The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-14
1Fodern Csreal Preparations.

Modern Cereal Preparations
Modern conditions so govern the lives
of the working people that they nave
little time or opportunity to put into
practice whatever knowledge they may
acquire of the principles OF hygiene. me
high pressure and decidedly artificial
mode Of living surely undernines the
digestive powers. The relentless and
sharp struggle for existence demands
every available amount Of energy on
the part of the individual, thus having
less for the digestion of foods. The re-
suit is, in many cases, impaired action
of the digestive organs
While the digestive organs are intend
ed to do certain amount of work and
are all the better for normal amount
of activity as they would otherwise be-
come weak if relieved too much of their
duties, their fun functional powers are
more or less interfered with under our
present conditions of life, and it IS inn
peratlve that in such cases individuals.
be supplied with partially or at least
easily dlgeSted foods. But under no cir
cumstances must these be of such ma
ture as to usurp the natural digestive
process or interfere with the action of
the digestive fluids other than to fac51-
tate their action when distinctly benefi-
cial to the body. Prominently healthy
individuals who know how to maintain
an even pOise under unfavora bic cOndi-
tons, are better without partially di-
gested foods, for reasons already stated.
MOST IMPORTANT OF OUR VEGE-
TABLE FOODS.
OF the natural available foods for
man, there is perhaps none that needs
more imperative or closer study than
the cereals. Botanically, this class of
foods is grouped together as certain
members of the grass tribe. More par
ticularly speaking, however, we allude
only to the seeds or fruit of these grass
es, the part used as food by man. In
these seeds cultivated for food supply
we have the different nutritive ingredi-
ents-proteids, carbohydrates, fat and
mineral matters along with a certain
proportion OF water. which. however,
does not amount to over u per cent
in the ripe grain. Although the pro-
teids vary considerably in the different
cereals, their nutritive value is about
equal.
One great advantage the cereals have
over other vegetable foods. when con-
sidering their digesdbiity, is that they
are almost free from cellulose, there be
ing but a small amount. which is con-
tanned In the outer, protective covering.
largest proportion, the chief being
starch. This makes up from IS to IS
per cent of the whole grain.
Sugar in small quantity is present;
while the fat varies very notably in the
different members of the group; the lat
itude in which they are grown govern
| ing the quantity; the fat being most
abundant in those grown in the cold at
/ IlOSDHEID Oh the Inc percentage
of mineral matter is small; but lime and
phosphoric acid are more abundantly
represented.
In one respect cereals more closely re-
semble animal thanvegetabl bic foods. This
is in regard to organic salts, which are
4 almost absent. AS a class of foods, the
cereals are extremely well absorbed, and
rank in this respect equal to, if not
above, the animal foods. Their compact
! ness, almost absolute freedom from
waste and richness in nutrients, place
them in the highest scale of human
food.
Carbohydrates spredonninate in all ce-
reals, and for this reason they do not
form a perfect diet when eaten alone,
but require such combinations as eggs,
milk butter, cheese. etc. In order to
make cereals perfectly available as food,
they must be reduced to a form that
may be made readily digestible for all
conditions
First. they must be easily and perfect
" cooked; as time is of greatest mo-
ment to the modern wage Garner, and
he scarcely allows the expenditure OF
even the necessary energy required to
digest the food by the natural process.
to tax his digestive powers beyond this
with imperfectly cooked cereals i1npalrs
his mental as well as physical capaci-
ties. The necessities of modern condi-
tiOns among all classes have produced
a great variety of patent preparations
of wheat, as we'll as some other well
known cereals. These are partially or
wholly cooked or prepared in such man
ner that the shortest possible time is
required to prepare them for the table,
while others need only the addition OF
hot water or cream to make them ready
to serve Some are prepared in the form
of flakes others are granular prepare
tons, or an ingenious transportation OF
the whole wheat into shreds Many OF
these are formed into cakes or biscuits
J and are thoroughly cooked and thus
present to the housewife the Whole