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Diet rules
Dr Lulu Hunt Peters – 1920s
Guidelines
- Calorie counting is key. Dieters are to consume a maximum of 1200 calories per day.
- Dieters can eat what food they want, as long as the calorie limit is not exceeded
- Include lots of leafy vegetables. Cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, onion, Swiss chard, etc, are low in calories and contain vital minerals which are good for the kidneys and sluggish bowels.
- Recommends consuming some milk or its products
- Advises against cutting out fats, sugars and starches – the diet should remain balanced
- Protein should make up 200–300 of the daily calorie intake
- The daily calorie intake should be split into: breakfast (100 calories); lunch (350); tea (100); and dinner (650). The calorie amounts for lunch and dinner can be reversed.
- If you splurge and eat lots of chocolates (or other high calorie food) then this should be balanced by a dinner of a bowl of clear soup and a cracker (both items are 25 calories each)
- Hunger pangs can be treated with dry lemon or orange peel, aromatic breath sweeteners or a cup of fat-free bouillon, half an apple, or other low calorie food
Sample menu
On rising
2 cups hot water with a little lemon juice
Breakfast
Coffee or postum with cream or sugar
Or 10oz of skimmed milk
Or one of the 100 calorie breakfast options
Total: 100 calories
Lunch
1 medium sized head lettuce (25 calories) 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise (100 calories) 1 medium sweet pickle chopped for mayonnaise (25 calories) 1-1/8 inch cube of cream cheese melted or 3oz of cottage cheese (100 calories) 1 Toasted French roll (no butter) (100 calories)
Total: 350 calories
Tea
Tea with 1 teaspoon of sugar, slice of lemon and 3 crackers
Or 10oz of skimmed or buttermilk
Or 100 calories of fruit
Total: 100 calories
Dinner
Creamed dried beef on toast (245 calories) 4 thin slices of dried beef (100 calories) cut fine and crisped in frying pan with 1/2 tablespoon of butter (50 calories) and 1 tablespoon of flour browned with above (25 calories) and 1 cup (7oz) skimmed milk (70 calories). Pour over 2 slices of crisp toast (200 calories)
1 large serving of raw celery or raw cabbage (15 calories)
1 large baked apple with 1 tablespoon of syrup (120 calories) 1 cup (7oz) of skimmed milk (70 calories)
Total: 650 calories
On rising
2 cups hot water with a little lemon juice
Breakfast
Coffee or postum with cream or sugar
Or 10oz of skimmed milk
Or one of the 100 calorie breakfast options
Total: 100 calories
Lunch
1 medium sized head lettuce (25 calories) 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise (100 calories) 1 medium sweet pickle chopped for mayonnaise (25 calories) 1-1/8 inch cube of cream cheese melted or 3oz of cottage cheese (100 calories) 1 Toasted French roll (no butter) (100 calories)
Total: 350 calories
Tea
Tea with 1 teaspoon of sugar, slice of lemon and 3 crackers
Or 10oz of skimmed or buttermilk
Or 100 calories of fruit
Total: 100 calories
Dinner
Creamed dried beef on toast (245 calories) 4 thin slices of dried beef (100 calories) cut fine and crisped in frying pan with 1/2 tablespoon of butter (50 calories) and 1 tablespoon of flour browned with above (25 calories) and 1 cup (7oz) skimmed milk (70 calories). Pour over 2 slices of crisp toast (200 calories)
1 large serving of raw celery or raw cabbage (15 calories)
1 large baked apple with 1 tablespoon of syrup (120 calories) 1 cup (7oz) of skimmed milk (70 calories)
Total: 650 calories
