people get to town ? How do they get their farm products to market? Where do the people get their water? What are major health problems? What is the infant death rate?

What clubs or organizations are there in the village? What social and educational programs are being conducted by the government or by private agencies ? How much do the women take part? What is the illiteracy rate among women in your particular village? Most of the world's illiterates are women. In some countries, 80 to 90 percent of all women cannot read. What is the women's overall influence on matters of general concern to the village ? What problems do the leaders see as the most pressing and urgent for the village?

Showing keen interest in the people of the village and expressing your desire to work with them and their leaders can help you to be accepted in the village. You will learn much about the people as you begin to know and work with their leaders.

Generally, one of the official leaders will introduce you to village women and, if you are going to live in the village, help you find a place to live. Learn all you can about the people and the village before you start visiting the families themselves. Then you will be able to understand and appreciate their way of life.

"Before I go to a new village," says a young woman from Turkey, "I get some general ideas from the agricultural agent. For example, he will tell me much about the people, the crops they raise, and how interested they are in new ideas.

"The first thing I do when I visit the village is call on the village president. He takes me to call on his wife or arranges for me to visit her. I call on the teachers if there is a school and on the nurse if they have one. I tell them who I am, what my job is, and why I have come to the village. Then I ask them many questions. I ask the teacher about the children and their parents and I ask the nurse about the health of the people.

"I tell the president of the village that I want to visit some families because I want them to know me before I teach them. So then I visit families and I meet them as friends. They must love me and believe in me if I am to teach them. If there are 100 families in the village, I try to visit at least 15. I try to select homes that are different. I talk with the women about their own family needs and problems and I observe, too. I try to learn, for example:

· How many rooms are in most houses

· How many are used for sleeping

· How many people are in the family

· Where the kitchens are located

· How the cooking is done

· What kind of fuel is used

· If there is a toilet

· Where it is located

· What kind of furniture the family has

· If they have chickens or animals

· What foods they grow for their own use

· What methods they use to preserve food

· What their basic diet is

· How often they eat

· Where the family gets water

· If the house has electricity

· What they think are their chief health problems

· How many of their children have died and at what age

It is important that I learn which of the women in the village are leaders. Each night when I go back to my office, I record what I have observed."

A Greek village worker says that on her visit to get acquainted, "After I have talked to the mayor of the village, I walk to the village well. I always find women there drawing water and can chat with them while I help them draw the water. This way I find out what is happening in the village before I start on my round of individual visits."

A new worker in a village in Laos stopped by a woman weaving a beautiful piece of silk on a crude loom. She asked the woman to show her how she developed the pattern. Soon the woman went inside her house and brought out all her pieces of woven silk. As the village worker expressed sincere admiration for the woman's handiwork, a bond of mutual respect was developing. As women come to know and trust you, they will begin to talk about their problems and the things they feel they need.

It takes time to get to know people. Remember, you are a stranger. They must get to know you well. If you do not live in the village, you may have to visit it many times before the villagers learn to trust you.

In some countries, the central government may be in fairly close touch with its citizens and effective in teaching new ideas and starting social change. In others, people view government as nothing but a policeman or tax-collecting agency that gives little in return. As a result, they may be suspicious of government programs, including the homemaking program. Through your own dedication and faithful work, you can help build confidence in government programs where such confidence is lacking.

In some villages, the people are not used to having strangers, particularly women, coming to work. They may not trust you. You will have to answer many questions about yourself such as, "Are you married? How many children do you have ?", etc. Be sure to answer questions so they know you are the kind of person they want to have working in their village with them.

To work effectively with the people, you will need to know how they think. You may find customs and practices in the village where you work very strange and different from those where you grew up. There are many things you will need to study and understand.

Learning how to interpret what you hear and see is important. Many mistakes are made by judging a situation too quickly. This is a good time to be looking for good practices that you can later use as examples.

Beginning with your first visits to a village, use some kind of form to record your observations. Select a few things to observe at a time. Do not try to learn everything at once.

Suppose you want to learn about the foods people grow for themselves. Do they have a garden? What vegetables are in it? What food crops do they grow in the field? Make a simple chart on which you can write down what you learn at each home. A garden observation form might be like the one at the end of this chapter.

After you visit the family, see their garden, and talk with them about their foods, fill in your form. Do not fill it in while you are with the family. Wait until you have left the village. Filling in a form or writing things down can make the family suspicious and more reluctant to give you information.

As you learn about the people and the village, you begin to see what changes the people should make to have a better living. But what changes do they wish to make? What are their greatest problems ? What problems do they recognize ?

You may see children who do not have enough food to eat, babies who are sick, houses that are not clean, flies and mosquitoes everywhere, women carrying water from the river because the village has no well, and many other problems and things that need to be done. You want to help the people solve such problems as these. But they may not even recognize some of these as problems because they have always lived with them.

Part of your job as a village worker is to help people recognize these bad conditions as problems and create a desire to change. Often when people seem not to care or want to improve, it is not because they are lazy or shiftless, but rather because of poor health, little or no income, lack of hope, or lack of knowledge.

Your work is education outside of school. Education is a change in attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Children go to school because their parents send them or because laws require children to attend school. Out-of-school or informal education is voluntary. People come to meetings only when they want to come. They learn only when they have a reason to learn. They change only when they desire to change The way you work with people is very important in making them want to change.

Often it is more important to change the way people think about what they do than to change what they do. They must know why certain things are problems. For example, they should know that polluted water causes illness.

