The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-02-23
Use OF EGGS
IN THE DIET
FOOD VALUE. RELATIVE FREE
DOM FROM WASTE. AND EASE
OF PREPARATION OFTEN MAY
OFFSET HIGH PRICES.


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 substitutes
at least is often desirable, even when a
consideration of their price alone would
Gently published professional paper OF
the office of home economies of the
United States department OF agricul-
ture. department bulletin All. 1t is
is true of eggs served as one of the
principal dishes of a meal, 1t often is
not true OF eggs used in cakes, puc-
dings and other desserts along with
that the housewife who wishes to econ
omize can try especially to curtail con-
sumption. A fact which makes this
latter practice easier is that with the
corn starch, gelatin, etc., the use of
eggs to impart lightness or to thicken
liquids is not now as essential as 1t
was in the past.
Food Element I'm EGGS.
The principal food element furnished
by eggs is protein, the heterogeneous It's
sue-butlding element whose presence in
considerable proportions also gives
meats, fish, milk, cheese, etc, their spe-
ecial food value. Eggs, therefore, can
be substituted in the diet for the latt er
foods without materially altering the
proportion of protein consumed. In ad-
dition to protein. eggs also furnish fat
and number of valuable mineral ele-
ments, including sulphur. phosphorus.
iron, calcium, and magnesium, in an
easily assimilable form, and are be-
lieyed also to be rich in certain essen
tial vitalizing elements called vitamins.
Like milk and unlike meats eggs do
not contain substances convertible in
the body into uric acid! Their shells
constitute the only waste materials.
per cent of the portion
eaten-a high proportion compared to
other foods-is digested. No extended
cooking Is necessary for eggs, and
there is therefore a saving of time. Ia
Dor, and fuel in their preparation when
they are compared with many other
foods For all these reasons eggs de-
serve an important rlace 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.
WhOIesOmeness Of EGGS.
Though wholesome when fresh and
clean. eggs may be decidedly unwhole-
some when old or dirty. The housewife
should be careful when buying, there
fore, to choose eggs which are as clean
and fresh as possible. Similarly, the
producer of eggs should keep nests
clean and sanitary and should collect
eggs frequently. It is also we'll to in
sure the production of eggs with good
keeping qualities by producing only in
fertile eggs after the Matching season.
How to Select Eggs.
In addition tn cleanliness and fresh
ness. the housewife when purchasing
eggs should consider size and freedom
from cracks. Eggs vary so in size that
a dozen large and dozen small eggs
purchased at the same price per dozen
may differ as much as % per cent in the
value of the food elements furnished.
Perhaps the fairest way to buy or sell
is by weight. Because of the wide vari-
atoms In the size of eggs, it is also
coming to be recognized that more ac-|
curate results in recipes can be obtain
ed by weighing or measuring the eggs
because the breaking of
the she'll makes possible the entrance
of bacteria and filth.
COld-StOrage EGGS. i
Because fewer eggs are produced in
the most populous regions of the coun-|
try than are consumed there; and be-
cause the seasons have marked effect
on the number of eggs laid, city house
wives must use cold-storage eggs dur
ing some periods of the year If they are
to supply their tables at all with this
food. The fact that eggs have been
held in cold storage does not necessari-
ly mean that they are of low quality.
handled cold-storage eggs
often are of better quality than fresh
local eggs that have been improperly
cared for.
HOme-Preserved EGGS.
Housewives will often find it advan-|
tageous to preserve their own eggs in
the home, purchasing them when the
supply is abundant. and packing them
in a solution of waterglass or lime wat
er, or covering them with paraffin or
Such eggs can be kept in good
condition for a number of months. For
current use fresh eggs usually can be
kept satisfactorily for two or three
weeks without such treatment, in a re-
frigerator or dry, cool cellar. If infer
tile, such eggs may be kept still longer