Show American Housewife's Part in inThe inThe The W War mar ar Is an Important One Keeping Her Family Well WellIn WellIn WellIn In Wartime Is Her Special Task By JANET CUPLER Released by Western Newspaper Union One of Uncle Sams Sam's best soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers is the American house house- wife Her uniform is a kitchen apron her ammunition a bright smile and the capable hands with which she does the proverbial proverbial proverbial bial million and one things that make h hers rs a hour 64 seven-day seven week She is usually content with the only reward she really wants wants the the love and gratitude of a happy healthy family But once in a while you hear her say I feel so guilty Im I'm not doing anything to help win the war Of course I keep house and save scrap and buy war bonds but I Id I'd d like to feel that Im I'm doing something something some some- thing definite like joining the W or working in a defense fac fac- tory We cant can't all join the V And we cant can't all work in defense fac fac- tories But we can do an important job right in our own homes The war will finally be won only with the help of the American housewife and the better job she does the I sooner she will be able to rejoice in inthe inthe inthe the victory she helped to win When government reports recently recent recent- ly showed that only about third one-third of the families in the United States have lave diets that are adequate to maintain health it became apparent apparent apparent ent that one of the important factors in winning the war would be proper nutrition the right food as well as the right amount of it for although W I J f Mj L A Ar As s r a Women in rural communities faced with a shortage of farm labor are learning to care for poultry and livestock Rural health programs include include include in in- clude the study of nutrition our soldiers are the best fed in the world the men and women who keep seep them equipped those employed in our war industries are sometimes sometimes some some- times very badly fed indeed A survey survey survey sur sur- vey conducted among employees of one large aircraft company revealed that about half showed definite signs of vitamin deficiency Healthy workers work- work ers are good workers and it is up to the American housewife to see that the members of her family are properly fed I WHAT TO BUY I Proper nutrition begins with the food you buy Although there is much to be learned about those mysterious mysterious mys mys- substances called vitamins mys-I mys the fact is that we need them as aswell aswell aswell well as minerals fats pr proteins and carbohydrates A balanced diet must include them all The amount of food each person requires depends depends depends de de- de- de largely upon how active he is One who sits all day will of course require proportionately less food particularly of the muscle and tissue building and energy producing producing producing ing types than one who is doing hard physical labor Each normal person however needs every day some milk I whole grain or enriched bread or cereal green or yellow vegetables oranges or other citrus fruit or tomatoes meat fish or poultry eggs at least three or four a week butter or other fats rich in vitamins vitamins vitamins vita vita- mins and a limited amount of sweets These foods can cad always be supplemented with additional vegetables vegetables vegetables vege vege- tables and fruits Experts also recommend that peas dried beans nuts and peanut butter be included from fro time to time Under normal circumstances it is best to use all fresh foods especially vegetables as soon as possible Long exposure to the air deprives them of some of their value But 1 t r Dont Don't spurn the lowly peanut On the way to your table by way of the peanut butter jar these peanuts are arc rich in food value Experts recommend recommend recommend mend that peanut butter be included regularly in your our diet today with gas rationed in many parts of the country and with the housewife eager to do her part by saving her her- tires she may find it necessary to do her marketing only once or twice a week I HOW TO KEEP IT I IThen Then proper refrigeration becomes becomes becomes be be- comes more important than ever But putting foods in the right place in the refrigerator is just as important important important tant as keeping them there at all They must be kept cold but not too cold And they must have the proper prop prop- er amount of humidity neither too much nor too little Frozen foods need extreme cold with no humidity Vegetables and greens need mild cold with lots of humidity Milk butter staples and prepared dishes other than frozen ones need only mild cold Meat requires requires requires re re- re- re quires a slightly lower temperature than vegetables and more humid humid- ity In general 40 degrees is considered considered considered consid consid- ered a safe temperature for most foods At that temperature the growth of bacteria is usually retard retard- ed Cold air travels downward so the coldest places in your refrigerator tor will be the freezing