They need to know how to change the bad conditions. For example, they will need to know how to get a safe water supply for the village, how to dig a well, how to install a pump, etc. As they learn, their skills will improve.

Here are some principles of working with people to help them bring about change:

It is important to observe and try to learn why people do things the way they do before suggesting changes. There may be good reasons behind them, or there may be superstitions or traditions that make people resist changes. You are better able to help people change if you know why they don't want to.

The members of every society have certain practices and beliefs which they consider the most important and valuable things in life. These values have been safeguarded and carried through generations. They cannot be ignored.

The values in one village may differ greatly from those of another. For example, what other people do or think is so very important in some villages that a woman will hesitate to make a change unless it is accepted by all. She may say, "I like what you say, but the people in the village are against this change and I cannot go against the village." In other villages, individual initiative is important and a person feels free to act on his own judgment.

The customs village people have followed for many generations often direct what is done at the time of marriage, birth, death, sickness, and many other times. Find out what these are so you will not offend the villagers accidentally by doing the wrong thing.

Some of these customs make a heavy burden for the family. For example, some families go deeply in debt to pay for marriages. If you can help them keep the debt as small as possible or save a little money each year to be ready for it, you will aid them greatly.

Religion, local beliefs, prejudices, and taboos are generally very strong and greatly affect what people do and their attitudes toward changes. For example, many people have religious beliefs or taboos about eating meat. It is hard to increase the amount of meat people eat until you understand these beliefs. There are usually many beliefs about health: what causes sickness and what makes a person well. Learn all you can about the beliefs, prejudices, and taboos people hold important before you try to change their habits.

Learn religious customs in the village. Discuss your work with the local religious leaders and gain their confidence. Their support is very important. You will find they are interested in more than the spiritual needs of the village. They would like to see people have better homes and better health. They will understand your job.

Gain their confidence. Remember, natural intelligence is as plentiful among rural people as among any other group. Education or lack of it is no measure of ability.

Village people have as much practical good sense and good judgment as other people. They have many skills. They have practical experience. They have moral strength. They have much to teach you as well as to learn from you. Listen to them. Be interested in what they want to show you.

People will ask you many questions. You cannot possibly know all the answers. Learn to say, "I don't know, but I will find out and let you know." Then be sure to do it. Village people do not respect or trust a person who pretends to know, but they are willing to wait for you to get the answer. When you make a promise, you must keep it. The people must trust you to like you.

In certain isolated areas of Puerto Rico, it has long been the custom to scatter a few vegetable seeds about the area near the house. A wise home economist trying to help these people improve their diets did not start by suggesting a well-fenced garden with neat rows of vegetables. She showed them how to plant one whole row of a yellow vegetable they liked so they would have a good supply of this vegetable. She then made a small garden near the house she lives in. Later, after they had all seen her garden with seeds planted in rows, she began to suggest they try her way of growing vegetables.

In visiting a village in Turkey one summer, the home economics extension worker found the villagers talking about how many of the babies were sick. She offered to help the women. Even though it was a time when the women were all working in the fields, the mayor of the village said he would bring them in to attend a meeting if the worker would teach the women how to keep the babies from getting sick.

In another village the women wanted to learn to read and write, and the village worker agreed to teach them. However, she also saw the great need for improving diets and sanitation. So, as she taught them to read and write, she made sure that the first sentences they learned were on cleanliness and nutritious foods.

Women may ask you to teach them to knit or embroider. You may think they should first learn how to feed the family better, or be interested in getting a well for the village. However, while they learn to knit, you can talk about the things all women talk about when they are together-what to cook for the evening meal, why the baby cries so much, the price of rice in the market, the husband who cannot do very much work because he tires easily, the little boy who wants to go to school but can't because there is no money to buy clothes for him. You can also demonstrate improved practices they need to learn, for example, how to make a simple clothes closet. By teaching them both what they want to learn and what they need to learn, you can help them see larger problems.

Learn all you can about each problem. Talk to the people, visit in their homes, and discuss things with their leaders to collect information about the village and its problems. Some of the things needed will take more money, materials, and know-how than the people now have. Get as much information and as many facts as you can so you will be ready to help the people when you and they start planning what to do.

Plan WITH the people and not FOR them. Remember, the village belongs to the people and they must help decide what to do. Do not talk about what you think are their most pressing problems. Let them tell you what they need and want. Begin with these.

Only when the people themselves help to plan and carry out a program will they feel it is theirs. Work with them so that whatever is planned or done becomes a part of their thinking. As the ideas you plant in their minds grow, people begin to think of them as their own and want to do something about them.

People who study their own problems and help to work out solutions are much more likely to help carry out the program. Even in the least developed communities, letting the people share in planning and doing helps them build confidence in themselves and be proud of their own accomplishments. It helps to develop leadership. When the people help at each step, a program has a much better chance to succeed.

Village people have lived the way they do for hundreds of years. They may not even recognize some of their problems as problems because they have always lived with them. They often continue this way because no one has shown them a better way.

Part of your job is to help them recognize their problems and get them to want to solve them.

For example, they may have always lived in houses without windows, and they feel no need for them. It may take time to persuade them that they would be healthier if the sun could enter their houses each day and the air circulate at night as they sleep. It may take time to get them to want windows enough to get them. A well-planned group discussion is one of the best ways to start people thinking about their larger and more important problems.

