PART ONE

## CHAPTER I.

“THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE.”

Its Structure and Function Depend on the Building Material.

Foods are substances which, when introduced into the system, supply the necessary material for growth, renewal and maintenance of the vital structures. Food is anything that nourishes.

Foods must contain the same elements found in our bodies. The body requires a combination of different food elements in proper proportion to produce a suitable diet. Foods are divided into five classes: water, protein, fats, carbohydrates and mineral matters.

Air and sun are also foods, but are not generally spoken of as nutrient.

WATER.

Our bodies consist of about two-thirds water. It helps to regulate the body processes, and supplies building material. Watery fruits and vegetables contain pure distilled water. The amount of water required for the average individual differs greatly. If water is added to our foods in the cooking process, a lesser amount is required for drinking. Wholesome, non-stimulating food will call for a normal supply of water between meals.

PROTEINS.

These are sometimes called albumen, and they supply the body with nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus. They are great tissue builders; they also furnish energy and heat, in combination with fats and carbohydrates.

Sources of Proteins:

Legumes, lean meats, nuts, cheese, whites of eggs, fish, and the glutens of the grains. Milk contains proteins in the right proportion with fats and sugars to make it suitable as a food for infants. Oats, wheat, and rye contain more protein than other grains, and if no other protein foods are on hand, these can maintain health for a long time without harm. (For combinations, see introduction of “Poor Man’s Bill of Fare.”)

FATS.

They are obtained from the vegetable and animal kingdoms. They supply heat and energy in the most concentrated form, and are also flesh-builders. In diseased conditions, where economy of nerve force is required, fats in combination with acids, minerals and gelatine can form a substitute for part of the protein foods.

CARBOHYDRATES.

These are found in large percentage in cereals and in fruits which contain stones and seeds, and in underground vegetables, including the lighter starches, such as sago, agar agar, sea moss and gum. Milk can serve as a carbohydrate for special conditions; being evenly proportioned with fats and protein it contains little waste. A certain amount of carbohydrate foods in the form of cereals is necessary in our daily diet, as they are rich in lime and fat--yielding material which is required for ligamentous and other elastic tissue. People who live on fruits, greens and nuts, or on fruits, greens and meats only, require a larger amount of protein food, in order to make up for the loss of cereals.

MINERAL MATTER.

In an organic form, we find mineral matter in large proportions in green leaf vegetables, small fruits and berries, bran, rye, green peas, string beans, tomatoes, yolks of eggs and in all the outer skins of legumes, grains and fruits. The importance of the mineral elements in our foods has been little understood, so far. Of late, health reformers are beginning to realize that many serious diseases, such as tuberculosis, insanity and malnutrition, are the result of mineral starvation. Three-fourths of these valuable minerals are removed from our foods daily by modern milling, bleaching, and polishing of rice, wheat, corn and all the other grains. Not alone the minerals, but necessary volatile oils, acids, and ferments are removed by these processes. Refined white flour and sugar have been on the market for the last hundred years; and much time and health have been wasted with the writing of fashionable cook books, and the manufacture of anemic snow white cakes, crackers, biscuits and soft putrefying puddings and desserts, prepared with skim milk, sugar and eggs. The deficiency of minerals in these products has created an abnormal desire for salts, spices, and chemically pure sugar, followed by an additional craving for intoxicating beverages and liquors. The latter articles cannot enter into the composition of perfect teeth and bone, or gray nervous tissue; therefore, the result is premature death and many new diseases.

It is my desire to present in this book such food combinations as perfect as can be produced from food material with our present methods of milling and preliminary treatment. Many people have become so delicate in structure that they cannot use coarse breads and cereals; therefore, a variety of different cereal foods have been included. Vegetable foods, such as are rich in minerals, have been added to the breakfast foods in place of sugar and beverages. In order to supply the body with the necessary amount of minerals, we must learn, to eat greens for breakfast, until our so-called breakfast foods have improved in quality.

All foods possess potential or latent energy. The sun is the great positive element, and plants store up the sun’s energy. It is transferred to us through the eating of plants and animal foods. Through the process of oxidation this energy is set free in our bodies, and appears as heat and muscular power. This energy contained in foods is known as heat or fuel value, and is expressed in terms of a heat unit or calorie. A calorie is the amount of heat necessary to raise one kilogram of water, one degree centigrade. This is spoken of as a large calorie, which is used in determining the energy value of food. The small calorie is ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ of a large calorie.

The physiological fuel and energy value of the different foods is as follows:

1 gram of Protein yields 4 Calories 1 gram of Fat yields 9 Calories 1 gram of Carbohydrates yields 4 Calories

To determine the energy value of a food or combination of foods it is necessary to know first its composition. Then determine the weight of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in grams and multiply these weights accordingly.

## CHAPTER II.

STUDY OF FOODS.

The average homekeeper knows little of the nutritive value and chemical composition of the food she buys. The desire to tickle the palate enters more into the selection of food than reason or judgment. Others, who have studied along certain lines without the fundamental training for this work, often make greater mistakes in the selection and combination of foods than if they had not studied the subject at all.

It is not sufficient to know just which foods are suitable to the individual and which are harmful; it is necessary to have a fairly well balanced diet which contains the correct proportions of protein and non-protein elements.

The following pages present briefs on the value and chemical nature of different foods not mentioned in recipes:

VEGETABLE FOODS.

These are divided into several classes. They are: Legumes, cereals, roots, bulbs, tubers, leaf, flower and fruit vegetables. All plants are made up of a mass of cells, each consisting of a membranous wall, enclosing a gelatinous mass, in which lie imbedded the nucleus or center of cell activity and minute grains of starch or other material which the plant has manufactured.

In young plants these cell walls are called cellulose; later wood cells begin to develop. The wood cells grow into fibrous material, called woody fibre. In poorly grown or stale vegetables this woody tissue becomes very hard and thick, and therefore is indigestible. For this reason it is best that all green vegetables are grown quickly and eaten while they are fresh. When fresh they will snap crisply. Peas, green corn and string beans will cook in one-third of the time if used directly after gathering, instead of being kept for several days before using.

