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will become a leading constituent of the national bill of fare and 

 will displace the flesh meats which to-day are held in high esteem 

 but which in the broader light of the next century will be regarded 

 as objectionable and inferior foods, and will give place to the pro- 

 ducts of the various varieties of nut trees which will be recognized 

 as the choicest of all foods. 



In nutritive value the nut far exceeds all other food substances ; 

 for example, the average number of food units per pound furnished 

 by half a dozen of the more common varieties of nuts is 3231 

 calories while the average of the same number of varieties of cereals 

 is 1654 calories, half the value of nuts. The average food value of 

 the best vegetables is 300 calories per pound and of the best fresh 

 fruits grown in this country, 278 calories. The average value of 

 the six principal flesh foods is 810 calories per pound or one- fourth 

 that of nuts. 



Recent studies of the proteins of nuts by Osborne and Harris, 

 Van Slyke, Johns and Cajori, have demonstrated that the proteins 

 of nuts are at least equal to those of meat. This has been shown 

 to be true of the almond, English walnut, black walnut, butternut, 

 peanut, pecan, filbert, Brazil nut, pine nut, chestnut, hickory and 

 cocoanut; that is, of practically all the nuts in common use. 



Observations seem to show that, in general, the proteins of 

 oily seeds are complete proteins. 



Cajori's research has also shown the presence of growth-pro- 

 moting vitamins in abundant quantity in the almond, English walnut, 

 filbert, pine nut, hickory, chestnut and pecan. 



That the nut is appreciated as a dainty is attested by the fre- 

 quency with which it appears as a dessert and the extensive use 

 of various nuts as confections. That nuts do not hold a more prom- 

 inent place in the national bill of fare as food staples is due chiefly 

 to two causes ; first, the popular idea that nuts are highly indigestible, 

 and second, the limited supply. 



The notion that nuts are difficult of digestion has really no 

 foundation in fact. The idea is probably the natural outgrowth of 

 the custom of eating nuts at the close of a meal when an abund- 

 ance, more likely a super-abundance, of highly nutritious foods has 

 already been eaten and the equally injurious custom of eating nuts 

 between meals. 



Neglect of thorough mastication must also be mentioned as a 

 common cause of indigestion following the use of nuts. Nuts are 

 generally eaten dry and have a firm hard flesh which requires 

 thorough use of the organs of mastication to prepare them for the 

 action of the several digestive juices. It has been experimentally 

 shown that nuts are not well digested unless reduced to a smooth 

 paste in the mouth. Particles of nuts the size of small seeds may 

 escape digestion. Nut paste or "butter" is easily digestible, 



Delicious nut butters may be prepared from true nvits such as 

 the almond, filbert and pine-nut, by blanching and crushing, with- 



