The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-16
Eat Cereals To
Reduce Food Costs

most practical means of reducin,
table expenses without decreasing
the wholesomeness and adequacy o
the diet lies in increased use of ce
real foods, especially boiled grains
mushes and breads made of corr
meal and cereals ather than wheat
Cereals contain most of the i'm
portant food elements which the
body needs and yet are comparative
ly inexpensive. They are primarily
a source of starch, needed by the
body to yield energy. They furnish
also considerable quantities of pro
tein, one of the most important and
usually one of the most expensive
food elements, needed to build the
body and keep it in repair. In add
ton, cereals furnish mineral matter
fats, fibre and especially if part of
the bran is left IN, little-known sub.
stances which regulate body activi.
ties.
> Cereals, therefore, may be used
as the relatively inexpensive basis
for meals. 1t then becomes neces-
sary only to eat with them compar-
atively small quantities Of higher
priced foods to make up proper
balance among the needed elements.
Cereals interchangeable
When animal foods or other nitro
genous foods, fruits, and vegetables
also are used in the diet, the various
grains may be interchanged freely as
availability, cost or preference die
tates. The starch of all the cereals
is practically the same. Protein, fat,
and mineral matter vary somewhat
in the different kinds, but SO slightly
that the difference need not be con-
sidered in the ordinary mixed diet
In such diet. therefore, corn or oat
meal, for example may be satisfac
torily substituted for wheat when the
latter is scarce, without detracting
from the wholesomeness of the
meals.
Forms of Cereal Food
The most common form in which
cereal food is consumed is bread
The food value of bread, however
fro hn <Nfv ht1h Il
made, and it makes little difference
whether we get our cereal ration il
baked or boiled FORM II cereals are
to be made more important fea
ture OF the diet, mushes and boilet
grains, as well as baked doughs
should be eaten in great quantity
Practically any of the cereals ma!
be used in making some type o
bread. Wheat has been most uset
because it's gluten makes possible
the raising of the dough with yeast
Flours and meals of the other grains
however. may be made into baking
powder breads and many of then
can be substituted for some Of thu
wheat flour in making yeast breads
Breakfast foods should be chosen
carefully if economy is desired, since
the form in which the food is pur
chased largely determines the cost
Meals from which mushes may be
made may be obtained for few
cents pound, while specially pre-
pared grains may cost up to As
cents or ever more per pound Bulk
breakfast cereals, such as oatment
commonly may be purchased at low
er prices than the same kinds put up
in cartons.
One way to lessen the cost OF
breakfast fods is to buy whole grains
from feed store and grind them
coarsely in a COTE or other hand
mill. The cracked grains, when salt
ed properly, boiled thoroughly, and
served with butter or sugar and
cream or milk make wholesome and
palatable foods. These home ground
grains. used alone or with flour, also
may be used satisfactorily in bread
making. Boiled grains, such as rice,
barley, corn meal, or hominy, may be
used in the same way, or any of
these may be combined into dishes
with cheese. egg or meat, which add
both flavor and heterogeneous food ele-
ments.
The important place of cereals in
the diet and ways in which they may
be used TO reduce living expenses
are discussed in Farmers Bulletin
SIT, Cereal Foods" recently pub
lished by the United tSates Depart
ment Of Agriculture.