Diet For Underweight Increases Energy Needs

( Originally Published 1936 )

"Everybody is talking about a reducing diet and nobody talks about what I need, which is a fattening diet," growled my cynical and emaciated friend the other evening.

As in the case of diets for overweight, which we discussed yesterday, the only way in which a diet for underweight need differ from a normal diet is in the energy requirement, but, of course, in the case of the underweight the energy requirement must be stepped up. For this purpose the so-called Five Thousand Calorie Diet is a model. It is as follows:

FOOD

Grapes, five ounces; grapenuts, two ounces; bacon, one ounce; egg, one and two-thirds ounces; bread, four ounces; butter, two ounces; cream, five and one-half ounces; sugar, two and two-thirds ounces; grapefruit, ten ounces; pea soup, four ounces; chicken, three and one-third ounces; lima beans, two and two-thirds ounces; corn on cob, three and one-third ounces; sweet potato, two ounces; lettuce, one ounce; tomato, five ounces; oil, one ounce; charlotte russe, one ounce; sweetbreads, three and one-third ounces; biscuit, one and one-half ounces; dates, one ounce; cheese, one and one-third ounces; peaches, three and one-third ounces; cake, two and one-third ounces; chocolate, six ounces.

MEALS

Breakfast.—Grapes, grapenuts, cream; omelet, bacon; toast, butter; coffee, sugar.

Dinner.—Grapefruit, sugar; cream of pea soup, roast chicken, sweet potatoes, lima beans, corn on cob, tomato salad, charlotte russe, coffee.

Supper.—Broiled sweetbread, cream sauce; biscuit, butter; date and cheese salad, peaches, cream; chocolate cake.

CALORIES

Protein 521.11
Fat 2287.80
Carbohydrate 2211.54

Total 5020.45

This diet was planned for the fall season. The following foods may be substituted for other seasons:

Fruits.—Strawberries, three and one-third ounces; prunes, three and one-third ounces; pineapple, three and one-third ounces; baked apple, four ounces.