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Meals 
OUR FAIR SHARE 
Farmers of the U. S. A. are pushing production 
of fats and oils to an all-time high. But with 
fats, as with meats, our wartime appetite and 
our military needs outrun the supply. 
Point rationing gives each of us an equal 
chance to buy our share of fats and oils. 
Though supplies are shorter than we would 
like, none of us need to go hungry for fats. 
We may not always be able to get the kind 
of fats we like best. But fats can be alternated 
one for another, just so long as meals .hold their 
satisfying, stick-to-the-ribs quality — one of the 
chief functions of fat in our food. 
It is up to each of us to get the most out of 
every bit of edible fat . . . and to waste no fat 
by letting it scorch, turn rancid, or by helping 
ourselves too liberally. It is up to us to use our 
wits — adjust our tastes — and quickly make the 
best of the wartime change in the fat supply 
picture. 
We can do surprising things to spread fats 
further and save them — if we are willing to 
put some of our peacetime habits and prefer- 
ences on ice for the duration. 
MAY 22 194 
3, BEPARTMEMT Of AGJfflltW* J 
Why We Eat Fats 
We like them. Fat gives richness and 
flavor to make mild-tasting and bulky 
foods more appetizing. 
Fats give meals staying power. They 
linger longer in the stomach than any 
other food, to stave off that hungry 
"gone" feeling. 
Fats perform functions in the body 
that no other food can take over. They 
supply certain basic body needs. 
A little fat has a lot of calories. That 
is, weight for weight, fats supply more 
than twice as much body fuel as does 
any other kind of food. This fuel keeps 
the body warm and gives it energy to 
keep going. That's why our fighting 
men, outdoor workers, and war workers 
on long shifts need more fat in their 
diets. Thus they can get the extra en- 
ergy they need from food without add- 
ing much bulk to their meals. 
Some fats contain one or more vita- 
mins. Fish-liver oils are good sources 
of vitamins A and D. Butter supplies 
vitamin A-. So does much of the oleo- 
margarine on the market — the kind 
labeled as vitamin fortified. 
We do not get all the fat in our meals 
from fats as such. Some comes from 
other foods that have a large amount 
of fat in their makeup. These include 
cream, fat meats and fat fish, soybeans, 
nuts, nut butters, egg yolk, cheese. 
Even avocados and olives can supply 
some of the fat in your meals. 
AWI-34 Prepared by 
BUREAU OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND HOME ECONOMICS 
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
