Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1918-07-11
EXPERTS STUDY DIET
Department Specialists Supply Infoh
nation Regarding Rational and
Economical Use of Foods.

Economical Use of Foods.
To furnish exact data on which food
advice can be based and to supply in
formation regarding the rational and
economical use of foods is the war
work of the Office of Home Econom.
les, United States Department of Ag-
riculture. Special attention is paid by
the experts in this office to the prob
lens of the housekeeper in using food
and food combinations in such way
that the diet will be satisfactory and
adequate and yet effect a saving of
the foods which now need to be saved.
Some phases of these investigations
are brought out in recent report of
this office TO the Secretary Of Agri-
culture.
Studies on the digestibility and uses
of culinary and table fats are one i'm
portant line of work. Special attention
Is given to vegetable fats, such as
nut oils and fruitseed oils which are
little known or used, and which may
be properly called agricultural by-pro-
ducts, to determine Hnothcr thcy are
suited for use in the home for food
purposes. Bulletins reporting these
experiments have been issued and are
being prepared for publication.
Continuing the Work ON the d.gesti-
bility aal uses Of cereal foods, atten-
tion has been paid particularly to
wheat flour made by the old-fashioned
milling process, and to the use of
grain sorghums - kafir, feterita, milo
maize, kaoliang - and buckwheat, as
well as the influence of fineness Of
grinding and preparation on the food
value of these and other grains. From
| the work with milo and prose- the gen.
| eral conclusion drawn by the special
| lists is that while bread from these
| meals would contribute to the protein
| of the diet, the grains used were de-
| cidedly important as source OF car
bohydrates. Studies of home canning
| Of animal and vegetable products,
| preparations of food for the table
| particularly the use of fruits and veg
etables dried by domestic methods
| the extended use of potatoes as a
starchy food, and the preparation of
|
substitutes for wheat have been other
features of these Investigations. How
housewives can plan nationally chosen
economical meals has been suggested
by the home economics specialists in
a number of nontechnical Farmers
Bulletins. These have dealt with the
body's food needs, cereal foods, foods
| ,,;ol ~, o1c 20
mers' Bulletins on food for young chill,
dren and On school lunches.
In carrying on its work the Office OF
Home Economics works with other
bureaus and with other departments
In cooperation with the Food Admin
istration and with the Bureau of Edu
cation of the Department of the Inte
rior, 10 lessons on food conservation
were prepared. One of the lesson.
discussed the fundamentals of an ade
quate diet, and the others deal will
food-conservation problems. Other CO
operative work on food carried on dur
ing the year included studies of eme1
gency ratioRs for the United States
army and navy and of general ques
tions of rationing for the RevenueCut
ter Service. With the Bureau of Fish
cries of the Department of Commerce
studies were made on the preparation
of fish for the table, it's digestibility
and it's preservation by domestic
methods.
Other projects undertaken by thi
office deal with Investigations lookinl
to prolonging the period of usefulnes
of clothing and textiles, problems o
cleaning and care of household equiv
ment, and to studies of household la
Dor.