The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1926-04-22

All plant foods, except fruits, grains
and nuts, are included under the term
vegetables.
With the exception of the so-called
legumes (peas, beans, lentilsl vege-
tables consist mostly of water. They
are rich in mineral matter but poor
in fat and protein, their chief constit-
uent being starch and sugar.
Inasmuch as the stomach juices
have nothing to do with the digestion
of carbohydrates sugars and starch
es) vegetables are digested for the
most part in the intestine. Each cell
has dense covering of cellulose which
must be dissolved away before the es-
sential nutritive portion is digested.
As result vegetable food is less COM
pletely digested and absorbed than
animal food-the statements of some
dietitians to the contrary notwith-
standing.
One of the chief advantages of vege-
tables as a food, in addition to their
nutritional value, is this:
A considerable part of the vegetable
consists of unabsorbable matter which
is never digested or assimilated and
passes unchanged into the bowel. Here
it adds bulk to the residue and acts as
a vehicle for the elimination of toxic
material. In this role it serves very
useful purpose, as one Of the main
reasons people are constipated is that
there is nothing in the bowel on which
its muscular coat can fasten itself and
propel onward.
Aid Some-Harm Others
Very few persons can eat all vege-
tables with impunity. We all have
our little idiosyncrasies in this connec-
ton as we do in most affairs of life.
Some people suffer with a violent at
tack of gastritis if they eat piece of
onion as large as pea, while others
could eat a bushel basket of onions
and suffer from nothing except lone
someness Some persons get a beauti-
full case of "hives" from a few straw
berries while others can consume half
the patch while they're picking, with
no danger except to get caught doing
it. And SO on throughout the entire
dietic list-"what's one mans food is
another mans poison"
Everyone should, by the time he has
reached the age of thirty, have quite
definitely made up his mind as to what
vegetables do and which do not agree
with him. He should then regulate his
diet accordingly. Having done that,
the next most important step relates
to the proper preparation of vege-
tables.
Here are some good rules for cook
ing vegetables that, l believe, are
apropos in this connections:
W w oSn thoroughly.
(2) Pare, peel, or scrape according
to kind.
90 Let stand in cold water until
ready to cook, to keep them crisp, to
freshen when wilted, or to prevent
from turning dark.
(4) Cook in enough freshly boiling
sailed water Zone teaspoonful salt to
one qaurt water boiling slowly, as ten
der vegetables are easily broken. To
preserve color cook green vegetables
uncovered.
90 Salt may be added when vege-
tables are put in the boiling water, ex-
cept in the case of tender green vege-
tables (peas spinach, etc. where it
should not be added until nearly
cooked.
(6) Cook until tender, strain, and
serve Immediately. Overlooking
makes vegetables tough and destroys
their flavor.
Observance of these simple rules
will make vegetables more palatable
more digestible, and more assimilable
Follow these regulations and eat two
or three kinds Of vegetables SO pre-
pared with every meal.
And if you possibly can, raise then
yOllrSelf or Inv then, uha,,a onl1y +bt
best are sold. Then they'll be fresl
and sweet-and so will you.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Dry Hands
q