Human Foods and Their Nutritive Value Part 14

FAMILY No. 2

15 lb. flour, bread home-made (skim milk used) $0.45 Yeast, shortening and skim milk 0.10 10 lb. steak (round. Hamburger and some loin) 1.50 10 lb. other meats, boiling pieces, rump roast, etc. 1.00 5 lb. cheese, 16 cents 0.80 5 lb. oatmeal (bulk) 0.15 5 lb. beans 0.25 Home-made cake and pastry 1.00 6 lb. b.u.t.ter, 30 ct. 1.80 3 lb. home-made shortening 0.25 Tea, coffee, and spices 0.40 Apples 0.50 Prunes 0.25 Potatoes 0.25 Milk 1.00 Miscellaneous foods 1.00 3 doz. eggs 0.60 ------ $11.30

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 59.--COST AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF RATIONS.]

In comparing the foods used by the two families, it will be observed that family No. 1 purchased their bread at the bakery at a cost of $ 1.00, while the bread of family No. 2 was home-made, skim milk being used in its preparation, the flour, milk, yeast, and shortening costing about 55 cents. Family No. 1 consumed 10 pounds of expensive steaks, family No. 2 consumed the same number of pounds, a portion being cheaper cuts. Instead of the 20 pounds of roast or similar beef used by family No. 1, only one half as much and cheaper cuts as boiling pieces, stew, rump roast, etc., were used by family No. 2; 5 pounds of beans and 5 pounds of cheese taking the place of some of the meat. Family No. 1 consumed 4 pounds of high-priced cereal breakfast foods, supposing they contained a larger amount of nutrients than were actually present. In place of the 4 pounds of high-priced cereal breakfast foods of family No. 1, family No. 2 used 5 pounds of oatmeal purchased in bulk. Family No. 1 bought their cake and pastry for $3.00, while those of family No.

2 were home made and cost $1.00. Family No. 2 used 2 pounds less b.u.t.ter per week because of the preparation and use of home-made shortening from beef suet and milk. They also purchased a smaller amount of tea, coffee, and spices than family No. 1. Family No. 2 consumed a larger quant.i.ty of less expensive fruits and vegetables than family No. 1, who ate 75 cents' worth of mushrooms with the idea that they contained as much protein as meat, but a.n.a.lyses show that mushrooms contain no more nutrients than potatoes and similar vegetables. In place of the celery and oranges, apples and prunes were used by family No. 2. The same amount of potatoes was used by each. Fifty cents was spent for milk by family No. 1 and $1.00 by family No. 2. The total amount expended for food by family No. 1 was $23.45, while family No. 2 purchased a greater variety of foods for $11.30, as well as foods containing more nutrients.

The approximate amounts of nutrients in the foods purchased by the two families are given in the following table, from which it will be observed that family No. 2 obtained a much larger amount of total nutrients and was better fed at considerably less expense than family No. 1.

NUTRIENTS IN FOODS CONSUMED.--FAMILY NO. 1

============================================= |PROTEIN| FAT |CARBOHYDRATES | LB. | LB. | LB.

-------------------------|-----|------------- 20 lb. bread | 1.98 | 0.28| 11.42 10 lb. loin steak| 1.59 | 1.76| -- 20 lb. rib roast | 2.68 | 4.26| -- 4 lb. cereals | 0.42 | 0.06| 2.75 8 lb. b.u.t.ter | 0.04 | 6.80| -- 25 lb. potatoes | 0.45 | 0.03| 3.83 20 lb. milk | 0.70 | 0.80| 1.00 |-------|-----|------------- | 7.86 |13.99| 19.00 =============================================

FAMILY NO. 2 ===================================================== |PROTEIN| FAT |CARBOHYDRATES | LB. | LB. | LB.

-------------------------|-------|-----|------------- 15 lb. flour | 1.89 | 0.12| 11.15 5 lb. skim milk | 0.16 | 0.01| 0.26 10 lb. round steak | 1.81 | 1.26| -- 10 lb. beef | 1.32 | 2.02| -- 5 lb. cheese | 1.40 | 1.75| -- 5 lb. oatmeal | 0.78 | 0.36| 3.40 6 lb. b.u.t.ter | 0.03 | 5.10| -- 3 lb. shortening | -- | 2.55| -- 3 lb. prunes | 0.03 | -- | 0.60 25 lb. apples | 0.12 | -- | 2.50 25 lb. potatoes | 0.45 | 0.03| 3.83 40 lb. milk | 1.44 | 1.60| 1.90 5 lb. beans | 1.12 | -- | 3.00 -------------------------|-------|-----|------------------ | 10.55 |14.80| 26.64 -------------------------|-------|-----|------------------ Difference in nutrients | in favor of family No. 2,| consuming the cheaper |2.69 0.81 7.64 combination of foods | =====================================================

