NUTRITIOlSr INVESTIGATIONS AND THEIR RESULTS. 371 



much the same digest ibiUty and total nutritive value pound for 

 pound as the finer flours, while those which retain the outer portions 

 of the grain are more directl}^ comparable with whole wheat and 

 graham flours. 



Studies of the nutritive value of dried legumes have formed an 

 important part of the nutrition investigations and have shown that 

 in general these foods are well assimilated and may be made very 

 important and economical sources of protein in the diet. Particular 

 interest attaches to the results obtained with cowpeas, an important 

 crop in the Southern States but little known in other regions. This 

 legume, which possesses a distinctive and palatable flavor and may 

 be cooked in a variety of ways, has been shown to closely resemble 

 the more common beans and peas in digestibility and nutritive mate- 

 rial, and is well worthy of general use. 



The investigations with fruits and nuts have demonstrated that 

 these materials may be f airl}^ regarded as economical sources of nutri- 

 ents and energy, even when used in fairly large amounts, and indicate 

 that an appreciation of their real food value will greatly increase the 

 amounts consumed. 



The extended investigations which have to do with the losses 

 sustained when meat is cooked in various ways have shown that 

 the loss is smaller in boiling than in roasting or frying. In general, 

 the principal constituent lost in cooking is water, though when meat 

 is boiled the amount of total substance which is removed may be as 

 great as 20 per cent. Generally speaking, the smaller the cut the 

 greater the percentage loss in cooking. The investigations have also 

 shown that it is possible to control temperature and other factors so 

 that uniform results may be obtained in the preparation of meat in 

 the household or where it is cooked in larger quantities. 



PEDAGOGICS OF NUTRITION. 



An examination in detail of the courses in home economics given 

 at the fifty or more agricultural colleges and other institutions receiv- 

 ing Government aid will show that the instruction in nutrition is very 

 largely based on the results of the food investigations which have been 

 carried on under the auspices of this Department. The same is true 

 of the courses of instruction along this line given in high schools, 

 universities, medical colleges, and other American educational insti- 

 tutions. The number of text-books on food and nutrition has been 

 comparatively limited, and at present a large proportion of teachers 

 giving instruction in these subjects depend on Department publica- 

 tions to supply this need. It is worthy of note that the newer text- 

 books and handbooks of nutrition and physiological chemistry draw 

 very largely upon the data furnished by these nutrition investigations, 

 and that the authors almost uniformly acknowledge their indebted- 

 ness to the Department work and their appreciation of it. A similar 



