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Food for Young Children, especially 4-year olds

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By now you’ve heard about the little kid who walked to work carried her lunch to pre-school only to be forced to eat a school lunch because her mom did not pack a vegetable in her lunch (banana & fruit juice but no veggie). If you don’t know what I’m talking about, google “4-year old’s lunch confiscated” or something like that.


Not having had any 4-year olds around for some time, I consulted a crappy old cookbook to discover just what Young Children should be eating. From the Introduction to Chapter VI in the Universal Cookbook, I see that

A little child who is carefully fed in accordance with his bodily needs (as these are now understood) receives every day at least one food from each of the following groups:
  1. Milk and dishes made chiefly of milk (most important of the group as regards children’s diet); meat fish, poultry, eggs, and meat substitutes
  2. Bread and other cereal foods.
  3. Butter and other wholesome fats.
  4. Vegetables and fruits.
  5. Simple sweets.

Caroline L. Hunt, Scientific Assistant, Office of Home Economics– who wrote this chapter– goes on to provide a “good rule” as to amounts and servings from the groups. Each group is then taken up in turn, with milk being dominant throughout.For example, Milk Toast is discussed at length in the Milk, etc. section and mentioned again in the Breads section. (My paternal grandmother used to make my dad milk toast and he tried to get my brother and I to like it. Didn’t happen.)

What I’d like to know is how to properly understand the parenthetical, “as these are now understood.” It is modifying “bodily needs,” but can be taken one of two ways. On one reading, it says “as bodily needs are currently understood.” This reading leaves room for changed understanding of children’s nutritional requirements. For example, if the expert child nutritionist Nanny Bloomberg decrees it so, simple sweets get taken off the list– at least until some future mayor of New York City who’s also a child nutritionist puts them back on the list. 

A stronger reading proclaims, “as bodily needs are now– finally!– understood.” The science is settled.
We should, of course, consult the word experts to be sure I’ve understood “now” correctly.  

The Universal Cookbook by Mary Ellen Quinlan (who is not listed as such but who I believe was the editor) was published in 1937 by The World Syndicate Publishing Company. (There’s a word whose connotations have changed!) The dictionary I have that most closely predates 1937 was published in 1892. The first two definitions from it are (without examples):
  1. At the present time
  2. A little while ago; very lately

These are the uses of “now” in my weak (1) and strong (2) readings. Which use of “now” did the author of the chapter, “Food for Young Children” intend?

I’ll give you a clue.

With
ADVISE TO THE HOUSEWIFE 
Compiled from Bulletins of the Department
of Agriculture Prepared by United
States Government Experts

[my emphasis]

I’m going with definition #2 because, you know, those danged Experts Sure Do Understand A Lot of Stuff.

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