It is often easier to say "I'll do it for you", but this does not help people gain confidence in themselves. When the women in an Indian village wanted their village worker to buy cloth for them, she said, "Which one of you can go to the bazaar with me ? I will be glad to go along and help you, but you must make the selection." This took longer but it helped the women learn and grow. Only by participating can people practice their own skills and abilities so they are able to make responsible decisions.

In another village, the women had seen the smokeless stove the village worker had in her house and began to want one like it. She told them what they would need to make it and where to get the materials. Then she said, "I will show you how to build the stove and help you build the first one. Everyone can help build it and then you will all know how to build your own stoves."

People working together turn an idea into action and achievement. The village leaders know that they need a well, and you know it. You know that a well costs a lot of money. The people in the village must want a well so much that they will work together to get it.

By finding and training leaders to teach their neighbors what they have learned, you will give many people a chance to learn in a short time. Developing people is your main objective. Discovering the people who will accept responsibility and serve as leaders in the village program is one of the best ways to help them prepare for larger leadership roles. When you, the people, and their leaders all decide exactly what is needed or wanted, it becomes a goal to work for. Be sure it is something they can actually carry out so they will not be disappointed.

Often parents can be reached through the children. Both boys and girls in the family need to learn many of the same things their mothers are taught. The husband is interested in better living for his family. His understanding and cooperation in the homemaking program can mean much toward its success.

Families differ greatly in different societies. In some villages, families are patriarchal. The man is head of the household and makes the decisions. Women may have little or no status there. This may affect the respect for your opinions and your work. In other societies, families may be strongly matriarchal with the mother or grandmother having more influence than the men. The status of the family or individuals within the family may be based on wealth, ownership of land, education, age, or some other standard.

How do families live ? This includes their diets, housing, work, habits, family relationships, and economic situation. Find out if any special studies or surveys of family living conditions have been made which you might add to your own observations.

Research has shown that using nine or ten different methods in carrying out a project brings better results than using only one or two methods.

One good way to inspire and teach is by example. Many people will watch you and the way you live. They will see and respect your simple dress, your pride in your work, and your willingness to help others. Your house is the same type as theirs, but it is clean and attractive. It teaches more than any words you can say. If you store your food on shelves and in containers, the women will be quick to see and do the same thing. They will watch to see what you eat and how you cook it.

Modern methods of communication now reach even remote villages in many countries. You may find people listening to radios. Some agency may be using mobile units with loudspeakers to get information to the people.

Besides these, however, every society has another system of communication. Women talk together as they work in the field, do their washing, or come to the well for water. Men talk as they gather in coffee houses or market places. Information is passed from person to person at funerals, fairs, and religious festivals. News may be posted on bulletin boards or a village writer or storyteller may pass it along. Learn how news and information is best communicated in each village where you work. Know the customs and purposes of social gatherings, how much families visit each other's homes, and what the social groupings are in the village.

This story shows how parents were helped to become aware of some of the food and health problems of their children. There are probably similar problems in the area in which you work. These problems could be directly related to the food that is produced and used there.

Your government, like many others around the world. has plans for national growth and development. Governments are greatly concerned about food and nutrition because they know that underfed people cannot do the work necessary to develop a country. Poorly fed people are often sick. Then they require government help, instead of supporting themselves and adding to the country's economic growth.

Good food does not cure or prevent all diseases, but all of us need good food for good health, both physical and mental.

A serious food situation exists in the world today. Many countries already have more people than they can feed, and populations are growing. In some countries, distribution is a problem. By the year 2000 A.D., there will be twice as many people in the world as there are now. Unless more food is grown, distributed, and wisely used there will be more and more hunger and even starvation.

The problem is not only a lack of food but a lack of knowledge about nutrition. This means food in the amount and of the kind needed to develop a strong healthy body, keep it well, and provide energy for work and play. Your responsibility is to bring food and nutrition knowledge to village people so they can improve their own situation. The problem will be solved in the home and on the farm. In today's world, probably no field of knowledge has more to contribute to the betterment of life than food and nutrition.

A village food and nutrition program should teach:

· what foods the body needs and why

· the special food needs of various family members

· home production, preservation, and storage of a year-round supply of good food

· how to buy what cannot be produced

· how to prepare foods so the quality is not wasted.

This chapter includes basic principles of good nutrition and how to teach them. It will deal mostly with what every mother should know about feeding her children.

Find out what your country is doing about its food and nutrition situation. By knowing what various agencies and ministries are trying to accomplish, you can apply their specific recommendations to the information in this chapter.

Ask the Agriculture Department or Ministry:

1. What the long range plans for agricultural development are in your country.

2. What plans the ministry has to improve the food and nutrition resources of your country.

3. What food crops are recommended in your area, what cash crops.

4. What animals and poultry could be grown for home use.

5. If the ministry has a list of publications you could get to help you learn about food production, including gardens, crops, and livestock.

Ask the Ministry of Health, the Nutrition Institute, or University Department of Home Economics:

1. If nutritional surveys are being carried out in your country. If so, have any been completed ?

2. What recommendations they can give you on improving the nutritional health of people in your area.

3 If they have health education material which would help you teach about nutrition.

Your local agricultural or health worker may also be able to answer some questions. You will find many sources to help you work on food and nutrition. You will also want to learn about the many organizations that help countries improve their food and nutrition situation. These include United Nations organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Freedom from Hunger, Food for Peace, and the Agency for International Development (AID).

Nutrition is the food you eat and how your body uses it. Good food practices lead to good nutrition. When people do not have enough food, they are called undernourished. When they do not have the right kind of food, they are called malnourished.

