PROTEID FOODS. 169 



People who cannot afford to buy tenderloin may take some 

 comfort in knowing that there is really more nourishment 

 in a round steak. 



Fish, when fresh, is a good food. Although, as a rule, 

 salted meats are less easily digested than fresh, salted cod- 

 fish is a nourishing and economical food. 



Eggs contain considerable proteid, but their value as food 

 has been overrated. The yolk has a large amount of fat. 

 (See Appendix.) Although the egg has all the material 

 needed to form a chick, it is not a perfect food for man. 



Milk, as we have seen, is an ideal food in that it contains 

 all the kinds of foodstuffs, and in the right proportion for the 

 young mammal. But the proportions are not right for the 

 adult. An adult would need four quarts and a half daily, 

 and then he would not get enough carbohydrates (represented 

 in milk by the sugar). 



CHEESE. Cheese is very rich in proteid, much more so 

 than lean meat. Yet, as it is rather difficult of digestion we 

 do not use it largely as food ; we regard it more as a luxury, 

 while in many parts of Europe it is largely used as food, 

 taking the place of meat. It is a cheap food, and might 

 well be used more extensively, especially by laboring men. 

 It is stated that when taken with milk it is more readily 

 digested. 



VEGETABLE PROTEIDS. Peas and beans (dried) contain as 

 much proteid (legumin) as meat, and all the cereals contain 

 some proteid (gluten). 



Fats. Fats are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxy- 

 gen. The oxygen is small in amount, so these foods yield 

 a great amount of energy by the oxidation of their carbon 

 (forming carbon dioxid) and hydrogen (forming water). (For 

 further properties of the fats and their importance as food, 

 see Appendix). 