THE LEGUMES.

The legumes are rich in vegetable protein, and differ from flesh foods on account of being richer in protein and minerals and less stimulating. They are free from animal intoxication.

DRIED PEAS.

Green peas are richer in minerals than yellow peas, beans or lentils, the protein being in the form of legumin and easier to digest. They are very purifying and should be eaten freely, especially during the cold winter or rainy season. They are a suitable food for the brain-worker as well as for the muscular-worker, and can be prepared in many different ways. Yellow peas are an excellent food for muscular-workers.

DRIED BEANS.

They contain more of the protein than peas, lentils or beef. They are therefore a very rich food and should not be consumed in large quantities. The brown, red, and black beans are richer in iron and minerals, and are therefore more suitable in cold weather. The hulls of all legumes are difficult to digest, therefore it is important to soak legumes before cooking. In countries where the water is hard, it is well to have soft water on hand for the cooking of legumes. If rain water cannot be obtained, boil a kettle of water each day and set aside to cool for cooking purposes. Legumes may be soaked with hot or cold water. Green lima beans should be put to cook in boiling water without soaking, like all green vegetables.

LENTILS.

They are rich in iron and should be used freely in cold weather. Boiled onions are a good addition, in place of fat meat.

GREEN PEAS AND BEANS.

Green peas differ from other green vegetables. They are richer in protein and can serve as a meat substitute during the summer. String-beans resemble the green leaf vegetables in their composition, but do not contain sufficient protein to serve as a meat substitute. They are very purifying to the liver and intestines, and should be eaten freely by people of a bilious temperament.

CABBAGE.

Cabbage is rich in minerals. It can be made very indigestible by careless preparation. Raw cabbage is easily digested if chopped very fine and mixed with grated potato and mayonnaise dressing. Cooked cabbage should be treated with acid and mixed with the yolk of an egg if it disagrees. Some people prefer sprouts to cabbage. They resemble each other very much in composition. Cabbage contains more water and cellulose. It is best to use only the innermost part of cabbage, if it disagrees.

CAULIFLOWER.

This belongs to the cabbage family. It is rich in sulphur and is one of the most easily digested vegetables, if properly prepared. If it disagrees, treat it with acid or serve it for breakfast instead of for dinner.

CELERY.

Celery contains valuable minerals and is soothing to the nervous system. Celery roots are rich in fat and a healing food for people with kidney, liver, and intestinal trouble. The green stalks of celery root should never be thrown away. They can be tied into a bunch and cooked with soups of meat or legumes. Celery is a very valuable food for people with a bilious temperament.

ASPARAGUS.

This is an easily digested vegetable and resembles celery. As a food for medicinal purposes it may be eaten raw or cooked.

CARROTS AND PARSNIPS.

They resemble each other, carrots being richer in sugar; the parsnip contains a little gluten. They may be eaten in the raw state with good effect.

TURNIPS.

Turnips contain some valuable minerals, but being rich in sugar and water, they are liable to ferment in weak stomachs, especially if eaten with lean meats, white breads or other foods, which are poor in fat. They should not be eaten in the middle of the day by people who do

## active work. If they disagree at night, they may be eaten for breakfast

in combination with fat meats or stale bread and butter. Yellow turnips are richer in nutriment than white turnips. Raw turnips are wholesome if they agree. Never combine turnips with other starchy foods at the same meal, such as potatoes, rice, white flour preparations, apples or cucumbers.

CORN.

Green corn is rich in fat and protein, and can form a perfect meal during the summer if combined with tomatoes. Do not cook the corn if it is agreeable raw. Canned corn should be used with care for people with intestinal weaknesses. If used for soups it should be strained and diluted with an equal amount of hot water before thickening.

TOMATO.

The tomato stimulates peristalsis and is a wonderful tonic for the liver. It is one of the most perfect fruits, rich in oxalic acid and iron, and unsurpassed as a medicinal food. It contains a vegetable calomel and serves as a purifier for the liver in bilious conditions. It can be prepared and combined in many different ways. It may be one of the first articles given to a patient after an operation, serving as a food and tonic; it counteracts the sweetish taste of the chloroform and prevents fatty degeneration of the liver.

Whether a food is eaten raw or cooked it is important that it be ripe. (Not ripened on the market.) For people with weak digestive organs, the best way to serve tomatoes is in the form of sterilized strained juice over toast in combination with milk or in the form of soup from canned strained tomatoes. The theory that tomatoes are liable to produce cancer is entirely unfounded. Any kind of food if eaten in excess and wrongly combined will aid in the progress of disease, but all natural foods rightly combined are wholesome if eaten according to needs of the individual.

Tomatoes combine well with fatty foods,--eggs, cheese, meats and fish.

LETTUCE.

This is the most desirable greens on our tables and combines well with almost any kind of food. Being rich in minerals and alkaloidal extracts, it tends to render the digestive fluids alkaline and promotes oxidation and nutrition. If lettuce is eaten in proper proportion with other foods at the morning or noon meal, it has a sedative effect and keeps an excitable constitution better balanced throughout the day. People with delicate stomachs should not eat lettuce at the evening meal. All raw salads prepared from greens and super-acid fruits are best eaten at the beginning of the meal, or with the meat dish at the morning or noon meal.

CUCUMBERS.

They are a valuable food and should be eaten almost daily by growing children and anemic people, especially if much muscular work is required. The cucumber is considered an indigestible article of food by people with perverted appetites. The way in which the cucumber is usually prepared in the average household renders it unfit to eat. The extraction of the natural juice and the treatment with salt make the cucumber tough and indigestible, and, if eaten in combination with half a dozen other articles, it produces indigestion. Cucumbers should never be eaten at night.

NUTS.

