three or four hours. All the tibers are toughened, the green
chlorophyll is broken down, the flavor is destroyed, and the sul-
phur compounds are broken up. When cabbage is lightly cooked
for a short time, for 30 or 40 minutes, just below the boiling
point in an abundance of salted w^ater, it has a delicate flavor
and is not difficult of digestion.
These strong-juiced vegetables,' — the onion, jcabbage, cauli-
flower, have a valuable place in the diet. They furnish the
mineral salts needed by the body, and gives bulkiness with which
to dilute our more concentrated foods.
The sweet-juiced vegetables are somew^hat more nutritious
than the strong-flavored ones. They are characterized by a mild
and sweet flavor. The carrot, spinach, string beans, green peas,
and beets belong to this class. They are composed largely of
water, sugar, mineral salts, and fiber. The carrot has the fol-
lowing composition :
Protein 1.1 %
Fat 4 %
Carbohydrates 9.3 7o
Mineral salt 1.0 %
Water 88.2 %
From the foregoing analysis it is evident that the carrot owes
its food value largely to the sugar and the mineral salts it con-
tains. A rather large per cent of both the sugar and mineral
salts is lost in cooking, where the carrot is boiled in water.
Some European investigators advocate the experiment of steam-
ing carrots, and thus reduce the loss of these food nutrients.
The salad and green vegetables are those used largely in
salads, and uncooked. The lettuce, cress, parsley, endive, ro-
maine, etc., are examples of this class. They contain a large
amount of water, little or no fat or protein, from two to four
per cent of carbohydrates, and a comparatively large amount
of mineral matter. The lettuce is the typical example of this
class. Its composition is as follows :
Water 94.7 %
Protein 1.2 %
Fat 3 %
Simple Courses in Home Economics 151
Carbohydrates 2.9 %
Ash 9 %
The composition indicates that the mineral salts are the sub-
stances of value in these vegetables. We find these salts are
largely potassium, with traces of lime, magnesium, phosphorus,
and iron. The potassium is a valuable salt in that it keeps
the blood supplied with alkali, and this lowers the acidity of the
urine. Such a vegetable is also useful in the diet to prevent
scurvey and diseases of the skin.
Vegetables are a necessary part of our every day ration.
They are indeed the sourees of starch and sugar. As providers
of mineral salts they give bulkiness needed in the diet, and one
class furnishes a cheap source of protein, which makes a suit-
able meat substance. Dr. Sherman gives vegetables a promi-
nent place in the diet, and says the following in regard to the
feeding of children: "The necessity of a generoiis supply of
vegetables must be particularly emphasized. They are of the
greatest importance for the normal development of the body
and of all its functions. As far as children are concerned, we
believe we could do better by following a dietary of the most
rigid vegetarians, than by feeding children as though they were
carniverous, according to the bad custom which is still quite prev-
alent. If we limit the most important sources of iron, the vege-
tables and the fruits, we cause a certain sluggishness of the
blood formation and an entire lack of reserve iron, such as is
normally found in the liver, spleen, and bone-marrow of healthy,
well-nourished individuals. ' '
Page 58
Presented as published in 1916. 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
three or four hours. All the tibers are toughened, the green chlorophyll is broken down, the flavor is destroyed, and the sulphur compounds are broken up. When cabbage is lightly cooked for a short time, for 30 or 40 minutes, just below the boiling point in an abundance of salted w^ater, it has a delicate flavor and is not difficult of digestion.
These strong-juiced vegetables,— the onion, cabbage, cauliflower, have a valuable place in the diet. They furnish the mineral salts needed by the body, and gives bulkiness with which to dilute our more concentrated foods.
The sweet-juiced vegetables are somewhat more nutritious than the strong-flavored ones. They are characterized by a mild and sweet flavor. The carrot, spinach, string beans, green peas, and beets belong to this class. They are composed largely of water, sugar, mineral salts, and fiber. The carrot has the following composition :
Protein 1.1 %
Fat 4 %
Carbohydrates 9.3 7o
Mineral salt 1.0 %
Water 88.2 %
From the foregoing analysis it is evident that the carrot owes its food value largely to the sugar and the mineral salts it contains. A rather large per cent of both the sugar and mineral salts is lost in cooking, where the carrot is boiled in water. Some European investigators advocate the experiment of steaming carrots, and thus reduce the loss of these food nutrients.
The salad and green vegetables are those used largely in salads, and uncooked. The lettuce, cress, parsley, endive, romaine, etc., are examples of this class. They contain a large amount of water, little or no fat or protein, from two to four per cent of carbohydrates, and a comparatively large amount of mineral matter. The lettuce is the typical example of this class. Its composition is as follows :
Water 94.7 %
Protein 1.2 %
Fat 3 %
Simple Courses in Home Economics 151
Carbohydrates 2.9 %
Ash 9 %
The composition indicates that the mineral salts are the substances of value in these vegetables. We find these salts are largely potassium, with traces of lime, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. The potassium is a valuable salt in that it keeps the blood supplied with alkali, and this lowers the acidity of the urine. Such a vegetable is also useful in the diet to prevent scurvey and diseases of the skin.
Vegetables are a necessary part of our every day ration. They are indeed the sourees of starch and sugar. As providers of mineral salts they give bulkiness needed in the diet, and one class furnishes a cheap source of protein, which makes a suitable meat substance. Dr. Sherman gives vegetables a prominent place in the diet, and says the following in regard to the feeding of children: "The necessity of a generoiis supply of vegetables must be particularly emphasized. They are of the greatest importance for the normal development of the body and of all its functions. As far as children are concerned, we believe we could do better by following a dietary of the most rigid vegetarians, than by feeding children as though they were carniverous, according to the bad custom which is still quite prevalent. If we limit the most important sources of iron, the vegetables and the fruits, we cause a certain sluggishness of the blood formation and an entire lack of reserve iron, such as is normally found in the liver, spleen, and bone-marrow of healthy, well-nourished individuals. ' '