EVERY KIND OF RIPE FRUIT IS PERMISSIBLE TO THE HEALTHY ADULT 



if peeled and cored ; to eat peel is foolish, if not criminal ; it is about as digestible 

 as cork, and may be the carrier of serious infection owing to the questionably clean 

 hands through which it often passes and the unsatisfactory conditions under which it 

 may be stored. Stewed or baked fruit is .always more easily digested than when raw. 



IN THE CASE OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND DELICATE ADULTS, 



currants, gooseberries, figs, and rhubarb are unsuitable. The skins and seeds of the 

 berries and figs and the stringy structure of rhubarb constitute serious irritants to 

 the intestines and cause many digestive troubles. The pips and skins of grapes 

 can be removed, but those of berries and figs are too small to be handled. 



A CAUTION MUST BE GIVEN ON THE SUBJECT OF BANANAS, 



which are a highly nutritious fruit, as the diagram shows. They ought only to be 

 eaten as a part of a meal, and must be entirely forbidden to young children unless 

 baked : for the starch they contain is so combined with cellulose as to be quite unfit 

 for immature digestive organs. 

 If fruit has to be bought, 



DRIED FRUIT IS ACTUALLY CHEAPER THAN FRESH, 



because the large content of \vater has been evaporated; when well soaked and 

 properly cooked they supply a useful element in winter diet. 



NUTS HAVE A HIGH FOOD-VALUE; 



indeed, they are a specially concentrated form of food, so must be employed with 

 discretion, not casually eaten by the handful or mixed vaguely into cakes or combined 

 with desserts, as if they were no more than flavouring essences. A slice of nut- 

 bread represents the equivalent of a meat-sandwich, only in a less easily digestible 

 form. When ground or crushed or well masticated, nuts add a pleasant item to 

 our dietary; but they should be looked upon as a partial substitute for meat, not 

 as a condiment. 



POTATOES ARE USED SO FREELY IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD 



that this diagram of their worth as food is sure to arouse interest. They have about 

 a quarter the nutritive value of bread, but offer a useful form of carbohydrate, in 

 addition to their importance as a source of mineral salts. The waste of nutrients in 

 carelessly peeled potatoes is also depicted; for reckless waste is always sinful, what- 

 ever the income may be. 



IN FIG. 2 IS SHOWN THE CONSTITUENTS OF CARROTS AND CABBAGE, 



which with turnips, onions, squash, and other winter vegetables provide flavourings, 

 salts, and bulk in our diet. They thus contribute to its nutritious qualities by 

 promoting digestion, assimilation, and excretion. 



WHAT ARE WE TO BELIEVE ABOUT THE FOOD-VALUE OF PEAS, 

 BEANS, AND LENTILS? 



will be the next question. Can these pulses replace meat, and is vegetarianism 

 really advisable for us all? 



The nutritive value of pulses is high, especially in protein ; indeed, a kind of 

 cheese and even an artificial milk can be prepared from soy beans; but all pulses 

 require many hours' soaking as well as prolonged cooking before they are eatable, 

 which is not always convenient or economical of fuel. By the way. the addition of 

 a small amount of bicarbonate of potash to the water in which they are soaked 

 renders them more digestible. During the soaking process 



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