Nuts are high in nutritive value, and are better evenly combined with non-protein elements than flesh foods are. They are rich in fat and minerals, and form an ideal diet in combination with raw fruits and greens. They are not sufficiently appreciated as a food, and receive much unjust criticism as to their digestibility. All nuts are wholesome. The right combination and proportion, and the time of day when eaten, are of great importance. The kind of activity as well as individual peculiarities have much to do with likes and dislikes or requirements of certain foods.

ALMONDS AND BRAZIL NUTS.

These nuts feed the higher nerve centers and generate a high quality of intelligence.

WALNUTS, PINE KERNELS AND CHESTNUTS.

These are excellent for those who wish to put on flesh. Care must be taken not to overtax the liver. People who have been accustomed to a large amount of bread or other starchy foods should begin with a small amount, and substitute them for bread. If they disagree, use lemon, cranberries, oranges or fruit salads with them. Walnuts supply the larger nerve structures. They are well balanced in all the elements and are excellent for people doing hard, muscular work. Sweet dried fruits also form a good combination with nuts. Chestnuts resemble cereals on account of being rich in starch. They contain less protein, fat and minerals than other nuts, and therefore combine well with such foods as supply these elements. Baked and boiled chestnuts are generally more agreeable than raw ones. Pine nuts are rich in both protein and fat.

COCOANUTS.

They are rich in starch and fat and resemble the cereals closely.

HAZELNUTS.

They are a valuable food, but require thorough mastication.

THE PEANUT.

The peanut is a very nutritious nut, but rather difficult of digestion for some people. It resembles beans and peas, and is sometimes classed as a legume. Excess of nuts at one meal, or nuts which have been poorly masticated, may cause severe disturbances of the liver and stomach. If the teeth are poor, the nuts may be ground, but even then great care must be exercised to insure their proper insalivation. Cooked nut foods and all vegetarian dishes to which strained legumes, nut-butter, eggs and other rich foods are added, should not be indulged in by people with weak stomachs.

NUT-BUTTER.

Great care should be exercised in the preparation of foods with nut-butter. Never spread it on bread without first diluting it with an equal amount of water. Do not keep it on the shelf like ordinary butter after it has been mixed with water; prepare only sufficient to last for twenty-four hours, and keep it on ice.

FRUITS.

There are three classes of fruit: acid, sub-acid, and sweet fruits.

Fresh raw fruits, if eaten in the right proportion with other articles, are wholesome. The habit of eating a large amount of acid fruits at the beginning of the morning meal is not necessary. If a heavy meal is eaten in the evening, remaining half digested in the stomach over night and putrefying, then acid fruits will cleanse the stomach in the morning. The better way is to go to bed with an empty stomach and there will be no need of cleansing in the morning. People of a highly nervous temperament should not eat the very sweet fruits at the morning or noon meal, as at this time they are too stimulating.

Hot house fruits out of season are health destroying. Certain fruits, such as apples, plums, tomatoes, apricots, grapes, figs, bananas and cranberries, will keep for a long time in the natural state, if properly preserved. Some of them can be dried and used in the winter. Fresh fancy summer fruits are not required during the winter by healthy individuals, neither are canned fruits, jams or jellies.

The canning of fruits during hot summer days is a health destroying occupation and a waste of time and money. Fresh fruits prepared with a large amount of water and sugar are little better than beer, wine and whiskey. If such fruits are eaten with yeast bread, potatoes and a variety of other foodstuffs, they set up fermentation and burden the eliminating organs. A few jars of sterilized fruit juice should be prepared and kept on hand for medicinal purposes only.

Fruits are an important article of diet, but few people know how to use them wisely. A large percentage of deaths in young children is due directly to the wrong use of fruits. Many forms of infantile paralysis, intestinal disease and malnutrition in general are due to the lack of knowledge of the scientific combination of fruits with other articles of food, so as to furnish a wholesome meal.

Many teachers of Domestic Science and writers in monthly magazines seem to have forgotten, entirely of what an ordinary mixed diet should consist. Their bills-of-fare are becoming more complex all the time. We find combinations, such as banana fritters, custard, meat, potatoes, nuts, milk, biscuits, dates, several kinds of vegetables, puddings, cheese, coffee, cake and ice cream, suggested for =one meal= (sometimes less, other times more than this). Any intelligent, thinking person must realize that such a mixture, besides being a great waste, will turn the stomach of the strongest individual into a yeast pot. Those with strong eliminating organs, who take plenty of out-door exercise and recreation of some kind, may be able to throw off the excess of poison for a long period, while others endowed with less vigor will suffer from the effects within a short time.

People who live on cooked foods consisting mainly of meat, bread, sugar, soups, puddings, cooked cereals, milk, etc., should realize that they have already filled their systems with foods which contain a large amount of water, and therefore will overburden their intestines and kidneys by adding a liberal amount of fruits to such a dietary. There is always great danger of fermentation and putrefaction, especially if constipation sets in, and here we have all the dangers of modern diseases, which begin with mal-nutrition, be it from under-or over-feeding. Only the most perfect specimens of men and women are safe from danger. Why? Because their instincts lead them to choose the right articles in the right combination, and at the table they know “when to stop,” while an individual with weak sensory nerves does not feel the effects of satisfaction from the food until dullness, pain or discomfort appear. It is from this latter class mostly, that we have our health reformers, while the former class with their perfect battery, which can turn the poorest food materials into first grade tissue, look on us as diet cranks and faddists.

The man who ate three square meals all his life, indulged in tea, coffee, liquor and tobacco, was never sick and lived to be 100 years old, probably could have lengthened his years to 300, had he not been so dangerously strong.