255. Food in its Relation to Mental and Physical Vigor.--When the body is not properly supplied with food, the best results in the form of productive work cannot be secured. There is a close relations.h.i.+p between the nature of the food consumed and mental activity, also ability to satisfactorily perform physical labor. "The productive power of the individual as well as of the nation depends doubtless upon many factors other than food, such as race, climate, habit, etc., but there is no gainsaying the fact that diet has also a profound and direct influence upon it."[83]

If the body is diseased, it cannot make the right uses of the food, and often the food is blamed when the trouble is due primarily to other causes. The fact that a diseased digestive tract is unable to utilize some foods is no valid reason why these foods should be discarded in the dietary of persons in normal health, particularly when the food is in no way responsible for the disease.

Some diseases are most prevalent in the case of a restricted diet. A change in the dietary of the j.a.panese navy greatly improved the health of the sailors.

"The prevalence of kakke or beriberi in the navy turned the attention of many medical specialists toward the problem of nutrition.... It was generally believed that there was some very close connection between the disease and the rice diet.... One outcome of these investigations was the pa.s.sage of the food supply act of the navy in 1884. The ration provided in accordance with this act was sufficient to furnish an abundance of protein and energy.... Following the change of ration in 1884, the prevalence of the disease was very materially diminished, and at the end of three years cases of kakke were practically unknown among the marines."[83]

256. Dietary Studies in Public Inst.i.tutions.--Dietary studies in public inst.i.tutions, as prisons, and asylums for the insane, show that it is possible to secure greater variety of food containing a larger amount of nutrients, and even at a reduction in cost.[84] In such inst.i.tutions it is important that the food should be not only ample in amount, but wholesome and nutritious, as many of the inmates respond both physically and mentally to an improved diet. For humanitarian as well as economic reasons inst.i.tutional dietetics should more generally be placed under the supervision of skilled dietists.

CHAPTER XVIII

RATIONAL FEEDING OF MAN

257. Object.--Rational feeding of man has for its object the regulation of the food supply in accord with the demands of the body. It is based upon the same principles as the rational feeding of animals; in each, the best results in the way of health, amount of labor performed, and economy are secured when the body receives nutrients sufficient for the production of heat and energy and for the repair of worn-out tissues. Rational feeding is simply regulation of the food, both as to kind and amount, to meet the needs of the body.[72]

258. Standard Rations.--In human feeding, as in animal feeding, it is not possible to lay down hard and fast rules as to the quant.i.ty of nutrients required for a standard ration.[85] As stated in the chapter on Dietary Studies, such standards have been proposed, but they are to be considered as tentative rather than absolute, for the amount of food required by different persons must necessarily vary with the individuality. While it is impossible to establish absolute standards, any large variation from the provisional standards usually results in lessened ability to accomplish work, ill health, or increased expense.

259. Amounts of Food Consumed.--The approximate amounts of some food articles consumed per day are as follows:

=================================== | RANGE | APPROXIMATE | |AMOUNT IN LBS.

--------|-------------------------- Bread |6 to 14 oz.| 0.50 b.u.t.ter |2 to 5 oz.| 0.12 Potatoes|8 to 16 oz.| 0.75 Cheese |1 to 4 oz.| 0.12 Beans |1 to 4 oz.| 0.12 Milk |8 to 32 oz.| -- Sugar |2 to 5 oz.| 0.20 Meats |4 to 12 oz.| 0.25 Oatmeal |1 to 4 oz.| 0.12 ===================================

In the calculation of rations it is desirable that the amount of any food article should not exceed that designated, unless for some special reason it has been found the food can consistently be increased. The amount of nutrients given in dietary standards is for one day, and the nutrients may be divided among the three meals as desired. It is to be noted that, ordinarily, the foods which supply carbohydrates are flour, corn meal, cereal products, potatoes, beans, sugar, and milk; those which supply fat are milk, b.u.t.ter, lard, and meats; and those which supply protein in liberal amounts are beans, cheese, meats, oatmeal, cereals, bread, and milk.

260. Average Composition of Foods.--The amounts of nutrients in foods are determined from the average composition of the foods. These figures for average composition are based upon a.n.a.lyses of a large number of samples of food materials.[7] In individual cases it will be found that foods may vary from the standards given; as for example, milk may contain from 2.5 to 5 per cent of fat, while the protein and fat of meats vary appreciably from the figures given for average composition.

