The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10
CENTS A DAY
THAT Is WHAT SCIENTISTS SAY A
HIRAM WORKER CAV LIVE ON.
Investigations by Government Diet
Rriana Into the Quality and GUAM
tity of Nutritious Foods.


Per day for his food
His wife may satisfy all the demands
OF her appetite for food by an expenditure
Of no more than 49, cents per day.
These interesting facts have -seef been es-
taoiished by important experiments made
Is government dietary experts. 1t will be
we'll to learn how to board comfortably at
this rate.
Eighteen cents per day would scarcely
pay for the quick lunch which the busy
man of to-day eats down town. Eighteen
cents per day would amount to $40 per
month. clearinghouse proprietors could
make handsome investment with such an
amount per month per boarder did they
only know how.
The experiments which lead to the dis
covery that family could live more than
comfortably at such a rate per man were
conducted under the auspices OF the De-
partment of Agriculture by DR.. w E. Stone
The subjects were representative of the in
tellectuai or highest class, consisting of a
professor of mathematics between fifty and
sixty years old, an instructor in chemistry
twenty-five years Old a woman teacher
thirty years old, house wife between forty
aid fifty and two male students each about
twenty-five. The study lasted exactly two
weeks, during which time the subjects regu-
larry ate as much as they wished for three
times day. They were all healthy active
persons with good appetites. using no medi-
ciacs nor narcotics Of any kind.
AT the beginning of the experiment a
careful inventory by weight was taken Of
all the food and food materials in the house
All the food purchased afterward during
the two weeks was likewise weighed and
likewise recorded. All table and kitchen
waste was carefully weighed collected
dried and analysed Each portion was
paced IN drying oven, subjected to a
temperature Of 50 degrees c.. deprived Of
ali moisture, ground into powder and pre-
served for analysis Samples of all the
Kinds OF food eaten were prepared for anal
ysls IN the same manner.
Ihus was estimated exactly what propor
lions OF nutritious Ingredients the subjects
actually ate. Analysis was. of course. neces
sary that the proportions OF protein car
eonydrates and fat might be accurately de-
teImlned. These are the essential CON
stituents Of food. and their proportions
mean everything 20 dietarians though litTle
"a, 0 ne popular mind Protein is the prlnci
30 nie glVer contained In food. 1t includes
All the nitrogenous products Although the
4l9sL valuable ingredient, it alone will not
suihce to sustain life. Carbohydrates and
rats must be added
WHAT SIX MEN ATE.
In the two weeks of the investigation the
Blk subjects consumed 1918 pounds OF ami
mai and 1864 pounds Of vegetable food. The
animal food cost $9.7 and the vegetable
Iood S460, making total expenditure of
Sl4Sz, at the rate of Is cents per man per
day and 14l5 cents per woman per day.
The food was as luxurious as the average
man of the professional class might care to
eat The animal food included porterhouse
and sirloin steak, round and shoulder of
beef, round of veal and pork, smoked dried
beef, eggs, butter, mnce meat and milk
The vegetable food included honey, maple
syrup, oranges, bananas, cranberries, dried
peaches, prunes, raisins, nuts lettuce, pars-
nips. homfny, canned corn, corn meal flour
sugar, beans, potatoes, radishes and apples
me food when purchased contained anout
nineteen pounds OF protein nineteen pounds
OF rat ana sixty pounds of carbohydrates
Sl&ty-three per cent. of the total substance
eaten was animal food.
The total table and kitchen waste
amounted in the two weeks to about four
pounds only. Housekeepers should draw a
line under that.
The investigation resulted in showing that
each man in the family required 1.37 pounds
Of vegetable and 2.32 pounds of animal food
Each man was found &c require per day.
quarter OF pound of protein, about the
same amount of fat and II pound of car
bohydrates. According 20 a. formula care
FULLY prepared the women were found to
require about eight-tenths as much as the
men. This would bring the price of the
1000 eaten by each woman per day down to
The meats eaten during the two weeks
were usually lean. This the expert re-
garded as a desirable characteristic The
lean meats contained a high percentage of
protein per pound, not contained in fat.
Recent Investigations indicate that Ameri-
cans as rule eat their meats too fat. This
rule, of course, cannot be applied to ev-
eryone. since some palates require fat.
housewives may profit by many other
economical practices of this family. For
Instance, they ate homemade bread and
cakes, thereby saving several hundred per
cent. of what would ordinarily be spent
at the bakers An investigation lately
made by the Department of Agriculture re-
suited in showing that the average baker in
the United States sells for $21650 each 800
worth of ria terials used in bread making.
This economical family also consumed
unusual amount of milk, which is a cheap
anG very nutritive form of food. The motto
Of the family was that the most costly food
IS not the most attractive nor the most nu-
tritious in the long run. Efforts were made
To purchase food containing the maximum
Of nourisbment and the minimum of waste
and to give each person as much as he de-
sired. AS q result over SO per cent. of all
the food purchased was eaten. Economy
could not be brought down to a much finer
THE COOK AT FAULT.
Studies already made supply available
but hitherto untouched data which might
well be woven into a severe lecture for the
Yankee housewife. Uncle Sam appropri-
ated money for the investigation and this
money has resulted in exposing the lady in
question most surprisingly. 1t would APP
pear then. in most instances, she is not do
ing her duty. 1t has been said that there IS
but one great darkness and that is ig
norance. This cloud of darkness seems TO
have enveloped every man and woman. as
FAR as his knowledge of cooking is con-
cerned. until lately. The housewives real
problem. in going 20 market--though she
does not know tits how 10 purchase the
most and best nutriment for her money.
What does she know about the proportions
OF protein which are necessary TO make
blood and muscle, bone and brain? lf her
husband earns an income of about $500 a
yeer about $500 of il would ordinarily be
Spent for food FOR the average family or
that class. Economists now say that II IS
eXtravagant 20 pay more than one-ntth or
ones income for rent. AT this rate tnere
would be but 800 left for fuel, light and
clothing.
The government dietariays have lately
collected an enormous amount of data as
10 possible economy in purchasing and pre-
pairing food This appeals directly 10 young
married people doing light housekeeping.
III is astonishing how many of the cheaper
foods are found to be nutritious ana rs
palatahle as the more expensive. To make
them aS palatable, however. requires skill
in cooking and slight idea of the chem
istI.y OF foods. The ignorant classes usually
hired TO 90 cooking cannot be expected 10
have such knowledge.
The cheaper cuts of meat can be MADE