The menus suggested in this book are made up carefully and scientifically, so that each individual can easily find a diet suited to his temperament, environment, age and occupation. Nuts contain a high percentage of protein, and therefore form an ideal dietary in combination with fruits. Meats, eggs, cheese, cream and fish are the next best articles suitable to combine with fruits; raw greens are an excellent addition, but breads, puddings, sugars, beverages, mushes and cooked vegetables are better left out at a meal if an abundance of fruits are taken, especially at dinner, or the amount of watery foods taken into the body during twenty-four hours will not be in the proper proportion to the solids. Dry legumes are very rich in protein, but being dissolved with water during the cooking process are less suited to combine with raw fruits, especially for those suffering with flatulence or kidney disorders. Apples, tomatoes and vegetables combine best with legumes. Apples and tomatoes, being of the most perfect type of foods, combine well with all classes of protein foods, including cereals. They should be staple articles in every household. As to other fruit combinations, study recipes and menus, and keep in mind that no matter how valuable an article may be, excess is a poison.

Those who live mainly upon dry foods, such as uncooked cereals and nuts, can safely make their morning and evening meal of fruits alone, while others who live like the average, if they attempt to make a meal of fruits alone, and continue to do active work, will soon fail in health.

BERRIES.

All berries are rich in minerals and feed the brain cells. They contain traces of protein. Blackberries and huckleberries are rich in volatile oils and iron, and are of great medicinal value. They are excellent for the evening meal in the form of gruels and drinks.

People with digestive troubles should be careful in combining raw blackberries with other foods. They are rich in protein and may take the place of part of the meat dish on hot summer days. They should never be used as a dessert after a heavy meal.

STRAWBERRIES.

Strawberries are the first fruit to make their appearance in the spring. They are rich in iron and valuable acids. As they are in season for a long time they should not be eaten to excess, never more than once per day. From three to eight ounces, according to age, is sufficient for one meal. If perfectly fresh, they combine well with fresh cream or milk. Yeast bread, red meats or legumes should not be eaten at the same meal with strawberries. Berries which have undergone slight decomposition should be placed in a mason fruit jar with a little water and be sterilized. This juice will keep for several days in a cold place and can be used for the flavoring of milk, or for softening zwieback which is to be served with cream or milk. If the juice has undergone fermentation reboil it before using. It may be used for fruit puddings or fruit gruels or be mixed with other fruit juices. In this way everything is utilized and nothing wasted.

CHERRIES.

The cherry season is short. Therefore, they should be eaten almost daily. All varieties are wholesome. If desired, several kinds may be mixed at one meal. They combine well with egg foods, whole wheat, cornmeal and fish. They may be eaten at the beginning or at the end of a meal or by themselves. People with weak stomachs should not eat them at night.

BLACKBERRIES.

They are a valuable and nutritious fruit and can form a perfect meal in combination with light cereal foods. They have little preservative properties and therefore should be eaten only when perfectly fresh. For young children or people with intestinal weakness, only the juice should be used in the form of wine or gruels.

RASPBERRIES.

They are a light and delicious fruit. They combine well with milk, egg foods, or nuts, and can be served morning, noon or night.

PEACHES, PEARS AND APRICOTS.

They are all three rich in sugar and cellulose, and can form a substitute for part of the cereal foods during hot summer days. (See recipes for Salads.)

THE PINEAPPLE.

The pineapple contains bromaline and is of medicinal value in the treatment of certain stomach disorders. It is not a necessary article for the table of people of moderate means.

BANANAS.

They are a very nutritious fruit and can partially replace the cereals. If combined with green leaves, and lemon, they can form a perfect meal. The bitter substance which is contained in the inner skin of the banana should be scraped off with a knife and added to the bulk, as it counteracts the sweet flavor of the banana and adds to its digestibility. Baked bananas are not necessary for a healthy stomach.

APPLES.

They are among the most perfect of fruits. People who have difficulty in digesting a sufficient amount of cereals should eat apples almost daily. If raw apples disagree, they can be made agreeable by combining them with fat meats or oil in the form of a salad. Baked apples and apple sauce are also good, provided they are not spoiled with too much sugar. Some apples are fibrous and muscle-feeding; others are richer in phosphates and valuable minerals. For salads use tart apples.

GRAPES.

Grapes are a valuable fruit for the table if eaten in the right proportion with other foods which contain fat and protein. They are rich in sugar and tartaric acid. As a medicinal fruit they may be eaten in large quantities by themselves.

NECTARINES.

Like the pineapple, they belong to the luxurious fruits and are adapted for people with a large purse. They are rich in sugar and starch, with a small amount of cellulose.

ORANGES, GRAPEFRUIT, LEMONS AND LIMES.

They all belong to the citric acid group, and are of all the fruits, the richest in valuable acids, which in the process of digestion are converted into salts, rendering the blood more alkaline. The latter three should be used in greater quantities in countries near the coast or in low and damp districts, especially during the rainy season. The outer skin is rich in volatile oils and is useful in the preparation of fruit-and-milk soups. The white rind is useful as a medicine, for patients who suffer from malaria. A small amount of it chewed while sipping a glass of fresh milk will greatly add to the digestibility of the milk and serve as a germicide to the liver. The juice of one-quarter of a lemon may be taken in connection with the skin of one-half a lemon, in combination with a glass of milk. During fever, the skin should be carefully expectorated.

FRUIT JELLIES.

If prepared from fruit juice and cane sugar only, they are powerful stimulants and have little food value, for the reason that they arouse the nerve cells to extreme activity and rapid oxidation. They furnish no food for the nerve cells, and the nutritious elements in the other food materials taken in combination with these jellies pass out of the body without being assimilated, or produce congestion and inflammatory conditions. Even natural stimulants, in the form of raw fruits, can become harmful if taken, in excess, or in the wrong combinations, unsuitable to the individual requirements. If the glycogen-making function of the liver becomes overburdened, the result will be diabetes, neuralgia or starch-poison.

COMPOTES OR STEWED FRUITS.

They are more wholesome and economical than jams and jellies, which are prepared with large amounts of sugar.

They are best served with the meat dish or with some substantial pudding. If served with sponge cake at the end of a meal, the digestive juice becomes acid, and produces fermentation and mal-nutrition.

PLUMS.

Green, red and blue plums are all valuable fruits. The blue plum is rich in iron, minerals, and sugar, and is, next to apples and tomatoes, one of the most perfect fruits. It has great preserving qualities and if picked on a dry, sunny day and placed carefully in straw in a dry, cold place, will keep until Christmas. For combination, see menus and salads.

