The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-27
uening Chat
BY RUTH CAMERON.

Economical Fuel for Human Machine.
How we can supply our families
with enough of the right kind of food
at the lowest possible cost is the most
acute problem of the average Ameri-
can housewife.
We took a nibble at this problem
yesterday. Let's take another today.
OF the three substances, proteids.
fats and carbohydrates, which the
body requires, protein is the most i'm
portant because it rebuilds the body.
AS the average person gets a large
proportion of his protein from meat
and eggs that makes it also the most
exhaustive Now what we should do
is to try to substitute for the expen-
siye cuts of meat from which we nave
beeu getting the body building pro-
teids some other less expensive food
which also contain protein. Now what
are these foods?
Well, for one thing, some of the
cheaper meats contain just as much
protein as the more expensive The
theory that the best is the cheapest
is not true of meat buying. The more
expensive meat is more palataDle put
not necessarily more nourishlng.
Next a housewife should remember
that fish is almost as satisfactory
proteid container as meat and use 1t
accordingly.
tein less expensive than fish even.
Oatmeal, cheese, milk and the dried
Iegumes (peas and beans) have fairly
large percentages of protein. Thus on
the morning when you do not serve
eggs a large dish of oatmeal will help
supply the deficiency in protein
Dried beef is also very rich in pro-
tein and thus makes an excellent
breakfast or lunch dish An interest
ing fact is that skinned milk is as
vii In
loss is in the fat) and this makes 1T
valuable food for the money. For In
stance as cocoa has good percentage
of both protein and fat, cup of cocoa
made with skim milk is very valu-
able inexpensive food.
Macaroni is very rich in carbohy-
drates, therefore a lunch dish of mac
aroni and cheese (rich in protein)
furnishes the body both fuel and It's
sue builder.
Peas and beans should not be for
gotten by the housewife who wants
to cut down her meat bill. These are
better served with meat to help out
than in a large quantity by them
selves. For instance, a small cut of
meat can be helped out with a side
dish of peas or beans.
In making such substitutions one
fact must be taken into account and
that is that the proteids in cheese,
cereals and legumes do not digest as
thoroughly as those in meat fish and
eggs. since II Is not W1aI we eat out
what we digest that nourishes we
can't get quite as much protein from
these sources as we would at first eX-
pect
L have given these few suggestions
partly to please the letter-friends
who asked for them and partly in the
hope that 1 may arouse more general
interest in a vital and fascinating sub
ject.
If you think you'd like to know
IL l..
comprehensive explanation of the
whole subject; if you'd like to have
at hand an excellent table by referring
to which you can tell the food value
of any. food and thus find out if you
are planning well balanced meals, or
see how you can cut down expenses
without endangering your family's
health; let me suggest as L have once
before in these columns that you in
vest a postcard and two minutes of
time in sending to the United States
bureau of agriculture for Farmers
Bulletin ZAP on Principles of Nutri-
ton. 1 assure you it will pay more
interest than any investment you ever
made