The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-14
CEREAL FOOD
AFFORD SAVING
Government Says They Can
Be Utilized to Great
Advantage

Washington, D. C.-The most prac-
teal means of reducing table ex-
penses without decreasing the whole
someness and adequacy Of the diet
lies in increased use Of cereal foods,
especially boiled grains, mushes and
breads made of corn meal and cereals
other than wheat.
Cereals contain most of the import
ant food elements which the body
needs and yet are comparatively in
expensive. They are primarily
source of starch, needed by the body
to yield energy. They furnish also
considerable quantities of protein,
one Of the most important and usually
one of the most expensive food ele-
ments, needed to build the body and
keep 1t in repair. In addition, cereals
furnish mineral matter. fats, fibre
and, especially If part of the bran
is left in, little-known substances
which regulate body activities.
Cereals, therefore, may be used as
the relatively inexpensive basis for
meals. It then becomes necessary
only to eat with them comparatively
small quantities of higher priced
foods to make up a 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
grain smay be interchanged freely
as availability, cost, or preference
dictates. The starch of all the
cereals Is practically the same. Pro-
TEN, fat, and mineral matter vary
somewhat in the different kinds, but
so slightly that the difference need
not be considered in the ordinary
mixed diet. In such a diet, therefore,
corn or oatmeal, for example, may be
satisfactorily substituted for wheat
when the latter Is scarce without de-
tracing 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,
comes from the cereal of which 1t is
made, and It makes little difference
| whether we get our cereal ration in
baked or boiled form. II cereals are
to be made a more important feature
of the diet, mushes and boiled grains,
as well as baked doughs. should be
eaten in greater quantity. Practic-
ally any of the cereals may be used
in making some type Of bread. Wheat
has been most used because it's glu-
the dough with yeast. Flours and
meals of the other grains, however,
may be made into baking powder
breads and many of them can be sub
stituted for some of the 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 a few
cents a pound. while specially pre-
pared grains may cost up to 4S cents
or even more per pound. Bulk
breakfast cereals, such as oatmeal,
commonly may be purchased at low
er prices than the same kinds put
up in cartons.
One way to lessen the cost of
breakfast foods is to buy whole
grains from feed store and grind
them coarsely in a coffee or other
hand mill. The cracked grains, when
sailed properly, boiled thoroughly,
and served with butter or sugar and
cream or milk, make wholesome and
palatable foods. These ome-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, eggs or meat. which add both
flavor and heterogeneous food elements.
The important place of cereals in
the diet and ways in which they may
be used to reduce living expenses ara
discussed in Farmers Bulletin SIT,
Cereal Foods" recently published by
the United States department of
apriculture