Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-09
Table
Kitchen.
Some Tissue Forming Vegetables.

7 ssThe seeds obtained from the class OF
vegetable known as the legurnes and
embracing peas, beans and lentiis, rank
i Commercially next to the cereals, and
are of great Importance in the vegeta,
| BILE world.
| These pod-bearing plants head the
vegetable kingdom, in fact, when re-
garded from nutritive standpoint,
they being very rich in heterogeneous
substances. The chief principal, the
tissue-forming essential, is legumin, or
vegetable casein.
These seeds are deficient in fats and
poorer in magnesia and phosphates
than the cerals, but richer in salts, es-
pecially potash and lime, and they con-
tain considerable amount of starch
In fact. III active nutriment, lentils
contain twice the amount secured from
the same weight of wheat. But they
never can rank as high as universal
food product as wheat for various rea-
sons. They are not so delicate in flavor
or SO agreeable to the majority of
tastes as the wheat kernels, their lack
OF gluten prevents their employment to
the many uses in cookery to which we
may apply the wheat products; also,
combined with the legumin there is a
great deal of sulphur and phosphorus;
the former is apt to produce fatulence
by forming within the body sui
phuretted hydrogen and similar COM
pounds. They also contain at least
six per cent. of insoluble matter, Which
renders them unsuited for those whose
employment is sedentary But for
not -ni, III. .f,- 80
foods will be found equal to meat in
nutritive power, without the objse-
tionable features of the latter.
Although the legumes are not to be
INDUCED in too freely or immoderately
by the shut-in workers, it must not be.
understood that they are to be entirely
excluded from their diet, but they
should not be used with other foods il
which the albuminoids also predomi-
nate.
The proper arrangement of diet is to
vary it as much as possible without
mixing too many articles together at
the same meal Our food must contain
a sufficient quantity Of fat, phospbates
and proteid matter. But in order to OBJ
tain these do not make the mistake of
overlooking. There is more danger of
immediate upSetting of the digestive
functions by eating excessive quanti-
ties of starchy foods, or too great an
amount of such concentrated foods as
the legumeS without the corresponding
quantities of corrective food clements
than by partaking too freely Of flesh
foods. The dietetic blunders are all
made for want of proper understand
ing of the nutrient value of vegetable
foods which compare with flesh foods,
and wrong combinations in arranging
a f1eshless diet A free use of fruits
and vegetables at the same meal, In
stead of ,associating fruits and cereals.
is common error which will bring re,
suits not conducive to the adoption of
meatless meals.
Starches. the purest and among the
most valuable of our food substances
have come under the ban simply by
reason of a misconception of their ma
ture and intended purpose; combined
with bad cooking, and because by the
abuse, the thoughtless have brought
upon themselves severe attacks of fer
mentation and dyspepsia, so they form
the conclusion that "starchy foods do
not agree with Them The fact is, ma
ture is sure to punish every offender
who disturbs her grand equilibrium.
Lack of nutrition and nervous pros
tration are quite as likely to occur from
prepoSterouS Over-eatiEg as under
feeding. In fact fewer persons suffer
from ill effects from eating too little
than they do from the habit of eating
too much and too often, whether they
are hungry or not.
Nature will give unmistakable signs
of the need of nourishment or of excess
in eating. The necessary and proper
amount Of nutrients will impart a sense
of renewed vigor and alertness to mind
and body. and sure indication of in
temperance in food is Stupor and
droWsiness following a meal. The
whole situation may be summed up in
la few words. Eat only when the body
needs supplies, not merely to please
the taste or from force of habit ana
find the required balance your in
dividual needs demand and then exer-
else all your ingenuity in varying the
food substances without interfering
seriously with the right proportions.
Remember that man needs but little
food. but he wants that little good. Ma
ture has given us every food substance
that is good for us, the making or mar
ring of our health depends on the use
we make of these.