People who have distress from eating raw plums should let them alone or eat them in the dried state only.

FIGS AND DATES.

They have an average of thirty per cent water, are rich in sugar and contain some protein and saline matter. They are an excellent food for people who are fond of sweets. They are more wholesome than canned summer fruits. However, they should not be indulged in during hot summer days, or in the spring time when the brain needs relaxation.

THE WATERMELON.

This is the largest of the melon fruits, containing sugar, salts, cellulose and distilled water. It is an excellent food during hot weather. People who suffer from chronic kidney disorders should only indulge in it in small quantities at a time, and never combine it with mushy or other starchy foods. A few drops of lemon is a good addition, in place of free salt.

MUSKMELON.

This fruit is also rich in sugar and cellulose. What has been said of watermelon in reference to combination also applies to this fruit.

CRANBERRIES.

Cranberries, like gooseberries, currants and lemons, are purifying to the blood and very valuable as a food in malarial districts. Cranberries combine well with oatmeal, cornmeal, pork, chicken, turkey and veal. Use no more sugar for the preparation than is absolutely necessary to counteract the tart taste. Cranberry jelly prepared with pure sugar is unwholesome. Raw cranberries and raw celery are a good combination for salad.

CEREALS.

Cereals are the most perfect products of the vegetable kingdom, and make fairly well balanced foods. They are deficient in fat, with the exception of corn and oats. In the processes of milling and cooking, cereals have been more abused than any other foods, by depriving them of their valuable minerals, and by compounding them into soft putrefying puddings or rich cakes. Concentrated or predigested cereals, as advertised under the name of breakfast foods, cannot take the place of ordinary rolled, whole, or steel cut cereals; they have lost valuable salts and lime during the process of baking and they also deprive the walls of the stomach of the normal stimulus, which is necessary for thorough utilization.

Well boiled cereal foods in the form of dumplings, macaroni, noodles or whole cereals are stimulating and heating to the whole alimentary tract, they take longer to digest, and are more thoroughly utilized by the system. Predigested cereals and zwieback are more suitable for the evening meal, or at the end of the noon meal, when the body has expended energy. Shredded wheat and zwieback may be used with benefit for breakfast, if a sufficient amount of raw fruits or greens is eaten with them, but if they are used in combination with other predigested foods, such as milk or sugar, it gives the intestine nothing to do. For the evening meal, toasted breads and cereals combine well with such foods as supply the lack of lime, fats and minerals: cream, fruit-gruels, yolks of eggs, gelatine, sago, milk and green foods.

WHEAT.

Wheat can be used the year around. In cooking cereals it is very important to start with the right quantity of water, and allow each starch granule to burst by fast boiling during the first twenty or thirty minutes. After this, let it cook slowly for twenty or thirty minutes longer, or until it is done. It is not necessary to cook cereals for several hours in order to make them fit for the human stomach. If well boiled cereals disagree, they are generally poorly prepared and allowed to get pasty before the starch granules have burst, or else they are combined with raw sugar and cream, which produces fermentation.

RYE.

Rye is richer in minerals and contains less starch than wheat. It is not superior to wheat, but it is one of the oldest and most perfect foods, and is the staff of life to some of the healthiest and strongest races of the old world. It is laxative, and because of this it is more suitable for certain individuals than for others. Rye is a good winter food; during the summer we have many valuable berries which supply the system with certain minerals, therefore we require less of rye bread, or rye preparations, during this time of the year.

Rye combines well with all starchy fruits and vegetables, which are deficient in minerals, such as potatoes, pumpkins, squash, melons, turnips, carrots, beets, bananas, cucumbers, rice and corn. It also combines well with sweet fruits. Apples, pork, veal, lamb, cheese, eggs, cream, milk, bacon and oily foods are all good additions to rye. Boiled rye and starchy foods are unsuitable combinations.

Whole rye or wheat bread should never be eaten fresh. It should be kept in a bread box, with good ventilation, in a dry place, or near the stove. Sun dried bread is the best.

OATS.

Oats are rich in fat and lime, and like wheat and rye belong to the most perfect foods. A fireless cooker is a convenient apparatus for the preparation of oats and wheat. They should be thoroughly cooked for at least half an hour before setting them into the fireless cooker.

RICE.

Rice, although low in protein and fat, is one of the most easily digested of all cereals, and is especially suitable for brain workers and people of sedentary habits. This book contains a large number of different recipes for the preparation of rice.

SAGO AND TAPIOCA.

They are manufactured from certain palms and roots, and belong to the lighter forms of cereals. They are easily digested if soaked for several hours before cooking, and can be partially substituted for the heavier cereals. Cornstarch, arrowroot, potato-flour and agar agar belong to the same class. They are all valuable for the sick and for young children.

BARLEY.

Barley is also rich in lime; it should take a more prominent place among food substances than it does. Pearl barley should be soaked with soft water before cooking. If it is to be strained, mash it up thoroughly with a potato masher, and pour more boiling water over it after the first liquid is strained off.

ANIMAL FOODS.

EGGS.

Eggs contain all the elements necessary for the building up of a young animal; they also contain all the elements which can be found in the human body. The eggs of hens are used most commonly. The chemical combination of the whole egg and that of the brain and nervous system have much in common. The white of the egg contains about eighty per cent water, twelve of albumen, a small amount of fat and some salts. For medicinal purposes, eggs should be fresh, directly from the nest. Eggs are deficient in minerals and should be combined with foods which are rich in minerals.

CHEESE.

Cheese is one of the most economical and nutritious of foods, and a true meat substitute. To serve cheese after a dinner is a wasteful extravagance, and dangerous to health. Cheese combines well with bread, macaroni, potato and other cereals; raw greens are also a good addition. Cooking or baking cheese makes it indigestible. Grated or sliced is the best way to serve it. People who have difficulty in digesting cheese should always combine it with raw apples, onions, or tomatoes and lettuce, in the form of a salad. If it still disagrees, leave out the cereals entirely at the meal, or use black bread with it. A combination of cheese, eggs and milk in the form of a Welsh rarebit makes a heavy and indigestible meal, and should only be indulged in by people who are very strong, and exercise a great deal out of doors.

