Foods and home making

4. What is meant by inspected meat? Is meat inspected in your community? 5. Is tender meat fine or coarse-grained? 6. Does meat contain any fat other than what you can easily see? 7. State some reasons why flank steak is an economical steak. 8. What is the difference between a standing rib roast and a rolled rib roast? 9. Why should meat not be soaked in a pan of water when it is being washed ? Shall we eat meat? “Yes,” replies the one who thinks of food only as something good to eat. “Yes,” replies the scientist who thinks of meat as a nourishing food. There is perhaps no more popular food flavor than that of meat. Most persons like meat. Recent research confirms the idea that meat is a wholesome food. Meat is easily digested and is a good source of protein, iron, and vitamin G. It is not, how- ever, the most economical source of these nourishing materials. How much meat should we eat ? The amount of meat that should be eaten depends largely upon how many eggs and how much cheese and fish are included in the diet. Because these foods contain excellent proteins, not as much meat is needed if they are eaten. 347 348 Dinner According to the plan for buying foods given on page 200, a tenth to a fifth of each dollar spent for food should be used to buy not only meat, but fish and eggs. In buying meat, round steak, for example, allow four servings to the pound. Each serving will contain not as much as four ounces of lean meat because of the bone, fat, and shrinkage in cooking. Only about sixty-five per cent of round steak is eaten. One serving of meat a day is thought to be adequate for most persons. A diet containing meat should also include milk and vegetables, especially the leafy ones. Why should meat be eaten moderately ? When food is eaten, it passes into the stomach and intestines. As it passes through these organs, some parts of the food are absorbed into the blood and thus nourish the body. Other parts of the food are elim- inated from the body. It is not good to have any food remain too long in the diges- tive organs. When foods remain longer than they should, inju- rious substances are formed which harm the body. If much meat and eggs are eaten, these foods are apt to remain too long in the intestines. There they may decay or putrefy. According to McCollum and Becker 1 the putrefaction of meat and eggs in the intestines is believed to be harmful. When food putrefies in the intestines, a disagreeable or “dark brown” taste some- times results, accompanied by a bad breath. Headaches and other disorders may be caused by intestinal putrefaction. How- ever, if plenty of fruits and vegetables are included in the diet and at least 5 or 6 glasses of water are taken each day, there is little danger of putrefaction when only a moderate amount of meat is eaten. What does meat contain? Study Figure 102, to learn of the composition of beef. 1 See page 74 of Food, Nutrition, and Health, Third Edition, by McCollum and Becker. Meats for Dinner — Buying Beef 349 Why is there a demand for expensive cuts of meat? A