otein (above 40 per cent. of their total calories, or food value,
being protein). Those in the two compartments next below are merely
"high" in protein (20 to 40 per cent.), while the lowest three
compartments contain those "moderate or deficient" in protein (zero to
20 per cent.).

The compartment farthest to the right contains a list of those foods
"very rich in fat." The two compartments next to the left contain those
"rich in fat," and the three compartments to the extreme left contain
those "poor in fat."

With reference to carbohydrates (starch or sugar), we can say that the
foods in the lower left compartment are very rich in carbohydrate. Those
in the two neighboring compartments (the one beginning "shell-fish" and
the one beginning "peanuts") are moderate, and those in the remaining
compartments are those poorest in carbohydrate.

Thus, practically, the nearer the name of any food is to the upper
corner of this triangular table, the more protein that food contains;
the nearer it is to the right hand corner, the more fat; and the nearer
to the remaining corner (lower left), the more carbohydrate (starch and
sugar).

[Sidenote: Ideal Food Proportions]

An ideal proportion of the three food elements is to be had only in the
middle compartment of the lowest row. But it is by no means necessary or
advisable to confine one's diet to the few foods which happen to fall in
that compartment, provided foods chosen from other compartments
_balance_ each other. Thus, fruit and nuts balance each other, the one
being at the left and the other at the right of the ideal compartment.
In the same way, potatoes and cream balance each other, as do bread and
butter. Instinctively these combinations have been chosen, especially
bread and butter. This combination is, however, slightly too low in
protein, and a better balance is obtained by adding a little from the
compartment vertically above the ideal. In this way we obtain the
familiar meat-, egg-, or cheese-sandwich, constituting of itself a
fairly well-balanced meal.

In short, in order to maintain a diet correct as to protein, it is only
necessary to make our main choices from the lowest row and, in case the
foods so chosen are near the bottom, to supplement these by a moderate
use from the row above and a still more sparing use of those in the top
compartment.

The following more detailed and specific table of food values will prove
helpful to those who desire intellige