Omaha daily bee., 1917-08-04

There are two main reasons for the scarcity OF
food fats-namely the growing need of civiliza-
ton for soap and the present widespread fad for
the killing of our fellow humans.
All soap contains fat and much of the fat used
in soaps could be used in foods 1t is conceivable
that the human race may come to the point of hav-
ing to choose between soap for its morning bath
and butter for its breakfast.
The food conservatonists decately hesitate
to recommend economy in the use of soap for the
toilet. They do urge, however that soap pow
ders should be used for cleaning up around the
house. as these contain only fraction of the fat
that soaps contain.
Glycerine is fat product and nitro-glycerne
is one OF the most important of the high explo-
sives which the civilized nations are using in their
present effort to remove each other from the face
OF the earth. Unfortunately it seems to take
more fat to blow man up than it does to keep him
alive, for this method OF using fats is one OF the
largest factors in bringing about the shortage.
Every man killed on the field of battle has cost
the. world more than his rightful share of fat,
and unless some more economical method of kill
ing men can be invented the fat shortage is 60
ing to get shorter and shorter.
AS ntimated above, what we really need is
someone to tell us where we can get more fats.
In the official pronuncements of the diet censor
we hnd but one suggestion along this line. We
are told that among the entrails of chicken
which has been we'll brought up there are sundry
chunks OF fat of very fine grade. This fat, which
is wasted by many people, is worth $l.l0 pound,
and if you buy your chickens dressed you should
insist that these internal fats be sent along with
them. You can fry it out and use it for baking
cakes, or else you can fry the chicken in it. Sour
cream is another fat which can be proftaby used
in cooking. Butter should never be used for
cooking, and should be used sparngy on the ta-
BILE. y
The way to economic In the use of butter is
~ AkA Ill. -
ber OF your family eats at a meal, and then give
him just that much. Hotels have made pretty
careful study of this matter. If they give man
much butter, of course some is wasted But Il
they give him too little, he is sure to call for
second portion. Hence it is necessary to figure
out just about how much butter the average GUS
toner will eat. The portion most commonly
served is piece about one and quarter inches
square and half an inch thick, which weighs about
half an ounce and is obtained by cutting pound
of butter into thrty-two equal pieces.
In frying, fat serves chiefly as medium for
transmitting heat Of course some fat is abb
sorbed, and this modifes the flavor of the food,
but 1t too much is absorbed, not only is the
method wasteful, but the digestbity of the food
is impaired. The best way to insure the absorp-
tion OF minimum amount of fat in frying foods
is to have the fat very hot before the food is put
into it. The Department of Agriculture has made
at which foods will absorb the least fat The most
important conclusion reached was that vegetable
fats must be thirty to forty degrees hotter than
animal fats to bring about this result. Thus the
Temperature at which doughnuts cooked in deep
fat absorbed the smallest quantities of the medium
were 500 degrees for beef fat $50 degrees for lard
and 500 degrees for cottonseed, cocoanut and pea
nut oils.
The amount Of fat required by the human body
varies greatly The greatest quantities of fat are
consumed in the far north while inhabitants of
the tropics consume the next greatest amount
Hard work in the open demands diet rich in
fats. One leading sedentary life in temperate
climate can best afford to cut down his consump-
tion OF fats The amount consumed varies from
one and half ounces to thirteen ounces per day
per person, with an average of about four and a
half ounces