THE VARIETY OF THESE PUDDINGS 



and their method of service is well-nigh limitless. They may appear as raisin, 

 ginger, lemon, or fruit puddings ; they may be served with sauces, sweet or savoury ; 

 they may form a crust enclosing meat, game, or fruit ; they may be boiled, steamed, 

 or baked, preferably steamed, and the longer, in reason, the steaming process, the 

 more successful and digestible the pudding. The fireless cooker is a valuable ally 

 in the preparation of such puddings, which are acceptable to most people until the 

 weather becomes mild, when they quickly cease to be "pleasure-giving." Then 

 follows the season for " lighter desserts," in which eggs, cream, and milk enter 

 more prominently, when, happily, they are at their cheapest. 



Fig. 4 clearly demonstrates the high worth of an egg as a source of fat in our 

 diet; and fat, too, in a highly digestible form. Butter and cream also furnish this 

 nutrient in a much more easily assimilated form than the fat of beef or mutton, 

 for instance, which tax some digestions, especially when eaten cold. This remark 

 does not apply to finely grated suet or to " well-rnbbed-in " lard, which rarely dis- 

 agree when sufficiently cooked in pudding form after the age of two or three years. 



Doubtless, the question of the position of pastry and cakes as 



"PLEASURE-GIVING" ELEMENTS IN OUR DIET 



has been already asked mentally by every reader of these pages. " Is pastry whole- 

 some; and, if not, why not?" will be on the lips of every consumer of the popular 

 national dish pie. 



Well-made, well-baked pastry is a quite allowable " pleasure " to healthy adults, 

 if eaten with moderation and not too frequently. It should certainly not enter into 

 the dietary of children, for good reasons. 



As was explained on page 11 in Bulletin 3G, all the nutrients in starch foods 

 are enclosed in indigestible envelopes which it is the object of cooking to burst <>r 

 dissolve. Now, when butter or any form of fat is combined with flour and then 

 baked, each grain of starch is enclosed in a film of grease. Grease, as we all know. 

 protects what it covers from moisture; consequently, the water with which the 

 pastry is mixed cannot reach the particles of fat-coated flour, and they remain 

 largely unchanged in character that is to say, indigestible. 



A CHILD NEEDS TO UTILIZE EVERY SCRAP OF FOOD EATEN 



if he is to grow and thrive; but his digestive system is not fully developed, and is 

 liable to suffer more or less seriously from efforts to grapple with material unsuited 

 to its capacity. Good pastry, once or twice a week, therefore, is legitimate for the 

 average adult, but illegitimate for the child. 



Another reason for the "bad name" given to pastry lies in the change under- 

 gone by fat when exposed to the high temperature necessary to the baking of 

 successful pastry. Irritating products are formed which interfere with the process 

 of normal digestion. 



IN RESPECT OF CAKES, 



so much depends on the conditions under which they are eaten and the kind of cake. 

 A slice or two of plain cake, eaten at meal-time, is allowable for all ages after the 

 second or third year. It is a medium for fat and carbohydrates, susceptible of a 

 wide variety in flavour, even when quite inexpensive ingredients are employed. But 

 if rich with butter, eggs, nuts, and fruit, then the matter assumes a different com- 

 plexion; for the compound 1 is highly concentrated and nutritious, only to be eaten 

 very sparingly even by adults, on account of the tax it imposes on the digestion. 

 Such cakes are wholly objectionable for children. 



THE CUSTOM OF ADDING CHOPPED NUTS TO CAKES 

 increases to a very high degree their digestive demands; they become undesirable 

 as additions to a full meal; while currants, whether fresh or dried, can never be 

 digested, and often cause considerable intestinal irritation in young children. Raisins 

 and sultanas should always replace currants in the interests of health. 



14 



