Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-04
FOOD AND HEALTH
BY WINIFRED STUART GIBBS.
Food Specialist.

Was there ever a family that did
not have It's enjoyment increased or
hindered according to the character
of it's neighbors? This Is natural and
easy to understand. What we do not
always understand is that there is
fundamental principle involved.
principle that works" in other. re-
lationships besides the human.
A good illustration is to be found
in the relationships existing between
the various foodstuffs that enter into
the composition Of our everyday
fishes. Not only are proper combi-
and appetizingness, but they also con-
tribute to the actual nourishment as
conveyed by the finished dish.
Established custom is a fairly safe
guide in the beginning. Such custom
has had its beginning in considera-
ton for the esthetic, so the attractive
ness and popularity Of such combina-
lions may usually be counted upon.
The up-to-the- minute housewife, how
ever, desires to go one step beyond
mere attractiveness. She wishes to
visualize the nutriment represented
by the attractive combinations.
Why not begin with everyday
meats and their standard accompani-
pegs on which to hang many bits of
dietary information?
Meat and potatoes. The words
have come to stand for the ABC of
dinner planning, but in these pro-
gresSive days no one is content to
use the primer indefinitely; we crave
promotion to more advanced text
books. Therefore. we offer the fol
lowing list Of foods that make good
neighbors' from the dietary as we'll
as from the appetite point of view
The list Is adapted from the work Of
a specialist who makesa special study
of meats and their place in the
dietary.
Good neighbors for roast beef and
broiled steak are baked. boiled. seal.
ioped or mashed potatoes: cabbage.
celery, caullflower. string beans, wax
Deans, beets. spinach. tomatoes egg
plant. corn and sweet potatoes II
VIII be noted that practically all
vegetables. of which those mentioned
are representative. are good neigh
pors for steak and roaY beef. This
II partly because the flavor of good
beef fs satisfyingly simple and at the
same time savory, thus lending itself
to many combinations. In other
words, beef is good neighbor for
vegetables neighbors. and vice versa
But this IS only the beginning of
the story. Beef. like all animal food
is acid in its final digestive reaction
ana the reaction of practically all our
common vegetables IS alkaline. The
'neighborliness." therefore. of beef
and vegetables bespeaks plea sant
welcome for both from the yartous
organs of the dige"tive system. These
organs can. it is true. accomplish
much toward the strengthening out of
digestive complications, such as are
brought about by the unwise givef Of
many feast, but they are always
glad to be relieved of part of this
care.
Have we not all seen .'perfecflv
good social gatherings spoiled by
the lack of sympathy of common, In.
terests existing between the guests?
Just so may the food guests invited
to get together for the purpose of
nourishing an individual make or
mar. not alone his pleasure, bur his
comfort. and even his health. as WELL
Now this matter of proper division
OF labor between food neighbors ey-
tends far beyond the acid and alkaline
forming stage. Beef. the type taken
for our illustration, possesses par. ey-
cellence the power of body building
but alone and unaided 1t cannot prop-
erly regulate the processes going on
within the very body it has helped
to build. So its good neighbors. the
Vegetables. once more step into the
breach and presto. BY reason of
their mineral salts they keep the
blood stream flowing, the organs Of
elimination functioning and the whole
complex interchange within the BODY
in working trim.
what we mean when we speak Of the
importance Of good food conbipa
tons and OF balanced diet
Copyright. 1926,