Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-12-26

In feeding the lower animals or man
we know that it is necessary TO have
foods that will build and repair mus
Giles, foods that will regulate the body
activities, foods that will furnish ener-
gy for body heat and work. The po-
tato contains over 2 per cent of mus
cle-building material, over Is per cent
of starch which is one of the best OF
sources of energy for the body, and
II is rich in mineral matter, the potash
salts, which are so necessary for reg
ulating body activities and keeping
the blood alkaline.
In the diet, therefore. of the Ameri-
can people. the potato will give not
only the starch for which it is deserv-
edly popular, but it is also very val
liable food in keeping the body tissues
In state of growth and repair. How
nearly perfect the muscle-building ma
terial is may be understood when We
say that beef ranks first, milk second
and potatoes fourth in the line; that
the muscle-building material of bread
has just one-half the value of that of
the potato. The mineral matter In
the potato balances the mineral mat
ter found in other foods. such as eggs
and meat. and enriches the value of
the cereals.
Therefore, If the potato is used with
the food products from the grains. 1t
tends to improve their muscle-building
power. If 1t Is used with milk, ii
| gives almost balanced ration. When
Ii is used with grains not in them
selves perfect foods and with milk
which Is food rich in muscle-build-
ing power, growth sttmulant and lime
salts, we have more nearly perfect
ration.
| Hence. in substituting the potato
for white bread, we have a better type
OF muscle-building material, mineral
salts which are more necessary in reg
ulating the condition of the blood, and
starch Hnien although less In amount
! is of equal value to the starch in the
| wheat flour.
In comparing the value of the pota-
to with wheat bread one three ounce
potato approximately five potatoes to
the pound, or 800 potatoes to the bush
ELY. will be equal TO two slices of
white flour bread. This means that
80 ounces of potato or 10 medium
sized potatoes will be equal to one
pound I bread. or one bushel of po-
tatoes win be equal in food value and
muscle-building power and heat Civ
| ing power to 80 loaves of white bread.
At the present price of potatoes, there
fore. they are cheaper than bread at
five cents a pound loaf. and as far as
food value is concerned they may be
absolutely exchanged for the bread in
the use in the body.
Germany has long recognized the
value of the potato in the diet, and
even today with the restricted food
| allotment under their drastic weekly
ration, they have allotted % potatoes
per person per week, or four day.
For the sections in Belgium and north
ern France, they have reduced the al
lotment to II potatoes week. They
are feeding their people on what is
| practically one-half of their normal
standard of heat units. They have re-
/ duced the amount of fat in the diet.
| and the amount of cereals has been
! seriously cut. They are giving only
a half pound of meat per week, but
they are using more potato per indi-
Yidual than we In America, where we
have an abundance. are using. Re
cause of the wisdom in the use of the
potato, In which the food value an
| swers on three counts, muscle-build-
| ing, mineral matter than regulates the
body and heat giving power, they are
able to hold out under the present re-
| duced amount of food which they are
using.
A list of food for which We substi-
tute the three ounce potato may make
our patriotic duty to save wheat a
| little bit more easy. One such baked
potato may be substituted for one bak-
ing-powder biscuit. thus saving meat !;
! two slices of white bread, thus saving
wheat; four to six crackers, thus saw
ing wheat; one small muffin, thus saw
ing wheat; one doughnut, thus saving
wheat; four cookies, thus saving
wheat; one shredded wheat biscuit,
thus saving wheat. If we serve pota-
| to, In some form at every meal reduc-
ing the use of the bread made from
wheat flour, we would be giving to the
people of this country a better bal
anced diet, other things considered,
than we are now using, with our ex-
cessive amount of wheat bread.
We should remember that in the
process of cooking. We may carelessly
throw away an undue amount of the
very valuable muscle-building power
of the potato. For example, peeling
the potato and allowing 1t to stand for
a long time in water before cooking
will waste one-fourth of this valuable
muscle-buildng product. Putting The
peeled potatoes into cold water and
bringing them quickly to the boiling
point will waste one-sixth of this mus
| cIe-huilding food. Even peehng ana
nutting them into boiling water aud
cooking quickly will waste one-twelfih
of the muscle-building power OF the
potato, whereas. baking, or steamlhg
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