Food is the material out of which our bodies are built. We eat food to live, to grow, to stay healthy, and to get energy for work and play. Food gives us a sense of security. Even our attitude toward life is influenced by the food we eat.

For good nutrition the body needs more than a full stomach. It needs different kinds of food for building and full growth and repair, for protection against disease, and for energy. Without a good variety of foods, the body will not work properly. A person will become tired and sick. He may even die.

The food you eat goes to the stomach, then to the small intestine. Digestion of some food begins in the mouth, so it is important to chew food well. Digestion means food is broken down to a form the body can take into the blood through the walls of the small intestine. The blood then takes it to all parts of the body. There it is used in three ways:

1. To build and repair the body.

2. To keep the body functioning properly and help it resist disease.

3. To provide warmth, energy, and strength for work and play.

The part of the food the body cannot use is passed off as waste.

To help teach the difference between good nutrition and poor nutrition, continue with the story of Samuel and Mary. You will recall Peter's teacher asked the village health officer and Extension worker to come to another parents' meeting.

Our bodies need many materials which are called nutrients for full growth and health. Each has a specific use in the body and all are in the food we eat.

Most foods contain more than one nutrient. But no single food contains all the nutrients in the amounts we need. That takes many kinds and combinations of foods.

Some kinds of food help build and repair the body. Some keen the parts of the body working well and help it resist disease. Some foods furnish more energy than others. Because of these differences, we can group foods together according to what they do. This makes it easier to learn about them.

The names and functions of the nutrients are technical. They may confuse village people. You do not have to talk about nutrients or use technical terms in your work with families. However, the brief outline given here will help you to better understand the principles of food and nutrition.

The body cannot build firm flesh, good red blood, and strong muscles unless it gets enough good building foods. These are called proteins.

Proteins are found in milk, eggs, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as pulses or grams. They are also present in smaller amounts in whole grain cereals and to a still lesser degree in some vegetables and fruits.

In your work with families, remember to use the names of the foods. Talk about milk, eggs, and meat without calling them "proteins".

Both children and adults need building foods. Even after a person stops growing at about 20 years of age, building foods help keep his body in good repair. Animal foods furnish the most complete building and repair materials for the body. Families should try to have some animal food each day. This is especially important for children and pregnant or nursing mothers.

The shortage of protein foods is one of the greatest problems in many countries. Children may have serious diseases if they do not get enough protein and also enough food. Two of these diseases are called kwashiorkor and marasmus. If children do not get enough of the right kinds of protein they may not be able to learn well as they should.

In some areas where there is a protein shortage, high protein foods such as CSM (cornsoya-milk) and Incaparina are being developed to improve the diet for children. These are generally meal or flour made from fish, legumes, cereals, and other protein sources. Such foods will greatly improve diets low in protein and are particularly valuable as weaning foods for the young child. Multi-purpose food is another high protein product made from soybeans. Find out from. your ministry if such products are available in your country and how they can be obtained and used.

Milk and milk products are important foods for everybody at every age, but especially for growing children. Cows and goats supply most of the milk in the world, but milk from other animals is used in some countries. In some areas milk is not a customary food. And in many countries where it is acceptable, it is not easily available. If this is the case in your area, find out if milk production is possible. If so, try very hard to promote the production, care, and use of milk.

Bring raw milk from any animal just to boiling, then take it off the heat at once. This makes it safe for drinking. Cool it as soon as possible, and keep it cold. Do not add water to milk. This only makes the milk weaker and does not add more building value. Also, if the water is not safe, it makes the milk unsafe.

Many people buy milk when they cannot produce it. Milk is sold in many forms. Milk direct from the animal is raw, whole milk. When the cream is taken off, what is left is called skimmed milk. Pasteurized milk has been heated and does not need to be boiled at home if it is kept covered in the dairy container. It is safe to drink. Dried whole milk powder is suitable for babies and children if it is properly prepared with safe water or cooked with other foods. Dried skimmed milk powder is inexpensive and is a good source of protein, but the whole milk powder is better, especially for babies and children.

Evaporated milk has about half of the water removed and is suitable for babies and children. It contains fat as well as milk solids. Condensed milk has some water taken out and sugar added. It is not a good food for infants. When you add the water to the condensed milk so that the baby will drink it, the mixture does not give the baby the building foods he needs. The baby may get full and fat, but he will not grow as strong as he should. Cheese should be made from whole or skimmed milk. It may be soft or hard. Curds are a soft cheese. Cheese is a good building food.

It is difficult to plan a good diet for children and adults without using some form of milk. In areas where there is not enough milk, try to get people to use more of other building foods such as fish, meat, pulses, cereals and dark green leafy vegetables. It is a good idea to add powdered milk to many foods when preparing them. It can be added to eggs, vegetables, rice, cereals, sauces, and bread dough.

Meat can come from any animal, bird, or fish normally eaten. These include cattle, goats, sheep, camels, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, wild game, fish, and shell fish. Reptiles, rodents or insects such as locusts, bees, and grasshoppers are used for food in some areas.

The lean part of meat is the building food, not the fat or bone. All parts of the animal normally eaten contain protein. This includes the kidneys, liver, heart, brains, stomach, lungs, and also animal blood, which is used for food in some areas.

Because meat doesn't keep well in warm climates without refrigeration and because it is expensive to buy, many people eat meat only occasionally. For this reason, you should try to get families to produce and use such animal foods as milk, poultry, eggs, fish, and rabbits. Then there will not be as much of a problem storing and keeping the food as there is when a large animal is slaughtered.

