344 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



the kinds of food that should be eaten. This year I wish to emphasize 

 especially the quantities of the different kinds it takes to supply the 

 needs of the body. 



The old method of calculating quantities of food for balanced meals 

 is long and slow and only the very exceptional housekeeper ever at- 

 tempted to use it. This year, however, t;here has been published in 

 bulletin form a partial reprint of an article "by Professor Irving Fisher 

 of Yale, which gives a much simpler method. Any one interested may 

 obtain this bulletin entitled "Food Values" by sending ten cents to 

 the American School of Home Economies, 606 West 69th street, Chicago, 

 Illinois. 



As we know, one of the chief fimctions of food is to supply the 

 body with the energy needed to maintain life and to carry on active 

 work. Since one form of energy is convertible into another, it is com- 

 mon to calculate the energy value of a food by the quantity of heat it 

 will give out when burned. The standard of measure used is the 

 calorie, which is approximately the amount of heat required to raise 

 the temperature of one pound of water 40° F. 



By the method of Fisher, the quantity of food necessary to yield 

 100 calories of heat to the body is taken as a ''standard portion." It 

 works out very conveniently in the case of many of our common foods 

 that an ordinary serving forms a 100 calorie portion. Tims as given 

 in the bulletin : 



Beef, round, boiled (fat), a small serving (1.3 oz.) yields 100 calories 



Beef, round, boiled (lean), a large serving (2.2 oz.) " 100 



Lamb chops, boiled, one small chop ( . 96 oz.) " 100 



Eggs, hens', boiled, one large egg (2.1 oz.) " 100 



Shredded wheat, one biscuit ( .94 oz.) " 100 



Bread, white, home-made, one ordinary thick slice ..(1.3 oz.) " 100 



Butter, one ordinary pat ( .44 oz.) " 100 



Corn, sweet, cooked, one side dish (3.5 oz.) " 100 "■ 



Peas, green, cooked, one serving (3. oz.) " 100 " 



Potatoes, baked, one good sized (3.05 oz.) " 100 



Apple sauce, one serving (3.9 oz.) " 100 



Spinach, cooked, two servings (6.1 oz.) " 100 



Strawberries, two servings (9.1 oz.) " 100 



Some other interesting food values are as follows: 



5 olives yield 100 calories. 



3 chocolate creams " 100 " 



7 large dill pickles " 100 



2 graham crackers " 100 



1 oz. raisins " 100 " 



1 quart clear meat soup " 100 " 



We need, daily, between twenty and thirty of these standard portions, 

 the number depending on our work, age, size, etc. (The bulletin gives 

 details on this subject also.) 



Our problem would be very easy if each 100 calorie portion equaled 



