FOODS AND THEIR USES 59 



siderable saving in the year's expenses might be effected. 

 Figure 22 shows the weights of different food materials that 

 may be purchased for 25 cents. On comparing the two 

 meats at the top of the chart, one can see that a greater 

 fraction of a pound of solid nutriment may be obtained by 

 spending 25 cents for round steak than could be secured by 

 the purchase of sirloin. Yet the latter is bought even in 

 very poor families. From oysters one gets less of the solid 

 nutrients than from any other food represented on the 

 chart; therefore, if one's income is small, this kind of food 

 should be regarded as a luxury, seldom purchased except 

 in case of sickness. 



71. Economy in the use of foods. — In discussing the 

 cooking of foods, we suggested some of the ways by which 

 the loss of nutritive ingredients may be prevented. We waste 

 foods, however, in other ways ; for instance, we often throw 

 away bones and gristle, regardless of the fact that they con- 

 tain a considerable percentage of protein, gelatin, and fat 

 from which one might make a nutritious soup. It has been 

 found that large proportions of the food materials still remain 

 in a piece of meat after it has been used for soup, even though 

 it is more or less tasteless. This meat should not be thrown 

 away, however, but should be chopped up and combined 

 with vegetables and condiments to make a hash. The 

 garbage pails of most kitchens receive far too large a per- 

 centage of the food that is bought for the household, and 

 many a dollar could be saved for other purposes if more 

 care were exercised to prevent this waste. 



The food problem, then, for the healthy human being is 

 this — ■ how to obtain the largest amount of good, nutritious food 

 for the least money. To this problem an intelligent house- 

 keeper, if she can be led to see the importance of the subject, 



