| Show WHAT to EAT and WHY ff foulton fou iton the modern conception of meat nationally known food authority explains why li it rates As a topnotch top notch food by C HOUSTON GOUDISS 6 east street new york city AMERICANS spend from one fourth to one thir third d of their 1 IL total food budget for meat in order to discover whether this expenditure is justified let us examine the nutritive value of meat and consider its contribution to the diet almost everybody likes the flavor of meat from the man who considers that no meal is complete without it to the child who instinctively eats cats the meat on his plate before he touches the other foods the desire for meat is is one of the strongest human appetites for centuries man accepted this craving for meat as an indication that it was es to his well being but with the advance in civilization there was an increase in many diseases and tor for a period of years m meat eat was blamed i as being a contributing cause to kidney 1 I trouble rheumatism high blood pressure hardening of the arteries and gout in recent years there has been a careful investigation of the possible association between meat and disease in the light of our newer knowledge the old notions have been discarded and in many cases meat now has a place in the treatment of the diseases that it was once believed to causel cause A composition of meat meat is is a protein food of the highest type it is is useful both for repairing the millions of cells that are worn out daily and for building the new tissues that are necessary for growth in in childhood the proportion of protein varies with the kind of meat and the cut in beef lamb and veal it comprises between 14 and 26 per cent of the edible portion the other constituents of meat are fats water minerals extrac tives enzymes and pigments the amount of fat present is is an important factor in in determining the fuel value of meat and the more fat it contains the less pa pio tern tein will be found in in a given kunii unit of weight the different cuts of pork contain less protein than corresponding cuts of beef and lamb with the exception of lean ham lean pork chops and tenderloin k meat as a blood builder both glandular and muscle meats are rich in the blood building mineral iron and meat also contains copper the glandular organs particularly liver have great value in the prevention and treatment of anemia pernicious anemia baffled physicians tor for many years until in 1926 two noted american scientists discovered that liver contains a principle which stimulates red blood cell formation this discovery has been ranked with the discovery of insulin as one of the greatest in our times me meat at also contains a high percentage of phosphorus it is poor in in calcium however and this nee fusary substance m must be ob talked in adequate amounts from milk cheese and green leafy vegetables the vitamins of meat lean muscle meats cannot be con considered as an important source of any vitamin except G this vitamin is necessary for the pre bention of pellagra and also helps to prolong the vigorous middle years and to ward off old age beef pork and lamb muscle con tain approximately the same amounts of vitamin G but liver liver has been found to contain I 1 10 times as much as mus cle tissue some vitamin A is found in in fat meats but liver is is also much rich er in this vitamin than muscle sae s ie vitamin B is present in in lean meat especially lean pork which has a considerably higher content than lamb mutton or beef value of meat extractives Extrac tives meat contains small amounts of extractives extrac tives it is partly because one misses their savory flavor that a meal without meat often fails to tempt or satisfy the appetite the extractives extrac tives indirectly aid in the digestion of meat proteins because they stimulate the flow of the digestive juices experiments have demonstrated that meat induces a flow of gastric juice in direct proportion to the amount consumed this callet calling ig forth of great physiological activity of the stomach is one reason why meat is said to be the most satisfying of all foods and to stick to the ribs longest digestibility of meat in considering the nutritive worth of any food it is necessary not only to analyze its contributions to the diet but to determine how well its nutrients are utilized by the body meat has a high food value because its protein is digested rapidly and thoroughly tests show that 97 to 98 per cent of meat protein is digested and absorbed the length of time meat remains in the stomach will depend upon various factors such as the amount of fat present the method of cooking and the degree of mastication but there is no marked difference in the thoroughness ough ness with which the different kinds of meat are digested since it is so completely digested however meat supplies little bulk and it Is therefore essential that an abundance of leafy vegetables and fruits should be eaten at the same time there has been considerable discussion regarding the place of meat in the childs diet there are the same good reasons for using meat in the diet of the child as in the diet of the grownup grown up moreover the childs protein requirement is greater than that of the adult in proportion to his body weight at the beginning of the second year many authorities advise that small servings of tender and finely minced beet beef chicken lamb or liver may be given about three times a week As the child becomes older he may have meat more often and as his ability to chew increases he may be given larger pieces I 1 some fallacies regarding meat many people believe that veal is less completely dl digested than other meats but it has been demonstrated that even very young veal digests as rapidly and as completely as beet beef it has also been held that red meats are less digestible and therefore less desirable than white meats there is no evidence to support this point of view someone with a gift for concise expression once remarked no mea meat t no danl his point was well taken for considering its delicious havor flavor essential food values and ease of preparation it is easy to agree that THERE IS NO substitute FOR MEAT C C houston goudiss 1933 1938 22 |
