In the 1880s America immigrants streamed into cities. These newcomers, as well as other working-class Americans, faced economic challenges that resulted in hunger and malnutrition. Edward Atkinson, a wealthy New England cotton mill owner, insurance executive, philanthropist, inventor, and prolific writer, became concerned about feeding the poor. Atkinson’s interest in nutrition came to the attention of Ellen Richards, an instructor in sanitary chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Richards convinced Atkinson to provide financial support for a venture called the New England Kitchen, which was intended to develop inexpensive methods for feeding the poor and educating them about nutrition. Atkinson underwrote the project and the kitchen opened in Boston in 1890. Richards used the latest nutritional research into calories, proteins, and fats to develop a menu and recipes, and the New England Kitchen was able to offer nutritious meals that even the poor could afford.
