Meta Given facts for kids

Meta Hortense Given (born January 25, 1888 – died November 17, 1981) was an American expert in food and cooking. She was a nutritionist, a home economist, and a very popular author of cookbooks. She helped many families learn how to eat well and save money.

Growing Up and Learning

Meta Hortense Given was born on January 25, 1888, in a rural area of Missouri. She grew up on a farm in a small, three-room cabin. From a young age, around 10 years old, Meta loved to create her own recipes.

Life on the farm meant there wasn't a lot of different food available. This made Meta interested in how to make the most of simple farm foods. She wanted to create tasty meals that didn't cost a lot of money.

Meta was very well educated. She went to grammar school, high school, and then to a "Normal School" (which trained teachers). She also studied at several universities, including the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She learned a lot about nutrition and how food affects our bodies.

Helping Families with Food

Meta Given spent 20 years (from 1902 to 1922) teaching home economics. This subject teaches people how to manage their homes, including cooking, nutrition, and budgeting.

Later, from 1925 to 1930, she worked for the Evaporated Milk Association. She was their first Director of Home Economics, helping people understand how to use evaporated milk in their cooking.

Famous Cookbooks and Articles

Meta Given became very famous for her cookbooks. Her most popular book, The Modern Family Cookbook, was first published in 1942. She also wrote the Encyclopedia of Modern Cooking in 1947. These books were updated and reprinted many times over the years, helping families for decades.

She also shared her food knowledge in newspapers. From 1930 to 1931, she wrote a popular column for the Chicago Tribune called "Chicago Cook Book" and "Food Talk." She wrote over 365 articles, giving daily advice! Later, from 1939 to 1949, she wrote a column for newspapers all over the country, often called "Eat well on $12 week." This showed people how to eat healthy meals even on a small budget.

Meta's Healthy Eating Tips

Meta Given believed that everyone should eat a variety of foods to stay healthy. She suggested eating from ten different food groups every day:

• Milk
• Meat (or cheese for those who don't eat meat)
• Green or yellow vegetables
• Another vegetable
• Potato (sometimes pasta or rice, but eat more vegetables)
• Egg
• Butter
• Whole grain foods
• Citrus fruit (like oranges or grapefruits) or tomatoes
• Another fruit

Meta Given passed away on November 17, 1981, in Lakeland, Florida. She left behind a legacy of helping families eat well and live healthier lives.

Books by Meta Given

• Delicious Dairy Dishes (1937) with Ruth Cooper
• The Art of Modern Cooking and Better Meals: Recipes for Every Occasion (1936–1939)
• The Modern Family Cook Book (1942)
• Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking, Volumes 1 and 2 (1947)
• The Modern Family Cook Book (1953)
• The Modern Family Cook Book, New Revised Edition
• The Modern Family Cook Book (1968)
• The Wizard Modern Family Cookbook