64 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



amount of building and fuel materials are the legumes. 

 Peas and beans are the most common specimens of 

 these used in America and Europe. In their ripened 

 and dried state beans are about one-eighth water, 

 a little more than one-fifth proteid, two-hundredths 

 fat, three-fifths starch and sugar, and about three- 

 hundredths salts. Peas have a little less water and 

 fat, but a slightly larger percentage of proteid, 

 starch, and sugar. As legumes are so inexpensive, 

 and at the same time so abundantly supplied with 

 proteid, why are they not more largely relied upon 

 for tissue-building food ? Chiefly because it is difficult 

 for some people to digest them on account of the tough 

 outer fiber. 



If dried peas and beans are soaked several hours 

 before being placed on the stove, and are cooked a long 

 time, this fiber does not cause so much disturbance. 

 If, after such preparation, they are put through a 

 colander, the fibrous part is largely removed, and what 

 passes through may be made into broth that is nourish- 

 ing and not so difficult to digest. String-beans and 

 green lima beans are much less nutritious than the 

 ripened dried beans, and green peas have the im- 

 portant food substances in considerably smaller 

 amounts than ripe dried peas. When canned, all three 

 lose about one-half their useful food components. 



Nuts are also very nutritious foods. They contain 

 from about one-seventh to one-fourth proteid, from 

 one-fourth to three-fifths fat ; from one-twentieth to 



