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NUTRITIVE VALUE OF CEREAL PREPARATIONS. 227 
products. The corn bread contains a little less protein and 
energy than the corn preparations, because of the larger pro- 
portion of water present; but the uncooked corn preparations 
when cooked contain much more water than the corn bread, as 
shown by the composition given for boiled hominy. Wheat 
bread also contains more water than the wheat preparations, 
and a little less protein and energy. Crackers with nearly the 
same water content as the wheat preparations contain a little 
less protein but considerably more energy, owing to the fat 
used in making them. Macaroni has much the same composi- 
tion as the wheat preparations. ‘The dried beans and peas are 
fully equal in energy value to any of the cereal preparations 
except those from oats, and contain appreciably more protein. 
The advertisements of many of the cereal preparations com- 
pare the products with beef in regard to nutritive value, claim- 
ing that a pound of the cereal is equal to four to ten pounds of 
beef. Although such claims are too obviously preposterous to 
deceive thoughtful persons, an actual comparison of these two 
classes of food materials is worth consideration. The following 
figures afford a comparison of both as sources of protein and 
energy. 
PROTEIN. ENERGY PER GRAM. 
Oat preparations, - - - ey eTOsie percent. 4.423 calories. 
Wheat preparations, - - FI?) Pemcent: 4.032 calories. 
Corn preparations, - - heo7O per, cent. 3.894 calories. 
Rice preparations, - - Henk. O) pct cent: 3.907 calories. 
Beef, lean round, - = 3 SeerOeS a pericents 1.795) Calories. 
Beef, fat round, - : - PeeLO RU pei Cell, 3.104 calories. 
Bread, white, - - - eee 25 DEL ceric. 2,885 calories. 
Bread, graham, . - - - 2 tS. 0. percent: 2.872 calories. 
Cheese, full cream, = : me 25-0, per cent, 4.674 calories. 
Potatoes, - - - - pene 2eDclecent- .892 calories. 
With regard to the total amount of energy, the cereal prod- 
ucts are actually superior to lean beef, though much less supe- 
tior to fat beef. But even the largest amount of energy from 
cereals, namely that from oat preparations, is hardly two and a 
half times greater than that from lean beef, whereas according to 
the advertisements it should be from four to ten times. On the 
other hand, the lean beef contains much more protein than the 
cereals; and furthermore, the body would actually digest a much 
larger proportion of the protein of the beef than of that of the 
