316 



DIET 



Calculated aistd Determined Dietary 

 Composition 



Valid nutritional research requires that 

 the dietary composition determined by tab- 

 ular calculations be supplemented by direct 

 analyses of actual meals served. McCay 

 (44) states that the standard tables usually 

 give only the average value for the concen- 

 tration of each foodstuff; the foods actually 

 used in any meal may differ markedly in 

 composition from this standard. Further- 

 more, the analytical results on which most 

 tables are based were obtained from un- 

 processed foods. Usually no corrections are 

 provided for vitamin and mineral losses that 

 occur during storage, preparation, cooking, 

 or holding the food. When such corrections 

 are given they may vary considerably from 

 the actual losses. 



An idea of the magnitude of the error 

 resulting from the application of the tabular 

 values to mass feeding may be obtained from 

 investigations carried out by McCay during 

 the war. On the basis of these data, Pritch- 

 ett (51) calculated that the differences 

 between the estimated and analytical values 

 were: for calories, analytical values were 

 from 3 to 45 percent less; for proteins, from 

 14 percent more to 38 percent less; for fats, 

 from 9 to 60 percent less; and for carbo- 

 hydrates, from 11 percent more to 41 per- 

 cent less. On an average, the analytical 

 values were less than the estimated results 

 by 6.3 percent for protein, 33.9 percent for 

 fat, 10.5 percent for carbohydrates, and 20 

 percent for calories. Somewhat similar dis- 

 crepancies between the calculated and de- 

 termined food values have been observed by 

 others (28, 30). 



Psychological Aspects of Food 



Although in current research most atten- 

 tion is focused on the nutritional and physio- 

 logical functions of various foodstuffs, this 

 should not obscure the older and perhaps 

 more basic aspects of eating behavior. Man 

 has developed certain food tastes and pat- 



terns, preferences and aversions. To what 

 extent these have been influenced by nutri- 

 tional needs, facilities for growing and pre- 

 serving food, mythological concepts, and 

 pleasurable sensations derived from eat- 

 ing is a debatable question. There is no 

 doubt, however, that the sensual appeal of 

 foods has been of considerable importance. 

 Even today, when nutritional information 

 is so common, most individuals choose their 

 foods more on the basis of preference than 

 on nutritional adequacy. 



The significance of the non-nutritional as- 

 pects of diet becomes more apparent when 

 other factors in the daily routine of living 

 leave one with Uttle else than his meals as 

 a welcome break in a monotonous existence. 

 Pritchett (51) pointed out that, "... Men 

 do eat as a pastime and for enjoyment when 

 on extended cruises as they have little else 

 to look forward to until they hit port again. 

 The psychological and morale factors, there- 

 fore, must also be considered in any ex- 

 tended feeding period." This has been 

 emphasized with reference to submarine 

 warfare in an earlier report by Leiter (37), 

 who stated that, "Submariners are envied 

 by all other branches of the armed forces 

 because they have always received special 

 attention as regards their foods, clothing, 

 physical condition, etc. Food has always 

 received more than its just share of atten- 

 tion and it is not unusual to find such 

 delicacies as lobster, crab meat, sardines 

 in olive oil, canned turkey or crushed walnut 

 ice cream topping in most submarine galleys. 

 Evidently ... no efforts" have been 

 spared "to get the Submarine Serv^ice the 

 very best in foods." In spite of the atten- 

 tion lavished on food, according to this re- 

 port there were many complaints directed 

 at the meals served during patrols. It is 

 difficult to determine how much of this dis- 

 satisfaction rested on esthetic, and how much 

 on nutritional, grounds. 



Recognizing the importance of taste and 

 of food preferences in dietary practices, one 

 cannot completely ignore the nutritional as- 



