Meta Given

Meta H. Given (January 25, 1888 – November 1981) was an American nutritionist, home economist, and best-selling cookbook author.

Given grew up working on her family's farm in Missouri. There, little variety in foodstuffs were available, and after studying nutrition as an undergraduate at the University of Missouri and in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Chicago, Given grew interested in devising recipes that maximized the culinary and gustatory value of farm staples but minimized the cost to the consumer. Her best-selling The Modern Family Cookbook was first published in 1942; the Encyclopedia of Modern Cooking was published in two volumes in 1947. Both were revised and reprinted in succeeding decades and followed during the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s by other volumes about food and cooking.

Given taught home economics for many years. She recommended that Americans help themselves each day to ten different categories of foodstuffs to ensure adequate nutrition: 1) milk; 2) meat (or cheese for those who don't eat meat); 3) green or yellow vegetable; 4) another vegetable; 5) potato (once a week pasta or rice can take the place but increase vegetable); 6) egg; 7) butter; 8) whole grain; 9) citrus fruit or tomato; and 10) another fruit.

Meta Given died in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, in November 1981.