Eggs have the same building value as meat. Chickens are our most common source of eggs, but eggs from birds other than chickens, such as turkeys, ducks, geese, and guineas, as well as from fish and reptiles are all good building foods. All these eggs should be well cooked.

Legumes, nuts, and seeds are plant foods which contain proteins. Legumes may also be called pulses or grams. They include many kinds of dried beans such as soybeans, black beans, kidney beans, and broad beans; dried peas such as cowpeas, pigeon peas, and chickpeas, and lentils. Learn the kinds of dried beans and peas used in your area. The soybean is especially good because it contains up to 40 percent protein. In many areas, the government strongly encourages people to grow and eat soybeans to improve their diets. Groundnuts or peanuts are also important legumes.

All edible nuts contain some protein. Know those available in your area.

Seeds include: lotus seeds, ginkgo seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, squash seeds, cashew seeds, and calabash tree seeds as well as many others. Seeds are often used for their oil. "Press cakes", the part of the seed left after the oil is pressed out, contain protein. These "press cakes" are good food for animals.

The coconut is not included in this list. While the meat contains a little building material, it is used mainly for the oil it contains. The coconut "milk" is refreshing and tastes good, but it is not a protein food and doesn't help the body grow strong.

Teach people to cook legumes and seeds with rice, wheat, corn, millet, or other cereal grains. If they use these every day with even a small amount of dry milk powder, fresh milk, or other animal foods added, they can greatly improve their diets.

Foods that provide lots of energy are called fats and carbohydrates. If people do not get enough of these, other foods more valuable for building and repair will be used for the energy the body needs and their building value will be wasted. When people eat too much of these foods they become fat.

Carbohydrates are sugar and starch. These are mainly found in cereals, starchy plants, sugar, molasses, honey, etc. Many other foods also contain some carbohydrate. In many countries, cereals and starchy plants make up the greater part of the people's diet. They are often referred to as "the staples in the diets of the masses."

Cereals are grains such as maize, wheat, rice, barley, oats, sorghum, and millet. They are easy to grow and not expensive to buy.

The bran and germ of these grains also have some building and protective values. The bran covers the kernel, and the germ is the part that sprouts and grows when planted. When the bran and germ are left in, the cereal is a better food. Yellow maize is more nutritious than white maize. Rice has a hard outer crust over the bran layer. This crust must be removed.

In some countries, wheat flour, bread, maize meal, and rice are enriched before they are sold. This means that protective values have been added. Ask your Ministry of Agriculture or Nutrition Institute about enriching in your country.

Whole grain rice and wheat are sometimes steamed or boiled and then sundried. This makes them easier to pound or grind. Prepared in this way, rice is called parboiled and wheat is called bulgur. Bulgur wheat keeps better than plain wheat flour. Parboiled rice is a much better food than the white polished rice.

Many families prepare their own cereal grains at home by pounding, grinding, or cracking. They often wash or sift away the bran and germ, leaving only the white starchy part of the grain which has much less building and protective value. Where any bran or germ is left in, the flour or meal is darker in color. Some people do not like it as well. Try to teach people to like and use the darker flour and meal made from the whole grain. It is much better for them. Try to get them not to wash the grains or sift out the bran. Millet, barley, rye, sorghum, and other grains are generally used without removing the bran and germ, so the problem of white or dark flour does not arise.

Starchy roots, tubers and fruits include such foods as plantains, breadfruit, cassava (manioc), taro, white yam, yellow yam, sweetpotato, and white potato. Most of these have very little protein. When used as the main part of the diet, these foods do not have enough protein and may cause the diseases of poor diet. Oftentimes, young children weaned from the breast and fed mainly on cassava, taro or plantain, develop kwashiorkor.

Starchy fruits and vegetables are easy to grow and are generally found in abundance. They are not expensive to buy and they are filling, but other building and protective foods should always be a part of each person's daily food. This is very important. Otherwise malnutrition results.

Sugars have only energy value. Too many sweets can spoil a person's appetite for foods with more food value. Sugar is digested quickly. That is why a sweet drink, such as sugary tea or coffee in the morning, seems to "pick you up" and give you more energy. But sugar is also used up quickly. You may soon feel tired and hungry again. Too much sugar or other sweets can help to bring about tooth decay.

Fats come from animals, plants, and seeds. They are more expensive and often less available than cereals or starchy plants. Fats are important in the diet. They not only provide energy but also help the body use the protective value of some foods, especially dark leafy greens and deep yellow vegetables. They also contain fatty acids the body needs.

Some fats like red palm oil, other plant oils, butter, ghee, cream, and fish liver oil contain protective value too. Other fats, like meat drippings, fat meat, and lard have no protective or building value in them. In some countries, margarine made from vegetable oils may have protective values added. It is then called fortified margarine. Many people do not eat enough fats because they are expensive. It is a good idea to include some fats, especially those with protective qualities, in each meal.

Protective nutrients called minerals and vitamins are important for growth, resistance against disease, and proper body functioning. There are many minerals and vitamins. Each has a specific name and a specific job in the body. Some are found in so many foods they are not a nutritional problem. All fruits and vegetables have minerals and vitamins. Some contain more than others and therefore add more to a balanced diet. A varied diet will likely provide all that are needed, but the foods must be prepared so that the vitamins are not wasted. The following vitamins and minerals need special attention to be sure foods with them are included in the diet.

