The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-07-26
Nutritiousness of Foods.


In my last article passed in re-
view a number of fruits and vegeta-
bles, recommending their use both
rs food and medicine. Tomatoes,
apples, peaches, oranges, lemons,
and the small seeded fruits were
mentioned as good medicine for the
liver and bowels, and watermelons
as one Of the best to act on the kid
neys.
Let us now consider some other
articles Of food in common use.
Peas. beans and oily nuts resem-
BILE the sbread stuffs" in their com
position. though in this land Of
/ abundance, nuts are hardly regard
ed as food, but merely as something
to crafty the palate. But all the
articles Just mentioned are highly
nutritious, though more indigesti-
bic than the grains, on account OF
] the greater quantity Of oil they con
tam. Yet persons of fair digestive
powers can use them with impuni-
| ty; and if necessary, our laborlng
classes might subsist comfortably
on them to the exclusion Of meat,
which has less nutritive value. The
practice, however, of making a des-
! seTt of nuts. almonds and raisins at
ter hearty dinner is rather too
much for most stOmachs.
Among the esculent roots. the pO-
tato is the best. Sweet potatoes
are quite nutritious, and generally
digestibIe. The greatest objection
to them is their tendency to cause
fatulency. This, however, is not
likely to prove serious except in
| persons of weak digestion. Irish
potatoes are less nutritiye than
sweet; but when well cooked, so as
to be mealy and not close and clam
my, are very digestible. Boiling OF
baking is the best mode of cooking
potatoes, unless we except roasting
in the ashes, which is not $50 nice
but one of the best modes Of cook
ing.
Turnips anG parsnips are whole
some, but contain very little nutrl-
ment. Beets ana carrots are also
wholesome and nutritious, on ac-
count Of the large amount of sugar
entering into their composition
| Radishes contain scarcely any
inourishment, and they are too acrid
and irritating for any one who has
proper regard for the welfare Of the
stomach. AS a rule, with very few
exceptions, all stimulants and con.
diments should be excluded from
the dietary of every one desiring to
preserve the integrity of the diges-
| tive organs-go absolutely essential
to health and comfort, and so terri
bly, abused by excuses and errors
in diet.
Cabbages and collards, "bacon
and greens" are the staple articles
of diet among many people, partlc-
ularly in the southern and western
states Fat bacon has very little
nutriment, being mainly heatgen-
Grating agent; and.lean baconZ has
much less nutriment than bread,
peas, beans, and most articles OF
| food in common use.
The truth is our laboring popu-
lation could hardly preserve the di-
gestive powers of their stomachg, or
the strength of their bodies with
such a diet, unless these digestive
powers were sustained by their ac-
tive life, and their strength pre-
served by the free use of corn
bread and nutritive vegetables, such
as beans, peas, etc Tile cabbages
and collards eaten with this meat
have very little nutIJive value, but
arc unobiectionable, if cooked with
out such a large admixture Of hog
grease. The objection, then, is not
TO the "greens," but to the grease;
and unless some better mode of
cooking than boiling with fat bacon
can be invented, no one except the
stOutest laborers should make them
an everyday article of diet. And
yet many delicate women and chill
dren in this country live almost ex-
clusively on bacon and cOllards. If
the present excitement in reference
to adulterated lard results in re-
stricting its use, it will prove a
blessing compared with which the
loss of q few millions of money is
not worthy of moments consider
alton; and especially when the loss
is sustained by a set of spectators
who live by making corners on
the necessaries of life.
Now a word specially as TO chill
dren All that has been said on
the nutritiousness, digestibility, |
and medicinal vir- |
tues of different kinds Of fruits and |
vegetables applies alike &c children |
and adults. Fruits and vegetables |
are no more unwholesome for chill
dren OF the proper age to take solid
food than for grown people. The
difficulty with children is that they
are allowed to indulge i'll fruits and
other kinds of food at a time when
they should be restricted to milk or
other fluid nourishment. And |
when they are old enough to be
weaned, and therefore cid enough |
TO take solid food, they eat enOr
nous Qu1nlltlGS VI IL IA SlO hLSSslo-
onable times, improperly prepared,
or half ripe o. rotteD, taking in
seeds, skin, pulp and all, without
proper mastication.
These are the reasons why fruits
ire charged with causing worms,
liarrh@a, and all kinds OF diseases
lmong them. But the fault is not !
n the fruits, or in the age of the
child, but in the manner in which |
hey are eaten.
In the same way sugar, candy
Ind congections are regarded as be-
~ specially injurious {, children,
.rottin9 the tee5h,' causing worms,
jjarrbUl, etc.
But as in the case OF fruits, the
rouble is not in the use of sugar
md sweet things, which are whole
some In moderation, but ia the cat
ny Of such things ut improper
lines and in excessive quantities.
II Southern World.