Evening star., 1926-05-11
FOOD AND HEALTH
BY WISIFRED STUART GIBBS.
Food Specialist.

Cheap food is expensive at any
price, for cheapness implies some
compromise with quality or other I'M
portant element. But economical rood
may be made fully as nourishing as
| more choice or fancy varieties.
Mrs. Jones. let lis say, Is noted for
, being a good housekeeper; her children
and husband are well nourished. there
| Is plenty of cheerful gaiety evident III
the household. and Mr.. Jones, While
| far from wealthy, yet enjoys Il com
| Portable income and is Laying asl1e
! for rainy day"
Mrs. Smith, their neighbor, has far
more money to spend. yet her family
| gives frequent evidence OF colds. di-
gestive upsets and kindred disorders.
What is the answer? Simply that
Mrs. Smith fails to profit by the pres
ent- day tendencies and opportunities.
She has read that food Is important
| but does not bother her head about 1t
except to say: III get plenty OF
choice vegetables and fruits, that
ought to keep every one well.
The simple fact is that even the
choicest of fruits and vegetables will
not alone accomplish as much as less
expensive varieties purchased and
served as part Of a well-thouGht-out
dietary scheme.
For example, wa find Mrs. Smith
buying and wasting several fine grape
fruit. and extra fancy oranges, simply
because the members of her family
| cannot possibly eat more than GER
tain amount. Then, too, she might
we'll have varied these choice fruits
by serving at least twice a week,
putfily soft prunes, favored with
dash of lemon juice and served with
60. .,1; ,,f1
valuable vitamin In these tart fruits,
important as 1t Is, need not be present
in large quantities, and the iron and
other mineral salts to be found III the
more homely pruneS actually help to
maintain a better balance than would
be the case if the tart fruits were de
pended upon as the sole source of
acids and minerals. Besides the
prunes the economical housewife will.
if wise turn to her stock Of canned
fruits and bottled juices, so that ex-
| pensive fruit need be purchased but
| twice a week at most.
| Then take the milk supply. The
| woman who feels vaguely that il she
! will only get the best" her family
! will be well nourished" probably
buys grade A whole milk for cooking.
| Her sensible neighbor scants on some
| nonessential luxury SO az TO provide
| certified, unpasteurized milk for the
| baby and grade A milk for the school
| children. but she knows that skinned
| milk makes excellent and nourishing
| soups, pudding9 and creamed dishes.
| Not drop of the previous fluid goes
! TO waste in her kitchen. her milk bills
| are less than those of her neighbor
| and her children moro normal in
| weight and other health ways.
i W. =. u
| housewife has provided plenty of cab
! hage, kraut, carrots. beets and other
| Winter vegetables. Now that Spring
| is coming she Is able to afford tender
new cabbage. scraped raw carrots
| and other fresh Succulence, and her
| family reVelS therein. over the way
her neighbor Is in despair. Her chill
Gren complain of those horrid old
| vegetables" and so the choicest bits
of her fancy grocer's selection go into
the waste pail. She does not realize
| that the very economy practiced by
| her neighbor, the omission of heavy
dishes, sweet and the like. has pre-
served their appetities for the enjoy
| ment of plain foods Of average quail
| ity, but foods that have been selected
with regard for the science OF nutr1-
| ton.
| Margarine was used in cooking in
Mrs Jones' household, pot cheese was
| a frequent meat substitute on her
| table; in short, every detail was
| studied with care. The net result was
| that Mrs. Jones set q more attractive
| table than did Mrs. Smith, beside keep
| ing her family in better health on less
| money.
Are you Mrs. Jones or Mrs. Smith
Copyright. 1920