Iron is needed along with protein to build blood. Lack of enough iron is a leading cause of ill health in many parts of the world. Iron-rich foods include eggs, green leafy vegetables, many whole grain cereals, legumes, and meat. The internal organs of animals such as liver, heart, and kidneys are especially rich sources of iron.

Calcium is necessary for building bones and teeth. It is especially needed during growth. Milk is one of the best sources of calcium. Certain green leafy vegetables and pulses are also good sources of calcium. Calcium in the diet can be increased by using limewater to prepare food or using fish with edible bones. Red millet, sesame seeds, and molasses also contain some calcium.

Iodine in food is needed for the thyroid gland in the front of the throat. When the person does not get enough iodine, this gland grows big and is called a goiter. In certain areas where goiter is common, iodine is added to salt. Fish from the sea and most vegetables grown near the sea are sources of iodine. Iodine is present in the soil. The amount found in vegetables and fruits depends on how much is in the soil where they are grown. Where there is enough iodine in the soil, there is generally no problem of goiter. If a person has swelling in the front of the lower throat, he should go to a doctor.

Vitamin A is needed for growth, normal eyesight, and healthy skin and body surfaces. It is found in some fats. Butter and cream are especially rich sources. This is one reason that safe, whole milk rather than skim milk is recommended for growing children. Other fats and oils may have vitamin A added to them.

A substance called carotene changes to vitamin A in the body. Carotene is found in the dark green leafy vegetables and deep yellow fruits and vegetables. Sometimes these are grouped together and called the "Yellows and Greens". Red palm oil is also a good source of vitamin A.

Dark green leaves are better than light green or white. Some of the more commonly grown greens are: spinach, chard, kale, collards, broccoli, mustard, amaranth, cassava leaves, sweetpotato leaves, and beet and turnip tops. It takes little ground and not much work to keep a patch of greens growing around the house. In most areas, they can be grown year round Many greens, good for eating, grow wild. They have just as much food value as the greens from the garden, and they vary the diet. Trees and bushes with edible leaves such as the drumstick tree are found in some areas. All greens are best when freshly picked.

Some deep yellow fruits and vegetables are mango, papaya, cantaloupe, carrots, yellow yams, and winter squash. Find out which ones grow in your area. Red palm oil is also a good source of carotene.

It is important to use foods rich in vitamin A or carotene at least once a day.

Vitamin C is needed for healthy gums, skin, and body tissues. It is found in many fruits and some vegetables. Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are very good sources of vitamin C. Other good sources of vitamin C are guavas, strawberries, rambutan, tomatoes, papaya, mangoes, pawpaw, cabbage, other leafy greens, and white potatoes. A person who eats some of these fruits and vegetables every day can be reasonably sure of getting enough vitamin C. Find out which ones grow or could be grown in your area. Include the ones that grow wild. Teach your people to include a good variety of them in their diets.

The juice of any fruit has the same protective values as the fruit it comes from. The same is true of vegetable juices. Teach your people to use fresh fruit and fresh fruit juices.

Vitamin D is needed for the body to use calcium. It is very important in the growth of teeth and the bones of the body. Too little vitamin D causes rickets.

Vitamin D is found in some foods like cod liver or other fish liver oils. This is why they are often given to children. This is a good thing to do. People who get lots of sunlight all year long are not likely to lack vitamin D. Sunlight changes a substance in a person's skin into vitamin D.

Thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin are members of the vitamin B family. They help with steady nerves, normal appetite, good digestion, a good attitude (morale), and a healthy skin. Most foods do not furnish very large amounts of these vitamins. But using a variety of foods each day will help assure getting enough of them.

Other vitamins and minerals needed in lesser amounts for proper functioning of the body are also found in fruits and vegetables as well as other foods. A balanced and varied diet will likely provide all that are needed.

All people need the same nutrients, but in varying amounts throughout life. The amounts are influenced by age, activity, size, sex, health, and climate.

Age-For their size, children need more food than adults. This is because they need extra food to grow and develop, and also because healthy children are so active. From weaning to 6 years old, children grow very rapidly. They are not getting breast milk and are too young to get food for themselves. They need extra special care to see that they get large amounts of building foods. During the many years when boys and girls are growing into men and women, many things are happening to their bodies. Some boys and girls grow very fast. They need extra food. As people get older, they stop growing and become less active. They need less food.

Activity-The harder and longer a person works or plays, the more energy food he needs. A person who works in the field all day needs more food than one who sits and talks.

Size-The larger a person, the more food he needs unless he is too fat, or too thin. Then his food needs are based on what he should weigh.

Sex-Because men are often bigger than women, and because they often do heavier work, they generally require a little more food than women, especially energy foods. But a small man who does very little physical work will not need as much food as a larger woman who works in the fields all day. Both men and women need the same kinds of food.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers need extra building and protective foods. Women generally need more iron than men.

Climate-People in hot tropical countries need somewhat less food than people in colder climates. This is because the body needs more energy food to keep warm in cold climates. People are also less active in hot climates. Therefore, they need less food than more active people in cool climates.

State of Health-Sick people need food to rebuild their bodies. In the acute (severe) state of their illness, they may not be able to eat much but water or sugar water. As soon as possible though, give them a good diet to rebuild their bodies and help them get well.

A good diet for the mother helps her have a healthy infant and stay healthy herself. If she is poorly fed, she will be weak and have a weak baby. Some of these babies may die be fore they are born or soon afterwards. Eating properly means better health for the mother and her children.

A pregnant or nursing woman needs extra building materials to build a strong baby. If the baby cannot get these from the food his mother eats, then he will get them from his mother's tissues and bones, In this way, her body may become weakened.

