London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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72
The questionnaire was based on the following points :—
1. Details of the day's meals.
2. Favourite type of food.
3. Likes and dislikes, with special reference to meat, vegetables, condiments, milk, sugar and sweets.
The day's meals.—Only two children stated that they did not sit down to take their meals. Sixty-four
children had four meals a day (breakfast, dinner, tea and supper) ; twenty-six had no supper, and of these only
two had more than porridge or bread and butter for breakfast, and only two had anything beyond bread and
butter and cake for tea. In these cases food was poor in quality as well as quantity probably owing to lack of
means.
The following table shows details of the day's meals :—
| Breakfast. | Dinner. | Tea. | Supper | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread | 66 (2 rolls) | 19 | 87 | |
| Toast | — | — | ||
| Fried bread | 4 | — | — | — |
| Biscuits | 3 | — | — | 7 |
| Cake | — | — | 64 | |
| Porridge, cornflakes, shredded wheat | 33 | — | — | |
| Meat | — | 49 | — | |
| Sausage | — | |||
| Rabbit | — | — | — | |
| Bacon and ham | 9 | — | — | — |
| Meat pie and stew | — | — | — | 3 |
| Fish | — | 10 | 3 | — |
| Fish and chips | — | — | ||
| Sardines | — | — | — | |
| Eggs | 19 | — | ||
| Vegetables (other than potatoes) | — | 50 | — | |
| Potatoes | — | |||
| Chips | — | 3 | 4 | |
| Milk pudding | — | 14 | — | — |
| Other puddings | — | 17 | — | — |
| Fruit | 7 | — | 3 | |
| Butter | 52 | 9 | 58 | 19 |
| Dripping | — | — | — | |
| Jam | 12 | — | 47 | |
| Syrup and honey | — | — | 5 | — |
| Marmite | — | — | — | |
| Cheese | — | 1 | ||
| Cream | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Tea | 65 | 71 | 7 | |
| Cocoa | 13 | 1 | ||
| Milk | 7 | 7 | 5 | 15 |
| Coffee | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Oxo or bovril | — | — | ||
| Ovaltine | — | — | — | 1 |
| Soup | — | 3 | — |
| Fruit | 7 | 16 | 23 |
| Meat | 6 | 17 | 23 |
| Eggs | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Fish | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| Fish and chips | 1 | — | |
| Puddings | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Vegetables | 2 | 4 | |
| Cakes | 1 | 3 | |
| Steak and kidney pudding | — | 1 | 1 |
| Sausages | — | 1 | |
| Cheese | 1 | — | 1 |
| Chips | — | 1 | 1 |
| Shredded wheat | 1 | — | 1 |
| Porridge | 1 | — | 1 |
| Honey | — | 1 | 1 |
| Bread | 1 | — | 1 |
| 35 | 55 | 90 |