ced diet. A quarter of a pound
of meat a day is not undesirable for an adult, but a pound a day may
result in general overeating or in the special ills which are related
directly to a large quantity of meat. One of these is an upsetting of a
proper balance of food elements in the diet. Diets high in meat are apt to
be low in milk and consequently low in calcium. If the income is limited
this is almost sure to be the case, since there will not be enough money
to provide meat freely and at the same time satisfy other nutritive
requirements. Such diets are also likely to be low in fuel value and not
provide enough working force even while men are declaring that they must
have meat to give them strength. They would have more strength and a
better diet from every point of view if part of the meat money were spent
for milk. So the injunction to buy three quarts of milk to one pound of
meat is a good rule for securing a well balanced and ample diet at the
lowest cost.

Another good rule is to spend no more for meat, fish, and eggs than for
milk, and as much for fruits and vegetables as for meat, fish, and eggs.
Families very commonly spend as much as one-third of the food money for
meat; and, while they may secure a full third of their protein, iron, and
phosphorus in this way, they may not get more than a sixth of their fuel
and almost no calcium. Three quarts of milk at fourteen cents a quart will
yield about 2,000 calories. For an expenditure of forty-two cents for beef
as free from waste as milk, we would pay perhaps thirty-two cents per
pound. A pound and a quarter of lean beef would yield about 1,000
calories. So as fuel alone the milk would be twice as cheap as the meat.
Three quarts of milk would yield almost if not quite as much protein as
the meat and a liberal supply of calcium to offset the iron furnished by
the meat. Everything considered, then, milk is a better investment than
meat. The same is true of some of the other foods which supply protein in
the diet such as dry peas and beans; cheese and peanut butter are at least
twice as valuable nutritionally as beef. The domestic problem is to make
palatable dishes from these foods. This requires time and patience. The
cook must not get discouraged if the first trial does not bring marked
success. The rest of the family should count it their "bit" to eat
valiantly until they can eat joyfully.

CHAPTER IV

THE POTATO AND ITS SUBSTITUTES

Never did it seem