If a child wakes very early, it may be given a crust of bread, a cracker, or a small quantity of milk, but not enough to take away the appetite for breakfast.
For breakfast, serve a cereal sprinkled with sugar (sparingly) and top milk. Well-cooked, strained oatmeal, hominy, or any of the wheat preparations may be used, and it is desirable to offer variety. A glass of milk should accompany this meal.
For luncheon, give strained cereal and milk, allowing three parts milk to one part cereal. In order that the child may have sufficient nourishment, pour off the upper half of quart jars of milk (top milk). In this way the necessary fat is supplied.
For dinner, serve a soft-cooked egg, or beef, chicken, or mutton broth thickened with strained rice or barley; either with a piece of stale bread spread with butter, followed by steamed rice with cream and sugar, steamed or baked custard, junket custard, Irish moss blanc mange, strained stewed prunes, or juice of one-half orange. When eggs are introduced into the diet for the first few times, give but one-half egg. This quantity may be easily digested, while a whole egg might cause gastric disturbance.
For supper, serve strained cereal and milk, same as for lunch. A child from sixteen to twenty-four months takes four meals, with the same hours for serving as the younger child, with some greater variety.
For breakfast, in addition to cereal, give "soft-boiled," dropped, or coddled egg. Scrambled egg, if cooked with a small quantity of butter, may be occasionally served. It is well at this age to introduce one egg daily into the diet.
For luncheon, give bread and butter, cracker, or cereal jelly with sugar and top milk in addition to the luncheon before served.
For dinner, mashed baked potato, beef juice, boiled rice, or macaroni may be added.
For supper, whole wheat or Graham bread spread with butter, stewed prunes, baked apple or apple-sauce, in addition to the supper before served.
