204 DATEGROWING 



Dates are at once an enjoyable confection and a 

 substantial energy producer. They really contain all 

 the elements that a balanced diet calls for, protein, 

 fats, salts, and carbohydrates, and all in available 

 form for the human system. Proteins form the 

 pivotal point or central building block in the animal 

 cell. The date does not contain suflBcient protein 

 to be a tissue builder. But the cell nucleus must 

 surround itself with energy producers, with phys- 

 iological fuel, and here the date comes in with its 

 seventy to ninety per cent, carbohydrate content. 



One pound of dates has a calorie value of 1,275, 

 a calorie being the physiological heat unit or unit of 

 potential. 



A workman of ordinary build and weight at 

 ordinary hard labor will require 3000 calories per day 

 of fuel or food energy. It can readily be seen how 

 far two or three pounds of dates per day will go 

 toward supplying the human machinery with fuel 

 to preserve the temperature equilibrium and give 

 the energy which finds expression in muscular activity. 



According to the Atwater bulletin on food 

 composition issued by the United States department 

 of agriculture, the dried date shows the following 

 percentage composition; 



Carbohydrates 70 . 6 



Protein 1.9 



Fat 2.5 



Water 13.8 



Ash (mineral salts) 1.2 



Refuse (fibre) 10.0 



100.0 