MEAT.

People who live almost entirely on cooked foodstuffs and white flour bread, find meat a necessary article of food, and consume it in larger quantities than would be necessary, if whole wheat bread and raw fruits and greens were used. Under the present systems of forced and improper feeding of animals, and the preservation of meats by cold storage, flesh foods are becoming more dangerous. There is no need for such an excess in the production of meat, except to satisfy our habits. If human beings and animals are fed by force, they are not healthy. Flesh, eggs and milk from animals which are fed by force, are unwholesome and inferior in quality.

Under certain conditions and in cold climates, meat is a necessity, therefore the feeding of animals should be under the observation of health officers. We need quality more than quantity.

Pork, although condemned by many people as unfit for food, is a wholesome article, if the animal is fed upon dry, substantial food. Pork requires a longer time to digest than other meat, and therefore it should not be eaten at the evening meal. Pork was considered as an unclean food by the ancient Jews; perhaps the reason for this was that the Jew’s system did not require pork, because of his constitution and the climatic conditions. Fat pork is a specific food for the kidneys; it is less stimulating and easier to oxidize than any other meat.

Beef is perhaps the most economical meat for family use. A good quality of meat should contain both fat and lean. All meats should be well soaked and washed before cooking. Cold meats are sometimes more agreeable than hot meats.

Veal, lamb, chicken and game are all wholesome meats if eaten in moderation and at the right time of the year. Fresh meats should not be served oftener than once per day, or better still, three times per week. The internal organs and glands, such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, tongue and stomach, are very nutritious. Sausages, if prepared from fresh, clean meat, and not highly seasoned, are cheaper and more nourishing than canned meats, and often preferable to fresh meat, which has hung a long time in a meat shop. The internal organs contain much lime and organic salts, as they feed the glands of the body; they should be well soaked before cooking, in order to drain the thick and impure blood out of them.

Beefsteak, chops and roasts should be slightly salted before they are cooked. Free salt sprinkled on meat, or other dry foods, before serving, is injurious to the lining of the stomach and blood vessels; lemon can be used instead. Many people have an abnormal craving for salt. This is a symptom of anemia; the system lacks minerals. The only way to supply the necessary elements is by taking salt in the organized state in raw greens and fruits. Free salt can satisfy such craving temporarily, but it creates an abnormal thirst. Raw apples, tomatoes and all other acid fruits, in combination with greens, are the best additions to meats.

FISH.

Fish is a valuable article of food. It is less stimulating than lean meat, and easier to digest and oxidize; for this reason it can be recommended for brain workers. It contains a large amount of phosphorus and nitrogen, and if properly combined with foods which are rich in minerals, such as apples, tomatoes, lemons and greens, fish is quickly utilized. Fish and whole rye bread is also an excellent combination. Fish being soft, it is necessary that it be thoroughly masticated. Fish can become very dangerous as a food when not fresh.

MILK.

Milk is found indispensable in some cases of sickness, especially in fevers. The greatest care should be exercised in getting clean, fresh and perfect milk, and in keeping it in a cold, clean atmosphere after delivery. Milk may be given as a food, raw, boiled, sterilized, pasteurized, or peptonized, and can be modified with water or other foods in many different ways. The best and most suitable method of preparing it for the patient must be left to the attending physician.

The color of perfect milk is yellowish white, =not blue white=. Its odor is pleasant. A drop of milk poured into a glass of fresh water will go to the bottom if it is good milk. In order to ascertain if the milk is alkaline, neutral or acid, put a small piece of red litmus paper into it, and if it turns strongly blue the milk is alkaline. If a blue litmus paper turns strongly red, the milk is acid. Perfect milk should be neutral or slightly alkaline. After the milk has stood for several hours it gradually becomes more acid.

Milk which is acid in reaction, or blue in color, is unfit as a food for children and invalids. If a mother is uncertain as to the quality of the milk she is feeding her child, she should have it examined by the city chemist.

Milk, even if handled very carefully, contains many germs. Therefore, on hot days it is better to sterilize the milk for an infant, even if the child is in perfect health, or able to take raw milk. If the milk can be obtained directly from the cow two or three times per day, it may be given raw on those occasions. If it has stood a little while, it may be heated quickly to 155 degrees F. over a hot fire, while stirring it.

CERTIFIED MILK.

This is a high grade of sanitary milk which comes from special dairies, where great care is taken to keep everything in perfect sanitary condition. The cows are kept in perfect health and are fed upon food which produces milk perfect in composition. There are, however, milkmen who have principle enough to supply their customers with milk of good character and perhaps of as high a grade as that from inspected dairies.

I have, in my practice, often come in contact with people who were informed by their milkmen that certified milk required no boiling or sterilization. Some people are impressed with the idea that certified milk has already undergone some sort of preparation. The fact that in these days milk laboratories can be found in many large cities, may easily bring confusion of mind as to “what the milk is certified for,” especially to those who are not acquainted with the preparation of milk and do not know the difference between raw and sterilized milk, if they buy it. Such instructions should be given by better authorities than those who deliver milk, or the label should state “what the milk is certified for.” Certified, or any other raw milk, which is over eight hours old, is not a fit food for infants.

BOILED MILK AND CREAM FOR TABLE USE.

Put the desired amount of milk or cream, or mixed milk and cream, into a clean saucepan, stir over a hot fire until it reaches the boiling point or to about 200°F. Then pour into a pitcher and set in a pan of cold water; stir until the milk is cold. Set on ice or in a cold place for 24 hours. Milk prepared in this way is the only wholesome kind to use in addition to boiled cereals and fruit puddings. It is also often preferable to raw cream and milk, in combination with raw fruits. If the milk is to be used on cereals for the morning meal, it can be reheated or used directly after boiling. If hot milk is added to cereals, the sugar will not be missed.

