Part 15

Editor’s Note.—Measurements of eighteen thousand women show that sixty-two per cent of women use only about one-half of their lung capacity and less than nine per cent use their full capacity.

CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS

In the previous chapters, we have given the classification of the elements in foods which supply the body needs. Below we classify the foods commonly used, according to the predominance of these elements.

Carbonaceous Foods

While all foods contain a combination of elements, the foods described below contain a greater proportion of carbohydrates and fats, and are classed as carbonaceous.

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Of the carbohydrates, next in importance to the sugars and to the starches in their purest form (corn starch, tapioca, sago, and arrowroot), come the roots and tubers, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, turnips and onions.

The following table shows the proportion of various foodstuffs in these vegetables:

TABLE I—ROOTS AND TUBERS

——————————————+————————+————————+————————+————————+————————+—————————— | | | | Carbo- | |Food Value | Water |Protein | Fat |hydrates| Ash |per pound Food Materials|Per Cent|Per Cent|Per Cent|Per Cent|Per Cent| Calories ——————————————+————————+————————+————————+————————+————————+—————————— Sweet Potatoes| 69.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 26.2 | 2.6 | 440 White Potatoes| 75.0 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 22.0 | 0.7 | 295 Parsnips | 64.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 10.8 | 1.1 | 230 Onions | 86.0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 11.3 | 0.7 | 225 Beets | 87.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 160 Carrots | 88.2 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 8.2 | 6.0 | 210 Turnips | 92.7 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 120

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=Potatoes.= It will be noted from the above table that sweet potatoes have a larger percentage of carbohydrates, hence they produce more heat and energy, than any other vegetable; next to the sweet potato, the Irish potato.

In the above table, the skins of the vegetables are included, and while the white potato contains two per cent protein, this is almost all located in a very thin layer immediately beneath the skin, so that when the potato is peeled in the ordinary way, the protein is removed. This holds true in many vegetables. They lose their distinctive flavor, as well as their value as tissue building foods, when the skins are removed. In baking a potato, the outer skin is readily separated from a less perceptible covering containing the protein, and this second skin should be eaten to get the full value and flavor.

In the white potato, of the twenty-two per cent carbohydrates three and two-tenths per cent is sugar and eighteen and eight-tenths per cent is starch. In the sweet potato, ten and two-tenths per cent is sugar and sixteen per cent is starch. Since sugar digests more quickly than starch, the sweet potato digests more quickly than the white. Because of the large per cent or carbohydrates in each, it is a mistake to serve these two vegetables at the same meal. For the same reason, bread and potatoes should not be eaten, to any extent, at the same meal, unless by one who is doing heavy manual labor, requiring much energy.

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=Onions.= Only about four per cent of the onion represents nourishment; the eleven per cent of carbohydrates is made up of two and eight-tenths per cent sugar and the rest extractives. Of the extractives the volatile oil, which causes the eyes to water when peeling, is the most important. The onion is not, therefore, so important for its actual nourishing qualities as for its relish and flavor, and for this it is to be commended. It is a diuretic, encouraging a free action of the kidneys. Because of its diuretic value it is commonly called a healthy food. An onion and lettuce sandwich stimulates the action of the kidneys and is a nerve sedative.

The volatile oil makes the onion difficult for some to digest and, in that case, should be omitted from the diet.

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=Beets.= There is no starch in beets, the seven and three-tenths per cent carbohydrates being sugar; they possess, therefore, more nutritive value than onions, and they are easily digested. It will be noted that it takes many beets to make a pound of sugar.

There are no more delicious nor nutritive greens than the stem and leaf of the beet. These greens contain much iron and are valuable aids in building up the iron in the blood, thus correcting anaemia.

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=Carrots.= Carrots are valuable as food chiefly on account of their sugar. They are somewhat more difficult of digestion than beets and they contain more waste. They make a good side dish, boiled and served with butter or cream.

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=Turnips.= Turnips have little value as a food. Their nutriment consists in the sugar they contain. For those who enjoy the flavor they are a relish, serving as an appetizer, and, like the onion, are to be recommended as a side dish for this purpose.

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=Parsnips.= Like carrots, parsnips are chiefly valuable for their sugar and for the extractives which act as appetizers.

Since turnips, carrots, onions, and parsnips owe a part of their value in nutrition to the extractives which whet the appetite for other foods, it follows that, if one does not enjoy the flavor or the odor, these vegetables lose in value to that individual as a food. If one does enjoy the flavor, it adds to their food value.

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