The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-05
THE PLACE OF EGGS IN THE DIET.
Furnish Valuable Elements Not Present
in Many Other heterogeneous Foods.

Furnish Valuable Elements Not Present
in Many Other heterogeneous Foods.
I Because of the peculiar food value of
eggs, their relative freedom from waste,
and the ease with which they may be
prepared, their use as meat substitute
at least is often desirable even when
consideration of their price alone would
not so indicate. This is stated in a re-
Gently published professional paper of
the office Of home economics Of the U. s.
department Of agriculture, department
bulletin All. II is pointed out, however,
that while this is true of eggs served as
one OF the principal dishes of meal, it
often is not true of eggs used in cakes,
buildings and other desserts along with
meats. 1t is in the latter use of eggs
that the housewife who wishes to econ
omize can try especially TO curtail con-
sumption. A fact which makes this lat
ter practice easier is that with the pres
ent availability of baking powders, corn
starch, gelatine, etc, the use Of eggs to
impart lightness or to thicken liquids is
not now essential as it was in the past.
Food Elements in Eggs.
The principal food element furnished
by eggs is protein, the heterogeneous tissue
building element whose presence in CON
siderable proportions also gives meats, |
fish, milk, cheese, etc, their special food /
value. Eggs can, therefore, be substitut- /
ed in the diet for the latter foods with |
out materially STEERING the proportion of (
protein consumed. In addition to proteiat
eggs also furnish fat and a number of I
valuable mineral elements, including sui |
phur, PHOSPHORUS, iron, calcium and |
magnesium in an easily assimilabe form
and are believed also to be rich in Ger
tain essential vitalizing elements called
yitamins
Eike milk and unlike meats, eggs do
not contain substances convertible in the
body into uric acid Their shells consti-
tute the only waste materials. Ninety
seven per cent of the portion eaten--a
high proportion compared to other foods
lis digested. No extended cooking is
necessary for eggs and there is, there
fore, saving of time, labor and fuel in
their preparation when they are com.
pared with many other foods. For all
these reasons eggs deserve an important
place in the diet for use at times in place
Of other foods rich in protein provided
egg prices are not SO high as to outweigh
the other considerations. l.
Wholesomeness of Eggs.
Though wholesome when fresh and
clean, eggs may be decidedly unwhole I
some when old or dirty. The housewife 6
should be careful when buying, therefore, /.
to choose eggs which are as clean and |
fresh az possible. Similarly, the produe- 9
ar of eggs should keep nests clean and !
sanitary and should collect eggs fire.
luently1 II is also well to insure the 1
production Of eggs with good keeping .
qualities by producing only infertile eggs :
after the Matching season. J
How to Select Eggs. !
In addition to cleanliness and freshness, ?
he housewife when purchasing eggs T.
should consider size and freedom from / Il
racks. Eggs vary SO in size that a doz g
N large and dozen small eggs pur- .
hased at the same price per dozen may
liffer as much as IS per cent in the value
II the food elements furnished. Perhaps J
he fairest way to buy or sell eggs is by :
weight. Because OF the wide variations
II tHt SIZE vi tAGN II IN N}So IbhAAE w s.
,e recognized that more accurate results
n recipes can be obtained by weighing q
II measuring the eggs out OF their shells. n
tracked eggs are undesirable because the sl
,reaking of the shell makes possible the /.
ntrance of bacteria and filth, i
Cold Storage Eggs. g 2.
Because fewer eggs are produced in Of
he most populous regions OF the country y
han are consumed there and because the i
easons have marked effect on the num- 81
er of eggs laid, city housewives must p'
se cold storage eggs during some periods %
1 the year if they are to supply their d
ables at all with this food The fact 6 6
hat eggs have been held in cold storage Iie
oes not necessarily mean that they are
low quality. Carefully handled cold al
forage eggs often are OF better quality ia
han fresh local eggs that have been i'm. -
roperly cared for.
Home Preserved Eggs. st
Housewives will often find it advan- :,
ageous to preserve their own eggs in
he home. purchasing them when the sup VI
w is abundant and packing them in a 81
1lution of water glass or lime water. or 20
,vering them with paraffine or varnish. al
uch eggs can be kept in good condition ~ ~
Or a number of months. For current an
Sc fresh eggs usually can be kept salts tn
,ctorilv for two or three weeks without sa
lch treatment, in a refrigerator or dry, n
,ol cellar II infertile, such eggs may tn
E kept still longer. -.
l.