Evening star., 1902-04-19
COMPARISON OF FOODS.
Authorities Say That Too Much Meat
is Eaten.

From the New York Tribune.
DR.. W. L. Munro of Providence. r. l.. dis
cussing yesterday the question of how the
problem of meat supply for the poor coulu
best be solved, said:
l agree that Americans do not eat enough
vegetables and eat too much meat. If veg
etables were cooked more. that would be
great advance. Potatoes are very nutri-
tive but the way many people prepare
them much of the nourishment is lost. The
best experiments regarding the comparative
values of food have been made by the army
departments of different countries. A large
number of men brought together and sub
jected to equal exercise and given the same
quantity and quality of food makes posi-
bic experiments which are pretty safe guide
posts. Our army consumes more meat than
continental armies; our men average much
larger than the French, for instance. Does
this prove that beef eating makes bigger
and more powerful men?
What men should eat depends largely on
their way of living. An ordinary laborer
who spends much of his day in the streets
fields could not well get along without
meat at least once day. Meat is needed
for the tissues and blood. The average
man would be better off if he ate meat
orce day. 1 think it a mistake for those
who retire early to sit down to their prin-
cipal meal of meat in the evening. The
working should have his dinner at
noon; if he could not have meat then, a
bowl of hot porridge would be good thing
L firmly believe in the virtues of a hot meal
in the middle of the day.
Nearly every one would be better off with
a simple breakfast of fruit, cereals and pos
sibly two eggs Americans eat too much
food; they eat more than they need. Veg
etableS and cereals are cheap and easy to
digest. Many people spurn them because
they are so cheap
DIR. W. Gilman Thompson. an authority
dietptiCS COmDdrPS the nlitrifiVp Vaine
of animal and vegetable foods as follows:
Errors in diet are far more common on
the side of excessive meat eating than the
eating Of TOO much vegetable food. The
estimate commonly given, that meat should
occupy one-fourth and vegetables three
fourths of a mixed diet. is overstepped by
many persons with whom the proportions
may be two to four Meat seems to salts
fy the cravings of hunger more than vege-
table food.
Letheby says that the best proportions for
the common wants of the animal system
are about nine of fat, twenty-five of flesh
forming substances and siXty-nine of starch
and sugar, A mixed diet is the only ration
al one.
Speaking of VegetarianiSm, DR.. Thomp-
son says:
In regard to an exclusive or almost ex-
elusive vegetable diet for man, the uni
versal experience has been that while 1t
time. II eventually results in loss OF
strength and general resisting power
against disease. which becomes evident
after some months. if not before.
II is impossible to subsist for any length
of time on diet which does not contain
considerable quantity of nitrogen A pure
ly vegetable diet gradually induces a con-
dition of muscular weakness and languor.
with Discrimination for either physical or
mental work
Following is an approximately correct
table Of food values 1t shows the nutri-
i've properties of the common food pro-
ducts.