66 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



raised in the summer, many kinds may be stored or canned 

 for winter use. 



Nuts. Another kind of food of which mention should 

 be made is nuts. The value of these and the place they 

 should occupy in our diet has been largely misunderstood. 

 As regards their composition, nuts are among the most 

 concentrated foods we have, the edible portions containing 

 only a small per cent of water (five to seven per cent) . The 

 important characteristic of nuts as food is the large propor- 

 tion of protein and fat which they contain ; they rank with 

 meats and cereals in the proportion of protein and greatly 

 exceed the meats in the amount of fats. 



Mistakes in the use of nuts as food have arisen from failure 

 to understand these two facts ; first, that nuts contain large 

 amounts of protein, and second, that they are very concen- 

 trated. Their proper place is as a substitute for other 

 protein foods such as meats and beans, and not as an addition 

 to a hearty meal. Nuts have had the reputation of being 

 indigestible, but this has resulted largely from the way in 

 which they have been used. They should not be eaten at 

 the end of a hearty meal when sufficient protein food has 

 already been eaten. It is much the same as though a course 

 of meat should be served at the end of a hearty dinner. 



One precaution should be noted in eating nuts : they 

 should be thoroughly masticated, because they are such 

 concentrated foods. Failure to do this has undoubtedly 

 been another cause of the ill effects felt after eating nuts. 

 When they occupy the proper place in our diet and are 

 thoroughly masticated, nuts may form an important and 

 healthful article of food. Those people who prefer a vegeta- 

 ble diet may make nuts one of their chief sources of protein. 



Special mention should be made of peanuts on account 

 of their cheapness. Nuts as a class are a rather expensive 

 food, but peanuts as a source of both protein and energy 

 are much cheaper than meats and of equal value with cereals 



