Calories. While meat is most valued for its protein and vitamin content, it also fur¬ nishes energy. The calorie content varies with the fat, which differs in amount with the kind of meat, the quality or grade, and the cut. Some of the fat may be lost in cooking, so that the amount actually consumed varies within wide limits. Minerals. Meat supplies three impor¬ tant minerals: phosphorus, iron, and copper. Meat is one of the rich sources of phosphorus and iron. A serving of liver supplies more iron than a serving of any other food. The value of meat in blood-building is thought to be due in part to its copper content, since copper aids in the utilization of iron. Vitamins. Meat is an excellent source of all the B vitamins. Pork is the richest natural source of thiamine. Variety meats, beef, veal, and lamb also contribute important amounts of this vitamin. All meat is a good source of riboflavin. Variety meats, especially kidney and liver, are rich sources of this vitamin. All meats contain liberal quantities of niacin; meats, poultry, and fish supply 40 per cent of the niacin in the American diet. Meat sup¬ plies other B vitamins. These various B vitamins are readily af¬ fected by heat and are also soluble. For this reason, it has been necessary to determine their retention in cooked meats. Research has shown that when meats are cooked so as to have the minimum amount of drippings, and all the drippings are served with the meat, a high proportion of the original vita¬ min content is retained. Fat in meat may contain significant amounts of carotene, which forms vitamin A. The variety meats, especially liver and kid¬ ney, are rich in Vitamin A. Digestibility. Meat is easily and com¬ pletely digested. It is estimated that 97 per cent of the protein and 96 per cent of the fat are absorbed. The extractives, or flavoring substances, in meat act as stimulants to the flow of the digestive juices and, therefore, contribute to the digestion of other foods. Use in Diet. The nutritive value of meat places it in one of the basic food groups es¬ sential to good health. In addition to its food value, however, meat has many char¬ acteristics which recommend it for the daily [173] diet. Chief among these are its palatability and satiety value. Because of its pleasing ap¬ pearance, tempting aroma, and distinctive flavor, properly cooked meat has universal appetite appeal. This is important because palatable foods stimulate the flow of the di¬ gestive juices, thus aiding the digestion of other foods. Meals which include meat give a feeling of satisfaction and well-being. Be¬ cause of the nutritive value of meat and its appetite appeal, it has become customary in this country to plan meals around the meat dish. SELECTION AND BUYING In normal times, many cuts of beef, veal, pork, and lamb of varying quality are avail¬ able to the consumer. In view of the wide range of meat cuts, it is a distinct advantage to the food buyer to be familiar with the kinds and cuts of meat, the methods of cook¬ ing most satisfactory for the different kinds and cuts, the factors that determine the qual¬ ity or grade, and the influence of all these on the price. How to Learn Cuts. To be able to recog¬ nize a meat cut, the consumer must know the characteristics of the different kinds of meat, and the location of the cut in the carcass.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Calories. While meat is most valued for its protein and vitamin content, it also fur¬ nishes energy. The calorie content varies with the fat, which differs in amount with the kind of meat, the quality or grade, and the cut. Some of the fat may be lost in cooking, so that the amount actually consumed varies within wide limits. Minerals. Meat supplies three impor¬ tant minerals: phosphorus, iron, and copper. Meat is one of the rich sources of phosphorus and iron. A serving of liver supplies more iron than a serving of any other food. The value of meat in blood-building is thought to be due in part to its copper content, since copper aids in the utilization of iron. Vitamins. Meat is an excellent source of all the B vitamins. Pork is the richest natural source of thiamine. Variety meats, beef, veal, and lamb also contribute important amounts of this vitamin. All meat is a good source of riboflavin. Variety meats, especially kidney and liver, are rich sources of this vitamin. All meats contain liberal quantities of niacin; meats, poultry, and fish supply 40 per cent of the niacin in the American diet. Meat sup¬ plies other B vitamins. These various B vitamins are readily af¬ fected by heat and are also soluble. For this reason, it has been necessary to determine their retention in cooked meats. Research has shown that when meats are cooked so as to have the minimum amount of drippings, and all the drippings are served with the meat, a high proportion of the original vita¬ min content is retained. Fat in meat may contain significant amounts of carotene, which forms vitamin A. The variety meats, especially liver and kid¬ ney, are rich in Vitamin A. Digestibility. Meat is easily and com¬ pletely digested. It is estimated that 97 per cent of the protein and 96 per cent of the fat are absorbed. The extractives, or flavoring substances, in meat act as stimulants to the flow of the digestive juices and, therefore, contribute to the digestion of other foods. Use in Diet. The nutritive value of meat places it in one of the basic food groups es¬ sential to good health. In addition to its food value, however, meat has many char¬ acteristics which recommend it for the daily [173] diet. Chief among these are its palatability and satiety value. Because of its pleasing ap¬ pearance, tempting aroma, and distinctive flavor, properly cooked meat has universal appetite appeal. This is important because palatable foods stimulate the flow of the di¬ gestive juices, thus aiding the digestion of other foods. Meals which include meat give a feeling of satisfaction and well-being. Be¬ cause of the nutritive value of meat and its appetite appeal, it has become customary in this country to plan meals around the meat dish. In normal times, many cuts of beef, veal, pork, and lamb of varying quality are avail¬ able to the consumer. In view of the wide range of meat cuts, it is a distinct advantage to the food buyer to be familiar with the kinds and cuts of meat, the methods of cook¬ ing most satisfactory for the different kinds and cuts, the factors that determine the qual¬ ity or grade, and the influence of all these on the price. How to Learn Cuts. To be able to recog¬ nize a meat cut, the consumer must know the characteristics of the different kinds of meat, and the location of the cut in the carcass.

Foods, their selection and preparation