Of great importance during this period are milk, eggs, meat, fish, and legumes (pulses, grams). Extra amounts of dark green leafy vegetables and vegetables and fruits for vitamins A and C are needed for their protective value. Cereals, fats, and oils may also need to be increased, particularly during breast feeding.

The mother may fear that the baby will grow too big and she will get fat if she eats well during pregnancy. Neither she nor the baby will get too big if she eats the right amounts of the right kinds of food. It is when she eats too much starchy food, fats, and sugars that she or the baby may get too big. One good way of knowing if she is getting too big, too fast, is by going to a prenatal clinic where her weight will be checked regularly. The doctor will talk to her about her diet and weight gain.

A child of this age is often called a toddler or preschool child. A child this age often becomes the most poorly nourished member of the family. He often is not given the attention he got as a baby, and he is still too young to care for himself.

The importance of animal foods for everyone has been mentioned several times. The toddler often does not get his fair share of milk, meat, eggs, fish, and pulses. This may be because they are not plentiful or because parents do not understand that the child needs these foods for growth and health. They may think that milk causes diarrhea. Help them understand that it is the improper care of milk which causes germs to grow in the milk. These germs cause the diarrhea, not the milk itself.

Building foods (proteins) are very important to a child of this age because he is no longer getting his mother's milk. The quality of building food for a toddler (or anyone else) can be improved by a combination of foods at the same meal. If a family has both maize and beans, for example, it is far better to eat some maize and some beans at each meal rather than to eat maize for several days and then beans for several days. Combinations of foods should have both filling foods and protein foods; for example, cereals or tubers with milk, eggs, meat, fish, pulses or cheese. Here are some examples of mixtures:

1. Maize with pigeon peas

2. Banana cooked with beans and served with wheat bread

3. Baked sweetpotato served with lentils and a dark green vegetable

4. Porridge made from two different cereals and served with sauce made of cowpeas and tomatoes

5. Groundnut soup with potatoes.

If the mother has powdered milk, she can stir it into the food.

When a young child is not given enough milk, meat, fish, eggs, pulses, and cereals, he does not grow normally. He is more likely to get colds, coughs, and stomach upsets, as well as to get very ill from any childhood diseases he catches. He may be cross and lose interest in playing. He may get weak and become sick. Kwashiorkor and marasmus may show up in children of this age who do not eat enough protein.

Remind mothers that from weaning to 6 years old is one of the most important times in a child's life and can be one of the most dangerous from the standpoint of health.

The young child is growing rapidly and needs more building foods for his size than adults. The building foods are eggs, milk, cheese, meat, fish, pulses, and groundnuts. The young child cannot eat much food at one time and so he needs more frequent meals than adults.

In families that use roots and tubers as the main food, it is very important that the child have one or more foods from the building group at each meal. He should have dark green leafy vegetables and a deep yellow fruit or vegetable, and fruits such as orange, mango, papaya, etc. Whole grain cereals are better than starchy plants in the child's diet.

The young child has few teeth so he requires soft food. He can begin to eat some adult foods, but they need to be cut into very small pieces.

Properly feeding a toddler requires time, but he needs the love and personal attention of his mother for both his spirit and body. He requires clean food and clean utensils to prevent infection and protect him from hookworm, diarrhea, and other diseases.

· Strong seasonings and spices such as hot peppers and curry powder. Take the baby's food out of the cooking pot before spices and seasonings are added or cook it separately.

· Foods with skins such as pulses and maize, unless they are cooked very well and put through a sieve.

· Fish with bones, except small fish whose bones can be cooked soft and mashed very fine.

· Candy, which is bad for teeth and spoils the baby's appetite for the other foods which his body needs.

· Beer and other alcoholic drinks which can make the baby feel dizzy.

After a child starts to school, it may be harder for him to get the food he needs to grow, develop, and learn well in school. He often has to leave home before breakfast is ready in the morning and walk a considerable distance to reach school. If he gets no meal at school and returns late in the afternoon for his first and only meal of the day, it is almost impossible for him to get enough of the right foods. It is of great importance that he have some food before going to school and some food while he is at school. If no hot breakfast is available, the child can eat some fruit, bread, cold cooked potatoes, or even leftover porridge so that he will not tire so easily and will feel more like doing his school work.

Adolescence is from the time of puberty until 20 years of age. It is a period of rapid growth and development for both boys and girls. It is, therefore, a time when they need large amounts of food.

Boys and girls who are active in play or do heavy work may need much more energy food than adults. Because they are still growing, they need more building foods. Their need for protective foods is about the same or even higher than for adults.

When a sick person is being cared for at home, he should be given good food in an easy-to-digest form as soon as he can take it. Both sickness and injury weaken the body and use up some of the materials in it. It takes extra building, protective, and energy foods to repair the damage, and make the body strong again.

In the case of a fever or diarrhea, boiled water with perhaps a little sugar added may be all the sick person can take the first day. By the next day, a well-cooked gruel of finely pounded cereal, boiled milk, and sugar can be tried three times a day. Also give orange or fruit juices with a little sugar added. Boiled water should be continued. As the ill person gets better, add other soft foods in addition to the gruel, boiled water and juices. These could be soft-cooked eggs, soft fish without hard bones, tender chicken or other meat, soup with some mashed vegetables and pulses, papaya, rice, and other soft, well-cooked cereal foods.

Frequent small meals are better than large meals. The body will make better use of the food. Eating six times a day is not too often. Remember, a well-fed person will recover faster from any sickness or injury.