With the cereals and vegetable foods, variations from the standards are small. In the table, the composition of the food as purchased represents all of the nutrients in the food, including those in the refuse, tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, or waste, while the figures for the edible portion represent the nutrients in the food after deducting what is lost as refuse. In making calculations, the student should use the figures given for the foods as purchased, unless the weights are of the edible portion only.

The figures in the table are on the basis of percentage amounts, or nutrients in 100 pounds of food. By moving the decimal point two places to the left, the figures will represent the nutrients in one pound, and if this is multiplied by the number of pounds or fraction of a pound used, the quant.i.ty of nutrients is secured. For example, suppose bread contains 9.5 per cent of protein and 56 per cent of carbohydrates, 1 pound would contain 0.095 pound of protein, 0.56 pound of carbohydrates; and 0.5 of a pound would contain approximately 0.05 pound of protein and 0.28 pound of carbohydrates. In calculating rations, it is not necessary to carry the figures to the third decimal place.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 60.--FOOD ARTICLES FOR A HUMAN RATION.]

261. Example of a Ration.--Suppose it is desired to calculate a ration for a man at light muscular work. First, note the requirements in the way of nutrients in the table "Dietary Standards," Section 246. Such a ration should supply approximately 0.22 pound each of protein and fat, and 0.77 pound of carbohydrates, and should yield 2800 calories. A trial ration is made by combining the following:

========================================================== | Pound Bread | 0.50 b.u.t.ter | 0.12 Potatoes | 0.75 Milk | 1.00 Sugar | 0.12 Beef | 0.25 Ham | 0.20 Oatmeal | 0.12 Eggs | 0.25 ==========================================================

The quant.i.ties of nutrients in these food materials are approximately as follows:

RATION FOR MAN AT MODERATE WORK

=================================================================== | | PROTEIN | FAT | C.H. | | LB. | LB. | LB. | LB. | CALORIES -------------------------+------+---------+------+------+---------- Bread | 0.50 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.29 | 653 b.u.t.ter | 0.12 | -- | 0.10 | -- | 432 Potato | 0.75 | 0.01 | -- | 0.12 | 244 Milk | 1.00 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 323 Sugar | 0.12 | -- | -- | 0.12 | 192 Beef (round) | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.03 | -- | 218 Ham | 0.20 | 0.03 | 0.07 | -- | 331 Oatmeal | 0.12 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.08 | 223 Eggs | 0.25 | 0.03 | 0.03 | -- | 164 Squash | 0.20 | -- | -- | 0.01 | 25 |------+---------+------+------+---------- | | 0.23 | 0.29 | 0.67 | 2805 ===================================================================

It is to be noted that this ration contains approximately the amount of protein called for in the standard ration, while the fat is slightly more and the carbohydrates are less. The food value of the ration is practically that called for in the standard. This ration is sufficiently near the standard to supply the nutrient requirements of a man at light muscular work. To supply palatability, some fruit and vegetables should be added to the ration. These will contribute but little to the nutrient content, but are necessary in order to secure health and the best returns from the other foods, and as previously stated, they are not to be estimated entirely upon the basis of nutrient content. A number of food articles could be subst.i.tuted in this ration, if desired, either in the interests of economy, palatability, or personal preference.

262. Requisites of a Balanced Ration.--Reasonable combinations of foods should be made to form balanced rations.[2] A number of foods slow of digestion, or which require a large amount of intestinal work, should not be combined; neither should foods which are easily digested and which leave but little indigestible residue. After a ration has been calculated and found to contain the requisite amount of nutrients, it should be critically examined to see whether or not it fulfills the following requirements:

1. Economy and adaptability to the work required.

2. Necessary bulk or volume.

3. Desired physiological influence of the foods upon the digestive tract, whether constipating or laxative in character.

4. Ease of digestion.

5. Effect upon health. It is recognized that there are foods wholesome and nutritious, that cannot be used by some persons, while with others the same foods can be consumed with impunity.

As explained in the chapter on Dietary Studies, the nutrients should be supplied from a number of foods rather than from a few, because it is believed the various nutrients, particularly the proteins, are not absolutely identical from all sources, or equal in nutritive value.

EXAMPLES

1. Calculate a ration for a man with little physical exercise.

2. Calculate a ration for a man at hard muscular labor, and give the approximate cost of the ration.

3. Calculate the amounts of food and the nutrient requirements for a family of seven for 10 days; five of the family to consume 0.8 as much as an adult. Calculate the cost of the food; then calculate on the same basis the probable cost of food for one year, adding 20 per cent for fluctuation in market price and additional foods not included in the list.

4. Weigh out the food articles used in problem No. 2, and apportion them among three meals.

CHAPTER XIX

WATER