ant element — nitrogen — which is needed in
the case of children for growth, and in the
case of both children and grown people to
keep the body in repair. Without the meat
or meat substitutes (including milk) the meals
would be lacking in this body -building ma-
terial.
"(c) Starch. This is one of the chief fuels
of the body and is supplied mainly by the
cereal foods.
"(d) Sugar. This serves as fuel for the body
and to flavor the food. It is found in milk,
fresh fruits and many other foods ; but unless
small amounts of very sweet substances —
sugar itself, sirup, or honey — are used, the
diet is likely to be lacking in it.
"(e) Fat. This serves as body fuel, and also
improves the flavor and texture of the food.
It is present in meats, nuts and many other
foods, but unless small amounts of specially
fat materials, like butter, oil, or cream, are
used, the meals are likely to be lacking in it.
Moreover, dishes cooked without a certain
amount of fat, and meals served without but-
ter or some substitute seem, to most persons,
dry and unpalatable.
"(/) Cellulose. This is the material which
makes up the framework of plants. It gives
37
bulk to the diet and may tend to prevent con-
stipation. Without the fruits and vegetables
the meals would be lacking in this important
element.
"(g) Certain newly discovered substances
in very small amounts, which are believed to
play an important part in keeping people well
and in promoting the growth of children.
Without milk in the diet some of these sub-
stances, particularly those necessary for chil-
dren, would be lacking, and without meat,
milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, others
needed by persons of all ages might not be
present in sufficient amounts.
"(h) Flavorings and condiments. Inmost
families some materials are used in preparing
or serving food which add to the attractive-
ness of the meals without furnishing the body
any nourishment. Among these are salt,
pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, spices, seasoning
herbs, horse-radish, flavoring extracts, and
many other materials often spoken of as
"condiments." These are not discussed at
length, because they are not absolutely
needed by the body. They may, however,
be very useful in making an otherwise unat-
tractive diet taste good. In fact, the secret
of making inexpensive meals attractive lies
38
largely in the skillful use of seasoning and
flavors, and in this way they may well be
worth the cost they add to the diet, even if
they do not increase its actual food value.
"Any kind of food contains one or more of
the substances just described, and they are
combined in as many different ways as there
are kinds of food. A satisfactory diet con-
tains all of them, and each in its proper pro-
portion, and the problem of planning meals is
really that of choosing foods which will do
this.
Page 10
Presented as published in 1918. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
ant element — nitrogen — which is needed in the case of children for growth, and in the case of both children and grown people to keep the body in repair. Without the meat or meat substitutes (including milk) the meals would be lacking in this body -building material.
"(c) Starch. This is one of the chief fuels of the body and is supplied mainly by the cereal foods.
"(d) Sugar. This serves as fuel for the body and to flavor the food. It is found in milk, fresh fruits and many other foods ; but unless small amounts of very sweet substances — sugar itself, sirup, or honey — are used, the diet is likely to be lacking in it.
"(e) Fat. This serves as body fuel, and also improves the flavor and texture of the food. It is present in meats, nuts and many other foods, but unless small amounts of specially fat materials, like butter, oil, or cream, are used, the meals are likely to be lacking in it. Moreover, dishes cooked without a certain amount of fat, and meals served without butter or some substitute seem, to most persons, dry and unpalatable.
"(/) Cellulose. This is the material which
makes up the framework of plants. It gives
bulk to the diet and may tend to prevent constipation. Without the fruits and vegetables the meals would be lacking in this important element.
"(g) Certain newly discovered substances in very small amounts, which are believed to play an important part in keeping people well and in promoting the growth of children. Without milk in the diet some of these substances, particularly those necessary for children, would be lacking, and without meat, milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, others needed by persons of all ages might not be present in sufficient amounts.
"(h) Flavorings and condiments. Inmost families some materials are used in preparing or serving food which add to the attractiveness of the meals without furnishing the body any nourishment. Among these are salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, spices, seasoning herbs, horse-radish, flavoring extracts, and many other materials often spoken of as "condiments." These are not discussed at length, because they are not absolutely needed by the body. They may, however, be very useful in making an otherwise unattractive diet taste good. In fact, the secret of making inexpensive meals attractive lies
largely in the skillful use of seasoning and flavors, and in this way they may well be worth the cost they add to the diet, even if they do not increase its actual food value.
"Any kind of food contains one or more of the substances just described, and they are combined in as many different ways as there are kinds of food. A satisfactory diet contains all of them, and each in its proper proportion, and the problem of planning meals is really that of choosing foods which will do this.