If boiled milk or cream has stood for 24 hours it has become unfit for further use unless it is reboiled. If putrefaction has set in, boiled milk can become more dangerous as a food than raw milk which has stood for the same length of time; therefore careful handling of boiled milk as well as other boiled foods is of the utmost importance. (See Chapter on Hygiene and Economy, under Left-Overs.)

In many foreign countries it is a general custom in every household to boil milk directly after delivery, for the infant as well as for table use. To do differently means uncleanliness. Modern invention of coolers and ice-boxes in every house, and delivery of milk in bottles, has gradually done away with this custom. Many of our present generation of house-wives are so little acquainted with practical housekeeping that they consider food fit for use as long as it has not soured, notwithstanding the many changes it has undergone on the pantry shelf. Raw cream is fit for use only directly after it has left the separator. Raw milk should not be considered fresh and wholesome for table use longer than eight or ten hours after milking, and then only with the most careful handling. Following this precaution, morning milk, which is delivered during the day, should not be used raw later than five or six o’clock in the evening. Remember that all milk begins to turn acid as soon as it comes in contact with the air. The longer it stands the more acid it will be, besides being laden with germs. The process of cooking or scalding raw milk checks the fermenting processes and renders the food more alkaline, especially if it is to be taken with cereals or fruit puddings and gelatines.

Cooked milk is not a natural food, but neither are cooked cereals. Raw milk is quickly digested, while boiled milk takes several hours to digest, and so do boiled cereals. A combination of raw milk, or cream, and cooked cereals will force the stomach to absorb the milk immediately, while the remainder, poorly masticated and filled with germs, will tend to produce an acid process rather than an alkaline. If sugar is added to raw milk and cereals, the process of intestinal fermentation is complete. If the glandular system and the eliminating organs are strong, they will work harder in order to rid the system of this excess of acid; but if the constitution is not able to stand the strain of wasteful nervous expenditure, discomfort and disease will be the result! Enlarged tonsils are often the first sign of danger. We cannot invent customs of feeding that interfere with natural laws without paying the penalty.

MISCELLANEOUS FOODS.

FATS.

Fats are derived from the animal and vegetable kingdom; they are rich in carbon and hydrogen, but poor in oxygen. Emulsified fats are present in cream, nuts and the yolks of eggs. Oleins are mainly found in oils obtained from fruits, nuts and vegetables. Butter contains mainly palmitin. Suet, from beef and mutton, consists of stearin and palmitin. Lecithin is found in yolks of eggs and in some nuts; it is a highly complex compound, and a food for the brain and nerve substance. Suet and mutton fat contain much stearin, and are harder to digest by some people than other fats. However, the digestibility of a food depends much upon the individual requirements, and a little self study will soon convince each what forms of fat are best suited to his needs. As a rule, people of large bone structures require a greater amount of fat in their food than those not so constructed.

Fats are changed into fatty acids and glycerine by the secretion of the bile and pancreatic juice, and in combination with the intestinal juices form soluble soaps. In acute diseases fats should be taken only in the form of butter, milk, or cream, in limited quantities. Fatty foods are beneficial for children suffering with scrofula or rickets, and in all chronic, wasting diseases.

People who do much indoor work, or those who are not able to digest a sufficient amount of protein or cereals, require more fats. The latter can be made easily digestible if rightly combined and prepared in the form of soups, warm sauces, boiled custards and mayonnaise dressing. In this way the fat globules are equally divided in the food and can be better emulsified than if eaten in the solid form, or in combination with white bread or other unsuitable articles. Cream, and the lighter nuts, combine well with sweet foods, while oils, yolks of eggs, meat fats, and solid fats, combine well with foods which are rich in minerals and oxygen.

People who are unable to furnish their table with expensive fats, such as butter, olives, cream, olive oil, bacon, eggs, eel and other delicacies, should use the cheaper forms of fats, as corn, oats, herring, walnuts, cream-cheese, cottonseed oil, bran, leaf lard, vegetable butter, middle rib of beef, blood and liver sausages. Meat products, prepared from the internal organs of the animal, are rich in lime and fat, and, if prepared from fresh meats of healthy animals, they are often preferable to canned and cold storage products, or to meat which hangs in a meat-shop for a week. However, every one who buys these articles should investigate the source and manner of preparation for himself.

SUGAR.

Artificial sugar is not a necessary article of food for the healthy individual who is able to supply his body with fresh and dried fruits the year round.

True candies are: figs, dates, raisins and other tropical fruits. The delicious summer fruits are better eaten without sugar. Undoubtedly nature did not mean for us to indulge in sweets during hot days, or she would have provided us more plentifully with them. All the spring fruits are tart: people who wish to improve the taste of berries add sugar to them at the expense of health. Our forefathers, who did not enjoy such luxuries, had better health than our present generation. The sugar-cane in its natural state is a valuable food. It contains gluten and minerals, such as are found in other vegetables, and if eaten in this form it is more wholesome than refined sugar. The gluten and minerals are destroyed by chemical processes which are necessary to produce sugar from the cane and beet. Pure, crystalized sugar cannot sustain life, unless it is eaten in the proper proportion, with foods which contain gluten, minerals and fats.

Sugar which contains minerals cannot crystalize; it remains syrup, therefore the latter is more wholesome than sugar. In order to produce beets, which are richer in sugar and poorer in salts, certain methods of manuring are employed. The profit gained by this method is a financial one. The consumer is the loser.

If artificial sugar is united with cocoa or other bitter, sour, nutritious substances it will serve as a food; therefore, sugar in the form of a prepared food such as chocolate, gelatine and gruels is wholesome for those who require cooked foods. If the sugar industry were diminished, the canning and stewing of fruits would also be diminished, and we would have fewer tea and coffee drunkards. All this gluttony in stimulating beverages and sweet fruit sauces was not indulged in by the masses a hundred years ago, therefore the constitution of the average individual at that time was much stronger.

