THE problem of securing proper nutriment for the family
board, and securing it at a minimum cost, is one of constantly
growing importance, not only because of the rise in prices of all
classes of foodstuffs, but because more and more we are coming
to realize that a healthy body is man's greatest asset. How, then,
to satisfy the physical needs, and furnish a ration that shall be
palatable, digestible, liberal in quantity, and still come within the
purchasing power of the family, is a most important problem
of economy.
Aside from the inherent value of the more watery foods, such
as fruits, vegetables, etc., due to their richness in mineral salts,
vitamines, and essential oils, it must be considered that the eco-
nomic value of a food depends largely upon its capacity for
producing energy ; hence the need of a practical knowledge of
food values. When one realizes that the market price of a food
is no indication of its food value, the importance of such knowl-
edge is more keenly appreciated. The most expensive food is not
necessarily the most nutritious. True economy contemplates not
only the cheapness of the food purchased, but also its adaptation.
It aims at supplying a diet that furnishes all the elements of
nutrition at a minimum cost, with due recognition of the aesthetic
qualities. The ideal is found in many of the simple foods at hand
every day, as for instance the grains and the grain products, in-
cluding whole meal bread, corn meal, natural rice, macaroni, etc.;
also in legumes, as dried peas, beans, lentils, etc. ; in the immature
green vegetables, as corn, peas, string beans, and the like. Add
to these the various dairy products, — milk, cream, eggs, etc., —
57
SCIENCE of FOOD ancC COOKERY
and there is a large variety from which to choose a diet of non-
irritating and easily digested foods, which take the lead as a source
of nourishment, both from the economic and also from the health
point of view.
By comparison of the chemical analyses of various foods bought
for a particular sum, this truth becomes self-evident. We find that
50 cents spent for round steak (lean), at 30 cents a pound, gives
food to the. value of 1,116 food units; 50 cents invested in salmon
trout, at 40 cents a pound, buys 481 units; spent for oysters,, at
60 cents a quart, it yields only 383 units. The same amount for
potatoes, at 5 cents a pound, obtains 3,100 units; spent for corn
meal, at 8 cents a pound, it obtains 10,346 units ; the same for
wheat flour, at 9 cents a pound, buys 9,213 units; and in the form
of well baked bread, ready for use, 5,700 units. In the face of
these figures, may we not well stop, and consider what we shall
buy for the family board?
Page 31
Presented as published in 1921. 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
THE problem of securing proper nutriment for the family board, and securing it at a minimum cost, is one of constantly growing importance, not only because of the rise in prices of all classes of foodstuffs, but because more and more we are coming to realize that a healthy body is man's greatest asset. How, then, to satisfy the physical needs, and furnish a ration that shall be palatable, digestible, liberal in quantity, and still come within the purchasing power of the family, is a most important problem of economy.
Aside from the inherent value of the more watery foods, such as fruits, vegetables, etc., due to their richness in mineral salts, vitamines, and essential oils, it must be considered that the economic value of a food depends largely upon its capacity for producing energy ; hence the need of a practical knowledge of food values. When one realizes that the market price of a food is no indication of its food value, the importance of such knowledge is more keenly appreciated. The most expensive food is not necessarily the most nutritious. True economy contemplates not only the cheapness of the food purchased, but also its adaptation.
It aims at supplying a diet that furnishes all the elements of nutrition at a minimum cost, with due recognition of the aesthetic qualities. The ideal is found in many of the simple foods at hand every day, as for instance the grains and the grain products, including whole meal bread, corn meal, natural rice, macaroni, etc.; also in legumes, as dried peas, beans, lentils, etc. ; in the immature green vegetables, as corn, peas, string beans, and the like. Add to these the various dairy products, — milk, cream, eggs, etc., —
and there is a large variety from which to choose a diet of nonirritating and easily digested foods, which take the lead as a source of nourishment, both from the economic and also from the health point of view.
By comparison of the chemical analyses of various foods bought for a particular sum, this truth becomes self-evident. We find that 50 cents spent for round steak (lean), at 30 cents a pound, gives food to the. value of 1,116 food units; 50 cents invested in salmon trout, at 40 cents a pound, buys 481 units; spent for oysters, at 60 cents a quart, it yields only 383 units. The same amount for potatoes, at 5 cents a pound, obtains 3,100 units; spent for corn meal, at 8 cents a pound, it obtains 10,346 units ; the same for wheat flour, at 9 cents a pound, buys 9,213 units; and in the form of well baked bread, ready for use, 5,700 units. In the face of these figures, may we not well stop, and consider what we shall buy for the family board?