chamber and the spot directly under it Put frozen foods in the freezing chamber chamber chamber cham cham- ber meat and fish directly under it Milk and cream and other beverages beverages beverages bev bev- to be chilled should be placed on the shelf next to the freezing chamber Staples butter and overs left-overs will keep satisfactorily in the middle section as they require moderate cold but no special care Vegetables Vegetables Vegetables bles too and most fruits can be kept there but they require more humidity Some refrigerators have special compartments for them but if yours does not one of the vegetable vegetable vegetable vege vege- table bags or a covered dish will do Canned foods that will not be used right away salad dressing and pickles need not and bananas must not be put in the refrigerator On the oth other r hand bre bread d coffee shelled nuts and chocolate keep better better better bet bet- ter there I. I SPARE THAT VITAMIN I Even when she buys the pr proper proper per foods and plans her meals to include them the housewife's job has only begun Vitamins are perishable Minerals can be washed away By improper preparation and cooking she can lose much of the value for which she so carefully paid at the market Here are some suggestions that I I SAVE SCRAP When Wizen you save scrap kitchen grease tin cans or paper you yon are arc really helping ing to clothe our soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers and send scud fighter planes to bomb the enemy The grease you yon save is processed to secure glycerine which is then used in inthe inthe the manufacture o of f TNT for shells Waste aste paper can caT be used I for or shell hell containers 25 pounds makes eight shell containers I One hand iron contains enough metal for two helmets Fifty feet of garden hose will ivill make four raincoats Thirty two toothpaste tubes contain the tin tiT needed for fora a fighter plane will help you get the most from the food you buy Dont Don't keep vegetables long at room temperature Wash them and I put them in the refrigerator Pare potatoes as thinly as ble Scrub carrots with a brush in instead instead instead in- in stead of scraping them Dont Don't shell peas until you are ready to cook them Dont Don't soak vegetables in water for I any length of time Cut carrots and other long vegetables vegetables vegetables vege vege- tables lengthwise Cook frozen vegetables without thawing first Some vitamin content is lost in thawing Dont Don't handle vegetables any more than necessary I Dont Don't squeeze oranges until you are ready to use the juice I Dont Don't chop salad vegetables and I I greens until you are ready to use them I i Then add the dressing immediately immediate immediate- ly after chopping them The dressing dressing dressing dress dress- ing acts as a protective covering and helps to prevent the destruction of valuable vitamins by exposure to the air I Ithan I Dont Don't handle vegetables any more than necessary Dont Don't use soda in cooking green vegetables That lovely vivid green greenI color it gives them is a danger I signal I HOW TO COOK IT I i Last year impressed with the importance importance importance im im- im- im I of proper cooking Home Economics Institute of Vesting I house Electric and Manufacturing I company sponsored a program of I research conducted by scientists to determine the exact amount of vitamins vitamins vitamins vita vita- mins lost in improper cooking Four typical vegetables were chosen chosen po po potatoes carrots fresh peas and broccoli broc broc- coli and coli-and and the results of the tests demonstrated conclusively that water water water wa wa- ter heat and air used improperly can destroy as much as per cent of ot the precious vitamins Water Vater heat and air are essential to cooking and some vitamin content content content con con- tent will be lost in all aU cooking but the following procedure helps to reduce reduce reduce re re- re- re duce this loss to a minimum USE LITTLE OR NO WATER Steaming is preferable to boiling so use just enough water to produce steam Wash leafy vegetables thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- just before cooking The amount of moisture that clings to the leaves will be sufficient to produce produce produce pro pro- duce steam START FAST COOK QUICK QUICK- L LY Y When the boiling point is reached turn your fire down and let the vegetables simmer Continuous I ous boiling is destructive Be sure the heat is evenly distributed For I this purpose a flat bottomed pan pan with straight sides is best II COOK IN COVERED UTENSILS The cover keeps the steam in the theair theair theair air out Be sure the cover cover fits tight tight- I ly lYe DONT DON'T STIR Again this lets in additional air If the heat is evenly distributed stirring is unnecessary J 4 4 4 r W W ob a o o 1 44 r J q ga y A J y F Fy 1 MAv I Women all over the country are taking courses in nutrition first aid and home nursing to fit them for the important task of keeping their families healthy These women part of a class of 20 are taking an examination examination ex ex- examination in nutrition |