Many parents are impressed with the idea that their children require a large amount of sweets, in order to make them grow. We cannot force nature without paying the penalty. At maturity, we reap what has been sown for us, or what we have sown for ourselves.

SPICES.

Spices are a species of aromatic vegetables and fruits used for the seasoning and preservation of foods. Their flavor is pleasant and stimulating to the mucous membrane of the mouth.

The odoriferous substances yielded from these plants are: the volatile oils and ethers of peppermint, roses, orange flower, lavender, camphor, lemon, bitter almond, wintergreen, cinnamon, cloves and a number of others. They are used for perfumes, medicines, confections, and in the art of cookery. Many of the spices used for food are dried, as bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, vanilla beans, dried skins of lemons and oranges. Ground spices or liquid extracts should be used sparingly. Many of them are adulterated. Free salt and ground spices create an abnormal desire for water and food, and they injure the mucous membrane lining of the blood vessels and glandular structures, and obstruct the capillaries.

People who cannot relish their food without these artificial appetizers should fast a while, or replace them by natural stimulants, as tomatoes, apples, lemons and greens. Few people realize the harm that is done by the number of salt, sugar and pepper holders that are placed on the table at every meal, to say nothing of the dozens of boxes of ground spices that fill the kitchen shelf. A pinch of pepper on gravies, milk soups, or other nutritious dishes, if mixed thoroughly with the food, assists in the coagulation of soft nitrogenous foods and prevents putrefaction, but excess of it, or if sprinkled on dry food, is very harmful.

The best way to use spices is to buy them whole, in the fresh or dried state, and chop, grate, or grind them when needed. Vanilla beans, bitter almonds, bay leaves, cinnamon bark and many others may be used whole and removed before serving.

Children’s food should never be covered with pepper or other stimulating spices. Under our present system of living salt has become a necessary adjunct to our food. Legumes, cereals or any other foods which require a large amount of water for cooking need an additional amount of salt. It should be added before the food is removed from the fire, so that the salt will be properly dissolved and combined with the food. Moderate amounts of preserved, salted meats and fish are valuable as antiseptics, if combined with soft, cooked, nutritious foods in the form of soups and gravies, or with milk foods, eggs, cereals or legumes. Salt used in this way will not hurt the lining of the alimentary tract and other tissues, as free salt does when it is sprinkled on lettuce, meat, potatoes or other dry food. Never use salted, smoked or preserved meats or fish in excess. If possible, investigate the source and manner of preparation of preserved foods.

DESSERTS.

Desserts have only been mentioned in the form of steamed puddings, gelatines, oranges, grapes or bread and butter in combination with black unsweetened coffee. Artificially prepared desserts in the form of attractive, soft puddings and other rich mixtures flatter the palate and renew the appetite. The true enjoyment of eating is in the satisfaction of hunger. The craving for desserts indicates a desire to stimulate certain nerves, which force the contents of the stomach into the intestine and destroy the digestive processes or produce decomposition, hasten absorption, and exhilarate the brain with the toxins hereby produced.

Those who desire to correct the habits of intoxication in themselves or in others should consider whether the abnormal craving is for merely physical pleasure or for the satisfaction of starved and overworked brains and bodies, and the change should be brought about accordingly. To drop a long acquired habit at once may prove harmless to one person and very fatal to another.

The worn-out digestive organs need to be toned up and developed gradually, either by stimulating fruits or fruit juices or by tonics in the form of bran-tea and malt-coffee.

People who have vigorous appetites and strong digestive organs may eat a few nuts at the end of the meal until the appetite has been restored to normal. For those who like sweets, a large number of recipes have been given for fruit salads and light cooked dishes. Many can be served as whole meals for the evening, or in combination with milk broths or soups.

MUFFINS AND PANCAKES.

Many people who find pancakes indigestible will do well to observe the time when they are most agreeable. If they are made with eggs, cream, and water, or with rich milk, and properly prepared and combined with suitable articles, they are generally agreeable to the most sensitive stomach.

People of sedentary habits, or those who do brain work mainly, should not eat pancakes or muffins for breakfast.

All ingredients, as well as the vessel, should be cold. The batter should also be made in a cold place or out of doors. The oven, the baking pans and the oil in which the cakes are baked, should be as hot as possible.

BREAD.

Bread made from white flour and yeast is the staff of death. Few people realize that if they wish to use white bread as a food the proper amount of minerals, fats and nitrogen must be added, in order to make it a perfect food. Yeast bread, if eaten with jams and jellies in large quantities between meals, is health destroying and dwarfs the body. It is also unwise to eat white bread in combination with other starches, as rice, potatoes and soft puddings. The average individual who takes plenty of out-door exercise may get along well for years on such mixtures and suffer no inconvenience, but people with poor eliminating organs or chronic ailments, or those who do much indoor work, do well to use yeast bread in moderation, especially if prepared from white flour.

Baked and boiled cereals are more nutritious than bread. In the fermenting process which takes place in rising bread, valuable substances such as lime and salts are lost. It is rendered more acid, and therefore unfit as a food for people with weak stomachs. If yeast bread is combined with foods which render the fluids of the stomach alkaline, it is less harmful.

SOUPS.

Many American housekeepers do not know how to prepare soups and do not like them. The fact that people of many nations in the old world, with smaller incomes than the average American working man, use soups daily, once or twice, and are far superior in physical strength and endurance to the latter, who lives mainly on beefsteak, white bread, potatoes, sugar, tea and coffee, should convince every one that nutritious soups are an important article of diet. Close study and persistent effort will enable every homekeeper with small means to learn how to prepare a soup that is palatable and nutritious. The daily use of white bread and butter is expensive. Besides it produces diseases, imperfect bodies and premature old age.

All who are in the habit of eating more than their systems require and especially those who indulge in large amounts of bread at dinner, would do well to begin their meal with a soup. Legume and cream soups will furnish a satisfactory meal by themselves. For combinations, see “Menus.”