Food and freedom

The value of proteins, too, must be understood. "All proteins are made up of complex nitrogen products, which are often called 'building-stones.' Some proteins contain these 'building-stones' in proper proportion for the building of new tissue. Others lack some of the essential 'building-stones.' The foods containing the first type are called com- plete or efficient tissue-building foods. The others are known as incomplete or inefficient tissue-building foods. The value of meats in the diet lies in the fact that they belong to the complete type of protein foods, and therefore when used liberally the necessity for intelligent choice is eUminated. The list of per- fect or efficient proteins includes beef, veal, mutton, lamb, pork, poultry, game, fish, cheese, milk, eggs. The inefficient proteins, those which need supple- menting with more or less from those of the first group, are soy beans, peanuts, navy beans, wax beans, kidney beans, lima beans, dried peas, lentils, nuts, corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat. For the young child, the youth, and any one recovering from a wasting disease there must be combinations of protein foods which will give the right combina- tion of 'building-stones.' For the young child milk stands first on the list. For the adult, the need for large amounts of the more nearly perfect proteins is not apparent. The diet of adults can be more easily restricted to a limited use of the first, and a liberal use of the second." 2 1 Lafayette B. Mendel. ^"Ten Lessons on Food Conservation," United States Food Administration, p. 26. See, also, Kellogg and Taylor, The Food Problem, chaps, v, vi, vii. 5 62 FOOD AND FREEDOM Digestibility, relish, and flavor are also factors in the value of a food; irrespective of its composition, the true value of a food can only be estimated ac- cording to the completeness with which it serves the body, and the ease and completeness with which the body can utilize the nutrients it holds. Good and bad cooking can greatly affect the digestibility and wholesomeness of food; a food as analyzed by the food chemist may be one prod- uct; as cooked and served on the table it can be quite another. Since no one food alone — with the exception of moth- er's milk for a baby — contains enough of each re- quired food element, in the correct proportions, to properly feed the body — to serve its three great needs — ^some representative of every group or class of foods, as outlined above, must be included, in some form, in a wholesome diet for normal people. Briefly summarized, to properly feed the body a variety of foods — different foods at different meals, and something different every day, is desirable. **Food fads" are unwise. A "narrow," ''one- sided," or "restricted" diet can be most harmful. How Much Food Is Needed? In the early days of living, instinct told us what and when and how much to choose. But with civil- ized living we have lost some of our instinct, all conditions of living have become more complicated, and knowledge must now help us out in the wise selection of our food. A normal, wholesome appetite, under control, is always a good guide, however, as to the total amount of food required. If, in addition, IMPORTANT FOOD FACTS 63