All people have their likes, dislikes, and beliefs about food. Individuals are influenced by what their friends and those around them eat. In some areas, it is the custom to eat certain protein-rich foods such as insects, snakes, and dogs. These are all beneficial. Many old customs such as drinking animal blood, feeding red millet to new mothers, soaking grain in limewater, drinking sour milk instead of fresh, using wild fruits and vegetables, and sprouting legumes before cooking them make for good diets.

On the other hand, certain beliefs and customs about food are very bad. You need to try to change beliefs such as that women will not be able to have children if they eat eggs, or that a child who drinks goat's milk will grow to look like a goat.

We all enjoy eating foods we ate as we were growing up-foods that our mothers and grandmothers used to prepare. They make us feel happy and safe. Familiar foods, familiar seasonings, and foods cooked in familiar ways give pleasure to eating.

Improving nutrition does not mean changing all the food customs and habits of people. But they need to be taught how to improve their eating patterns so they will have the kind of daily diet they need for good health and to enjoy their food, too.

Many countries have developed food guides, based on the habits of their people, to help them establish good eating patterns. These guides generally group together foods that add the same things to the diet. They emphasize foods that are often not used enough. Find out if your country has a food guide and, if so, how you can use it in your work. Some guides suggest the amounts to use daily from each group. All food guides encourage the use of many foods. The more different kinds of food people eat, the better chance they have to get all the nutrients they need.

Let us look at Puerto Rico as an example.

Puerto Rico has a nutrition committee representing various agencies and groups concerned with food and nutrition. This committee worked out a guide called A Basic Food Pattern for Puerto Rico. The committee agreed that almost all Puerto Ricans eat rice and beans, starchy fruits such as plantain and green bananas, codfish, lard, sugar, and coffee. Most families have something more, but those foods are the only ones the committee could be sure almost everybody had every day. These form the basic diet. Although it is good as far as it goes, other foods are needed to meet the body's need for good health. The food guide was developed to emphasize the foods that are generally not eaten often enough. Puerto Rico used the term "Yellows and Greens" because they wanted to emphasize the deep yellow fruits such as papaya and mango along with the dark green leafy vegetables. A chart was made as shown:

A flannelgraph has been made from the chart. The circle is cut into five pieces. Each piece can be used as a separate lesson. This food guide flannelgraph is used to teach nutrition throughout Puerto Rico.

You will need to learn their food habits and customs before you can help people develop good food patterns. Review with them what they have learned about the kinds of food the body needs. To help them see what kind of eating patterns they have, ask the following questions:

· What is the main food you eat?

· Do you use whole grain cereals and flours? How often? More than one kind?

· Do you use cereal foods more often than starchy plants ?

· What building foods do you eat regularly with the staple foods? Do you use building foods three times each day?

· Do you use pulses, seeds, or nuts? Which ones ? How often ?

· Do you use meat, fish, eggs, poultry? How often ? How much ?

· Do you use milk of any kind? How often? How much ?

· What fruits and vegetables do you use? How often? How much?

· Do you use leafy greens regularly? Yellow vegetables ?

· Do you use oranges, papaya, mango, and other deep yellow fruits every day?

Their answers to these questions will tell you whether or not they are eating a good variety of food Show the people what they can do to improve their basic diet. They should regularly eat:

· More than one kind of cereal grain.

· More than one kind of legume (pulses, grams) .

· Whole grain or undermilled cereal foods rather than the refined, white grain products.

· Staple foods in combination with building and protective foods. For example, they should cook cereal foods with dry skim milk or add some meat, fish, pulses, or vegetables to rice, cassava, or other staple.

· More leafy greens or small whole fish if milk is not available.

· The "Yellows and Greens" (both vegetables and fruits).

The way food is handled influences the nutrients it has, its safety, appearance, and taste. Handling means everything that happens to food while it is being grown, processed, stored, and prepared for eating. In some areas, at least one-third of all the food produced is lost by poor harvesting, and loss from insects, rats and spoilage or faulty handling in the home.

Good farming increases the amount and the quality of the food produced. For example, good soil and the right kind of fertilizer can improve the amount and flavor of crops. If insecticides are needed and are used, the farmer must learn how to use them in the right way so that the food will be safe to eat. Many insecticides are poisonous.

The way food is processed influences its body building value. Highly milled cereals contain smaller amounts of some nutrients than whole grain undermilled cereals. Enriching highly milled foods by adding vitamins, iron, and possibly calcium during processing increases their nutritive value. Dried skimmed milk has the fat removed in processing; it does not have vitamins A and D. Dried whole milk powder does have the fat and vitamins A and D. The water is removed from both types of powdered milk. However, some factories may add vitamins A and D to dried skimmed milk to improve its nutritive value.

The nutrients may be partially lost in food stored for long periods, especially when it has not been properly stored. Milk or other perishable foods such as leftovers, kept for even a short time, can easily become contaminated with bacteria and cause illness unless they are properly stored.

The way food is cooked greatly influences its taste and appearance as well as its food value.

Certain foods cause illness. There are poisonous plants such as some toadstools and berries. Some kinds of cassava also have a toxic skin and juice which should not be eaten.

But the foods we have talked about do not in themselves cause illness. Quite the opposite: the foods we have talked about are needed to build strong, healthy bodies. It is when foods become spoiled or contaminated with bacteria or parasites that they cause illness. Proper handling, preparation, and storage of food will prevent illness from contaminated food.