The New York herald., 1922-04-16


beets. rhubarb. okra, sweet potato,
canned for his use nowadays he may
eat them in January and February or
any winter month without feeling the
qualms Of extravaganza.
Present Day Breakfast
Is Dietary Revolution
If these statements from the tabu-
lated records of statisticians do not
take the alarm out Of the warming
that IL we don't watch out we will be
reduced to q ration of mush and milk
then perhaps the further reinsurance
Of these experts as to new human
foods having been devised may do so.
Cotton seed oil, oleo oils from beef
and other fats are no longer despised
as constituents of diet. In some cases
chemistry has alter ed fats into con-
sistency suitable for culinary pur-
poses. Slaughter house blood finds its
way into food products. Corn syrups
and glucose sugars artificially pre-
pared from cheap sources of starch
now represent one Of the least ex-
pensive sources Of wholesome nutri-
ment. Rancid butter can be renovated
and returned to the food treasury:
hydrogenated fats are at last clear Of
the waters OF prejudice.
But not all men can digest all of
these new things, and there are some
agricultural products that fail as
human nutrients. Other plants, whole
some in themselves, are prevented by
their impervious coverings from serv-
ing any useful purpose in the alimen-
tary canal of man. Everything that
comes out of the ground, excluding
poisonous plants, wasn't therefore in
tended to be eaten by him. although
there is an old wives tale to that
effect. The alimentary utilization of
the proteins in common foods such as
the legumes and cereal grains is far
below what pertains in most animal
food products, and the knowledge of
this, which comes from the empty"
feeling noticeable about an hour after
a cereal (and nothing else) breakfast
is what perhaps has preserved the
Anglo-Saxon prejudice against this
kind of table. But it Is said that inn
proved culinary methods are altering
this condition.
Speaking along these lines in order
to buttress his own opinion that the
American race would never become
vegetarians, well known chemist
said:
Il admit a change that is for our
good physically and economically, and
I believe that procedure for extreme
communion of cereals. especially
after desiccation, may still farther in
crease the number Of those who de-
pend on cereals for sustenance. In
fact we may be what is termed
cereal nation in twenty years.
Proteins Make Staple
For Tissue Building
.But after all is said that may be
offered in their favor IL is the proteins
which represent the Indispensable
staple for tissue construction. And
meats furnish these most naturally and
quickly. There has long been a debate
on the quantitative aspect of the pro-
tein requirement of man. 1t will con-
tinue to be debated until the much
sought ideal ration is found. At pres
ent of all the foodstuffs the proteins
offer the most serious problem. You are
asking about cost well, the proteins
are produced at the greatest expense
But we must have them regardless Of
expense. To reduce their number in
a ration will reduce the vitality ana
endurance and working energy OF the
race"
Therefore, although 1t will be shown
ny the annexed tables issued this
month by the United States Depart
ment of Labor at Washington cost of
foodstuffs generally continues to come
down, there Is no reason to think this
country will ever enroll among the
cheap" nations. 1t needs proteins and
IL gets them most easily from a meat
diet. 1t will have the meat diet ac-
cordingly, and damn the expense!
1t will be noticed that the foods
listed In table A are meats and such
animal derivatives as milk, cheese and
lard. The decline in the cost Of these
foods. according to this table, which
is the most recent available, and en-
braces the year from December. 1920.
to December, 1921. was for all foods
combined. 16 per cent. The decline in
price Of the vegetable foods of table r
was curiously enough greater--21 per
cent. Together the average decline
for this period was Is per cent.
Disregarding the question OF costs
there enters another which has to do
with the amount people eat. 1t Is
generally conceded that the human
race is inclined to eat too much, and
even at fairly high prices experts on
nutritional problems think that most
families could cut down expensoc OF
the table by reducing rations. But
this is a story OF our too luxurious
food and whether we are inclined or
not to gormendlsp is another stcry.
This one has been compiled from
reports of retail merchants from
fifty-one cities, including Boston.
Bridgeport. Buffalo. Butte, Charleston,
s. c.; Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas.
Denver. Detroit, Fall River, Houston.
indianapolis. Kaneus City. Los An.
geles. Louisville. Milwaukee. Minne-
apolis. Newark, New Haven. New
York. Norfolk. Omaha, Peoria, Phila-
delpkia. Portland, Me-; Portland, Ore;
Providence. Richmond, Rochester. St
Louis. Salt Lake City.
z a summary of the various articles
of food In both tables combined shows