Show What t to E t and Why C. C Houston Goudiss Goudis ou iss Discusses Discusses Significance 1 of o Fruits rifts and an Vegetables Tells T ll the Truth About out Canned Foods By C. C GOUDISS A GENERATION ago except e in summer mid mid mid- u mer fruits were a luxury that only appeased appeared appear with nuts at the end of a festive meal me imd and vegetables ta except for ther thel root crops had no regular place lace in d diet But when scientists s established established established the importance of mineral salts in human nutrition these two groups of foods assumed a position hf if Cf commanding I I I I II importance li because next to to mil ancl eggs eBS they are tho the chief conveyors of oj minerals minerals' from the tle tl f t soil to man nine halt tho the discovery di r of ol ins they achieved distinction because b cause in their content vital substances they rank ranT with with mill milk and eggs as protective foods Foods That Safeguard Health He l b In addition to providing pr viding nutrients nutrients eats that are indispensable for buoyant health h alth and W. W normal nor m a I growth y they possess another anothY Y cr er important vir vir- virtue virtue virtue t tue the ble cellulose or bulk yielded by bythe the fibrous framework of the leaves 1 e a v e s stems stems' and fruits of plants has had a natu natu- natural natural ral rat laxatiVe a value ahie v l e which helps helps' tb in insure in- in insure insure sure normal nation And finally they are are ex ex- extremely extremely ex- ex extremely useful in helping to main main- maintain maintain maintain tain the base acid-base balance of the body for all vegetables and most most fruits yield an ash alkaline-ash fol fol- following following fol- fol following lowing digestion Green Vegetables for Iron Iro Fruits and vegetables supply varying amounts of practically ev ev- every every ery mineral element the body re re- re- re quires They do not compare with milk as a source of calcium but sub sub- substantial substantial substantial amounts of this bone and tooth building substance are to be found in leaf and stem vegetables carrots oranges figs and straw straw- berries Moreover investigations have demonstrated that calcium from vegetables es is well utilized by adults Green vegetables in general are outstanding as a source o of iron And it has been further es- es established that their iron is better bette r absorbed and becomes more com com- completely completely completely available for nutrition than iron from some other sources Some fruits are also valued for their iron content the more nota nota- notable notable notable ble including oranges tomatoes which are botanically a fruit though they are classed as a vege vege- vegetable vegetable vegetable table strawberries blackberries raspberries and huckleberries and dried figs dates and prunes Vegetables for Vitamin A AWe AWe AWe We usually think of milk am an and another d other dairy products as our mos most t important sources of vitamin ABut A A. ABut But recently it has been deter deter- determined determined mined that the thin green leaves leave s of vegetables are also outstanding g in this respect Weight for weight when fresh escarole is more than five times as rich as butter Young green peas and green string beans bean are also a good source of this vita vita- vitamin vitamin vitamin min as are tomatoes carrots and sweet potatoes Sources of Vitamin C Vitamin C which is essential fo for maintaining the health of teeth and gums and for preventing the th degeneration of muscle fibers generally is obtained almost entirely en en- entirely entirely from fruits and vegetables The principal sources of this vita vita- vitamin vitamin vitamin min are the citrus fruits raw and canned tomatoes and canned to to- tomato tomato mato juice strawberries raw carrots onions and yellow tur tur- nips As this vitamin is easily de de- destroyed destroyed by heat in the presence of oxygen the amount present presen in any fruit or vegetable is great great- greatly ly reduced by the average home hoim cooking methods On the other othe hand this and other vitamins aswell a awell as aswell well as minerals are usually well retained in io commercially canned fruits and vegetables What About Canned Foods I frequently receive letters from readers r who question the merits of canned foods They ask a k whether er it is true truc that canned foods are devoid of vitamins whether canned foods are wholesome for children whether or not canned foods may spoil on the grocers grocer's shelves and if it is dangerous to cat foods that have that have stood in the can for a f few w minutes after be be- being being being ing opened To discount the value of modern canned foods is to display a n lack Inck of knowledge as to how these foods are harvested prepared and packed And Am the failure to use them may result in depriving your family of essential minerals and vitamins There are ore available in cans to to- today today day 46 varieties of vegetables 33 kinds of fruit and 10 different juices besides s soups soups numerous specialties and several kinds of fish Every Everyone one of these presents a healthful anti ami nutritious food in a n form that is often superior to to the i food foods cooked at home That Thatis i is partly because of the methods employed and partly because panned foods foods' are arc ar processed at the theof peak penk of their flavor avor and freshness A A Superlative Su Canned Food An outstanding example ample is canned salmon palmon almon which has been called c ll d by one onri of Americas America's lead- lead ing ng food experts expert the cheapest and nn most nutritious nutritious' animal food that can cnn be had for children over six J r Very little fresH salmon finds its way ay into our mat even then be far from ni fresh after a a considerable e a journey packed in ice On the other hand salmon canneries canneries' have nave been established established l in close proximity to the waters from which salmon are taken so that only on f a a afew few hours elapse between the tRe rne the fish are removed from the the- water and Jhc the moment their ri rich h nourishment nourish nourish- nourishment nourishment ment is scaled s aled in Similarly the fruits and vege- vege vegetables vegetables tables designed signed d for canning are al- al allowed al nl- allowed lowed to to- t mature matur on tree or vine This means menns that they develop maximum flavor and vitamin con con- content tent Then they are picked rushed to nearby canneries acid hermetically hermetically cally sealed in cans The sealed seated cans are arc then cooked at high heat so 50 as to destroy any bacteria which might be present Because they are arc protected from the air nir during the cooking process and because the cooking liquors are sealed in the cans they retain a maximum amount of minerals and vitamins It is because canned foods ate ace so definitely superior in in- inthis inthis inthis this respect that physicians en en- encouraged encouraged encouraged the canning of strained fruits and vegetables for infantS infantS' and young children Fallacies Disproved Canned foods will keep indefinitely indefinitely indefinitely without spoilage as long as nothing occurs to make the can leak It is not necessary to re re- remove remove remove move canned food from the con con- container container tanner as soon as the tin is opened v. v though many homemakers often do so because the food presents a amore x more attractive appearance in a adish adish adish dish or bowl A hissing sound when opening does not oot mean that the contents of a can are spoiled but rather that there was a n vac vac- vacuum vacuum vacuum in the can which the air nir is rushing in to fill Thus canned fruits and vegetables vegetables vegetables bles are not only as good as as' fresh ones but are often orten superior in food values Every homemaker should see to it that she uses both liberally in the diet of every mem- mem I bes bel of her family as a means of providing liberal amounts of min min- minerals minI ming and vitamins I C. o O C. C Houston Goudiss Goudiss 1933 1933 32 |