Show WHAT to EAT and WHY C houston go goudiss u diss touches upon the food values of fish and shellfish shows how they can help to improve nutritive quality of the diet by C HOUSTON GOUDISS A PRESENT DAY nutritionist might easily quarrel with the 1 traditional distinction between fish flesh and fowl for the flesh of fish cattle swine sheep and poultry is commonly referred to as meat and the nutritive values ol of an all these foods properly may be considered together their composition is very similar consisting principally of protein water and fat with the chief variation occurring in the fat content they also average about one per cent of minerals and contain t ain some of the vitamins in varying amounts fish vi v other flesh foods there is a wide variation among the different kinds of fish in the amount of fat they contain in general fish have less fat at and more water than other forms of meat their tissue fibers are also shorter which makes for ease of digestion in many cases their flavor is less pronounced because there are fewer extractives extrac tives for this reason fish is considered less stimulating and that is also why it is often served with some sort of sauce or with a lemon garnish to point up the flavor the proteins of fish are regarded as equally useful with other forms form s of meat for helping to build and z repair body tissues most lean fish are richer in minerals than fatty fish in this respects respect they resemble lean meats salt water fish are notable as a source of iodine required for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland it is desirable that ahat this mineral be included in the dietary to help prevent simple goiter the tha cattle of the ahe sea the most significant difference between fish and most other flesh foods is that with the exception of certain shellfish which are produced under government regulation crops from the sea are neither planted by man nor cultivated by him unlike the farmer or the cattle man the fisherman gathers his harvest without the previous effort of sowing seeds or cultivating plants without the necessity of providing shelter or fodder to a man or woman who has never enjoyed the experience of catching fish for dinner the sea may suggest nothing but an expanse of blue green water but to those who are familiar with the habits of its denizens the sea is a fascinating place teeming with life it contains many forms of vegetable materials of which seaweed is the best known these provide food for the lower forms of animal life which inhabit the waters they in turn are eaten by larger creatures in the final analysis all forms of animal life in the sea as on land are dependent dependant for their sustenance upon the sun which stores up energy in green plants the sun is concerned too with the production of vitamin D as it is by means of sunshine that our best source becomes available fish liver oils are the richest natural sources of vitamin D this v vitamin is necessary for the proper I 1 utilization of calcium and phosphorus in building strong bones and sound teeth we prize highly the liver oils of the cod halibut salmon swordfish and tuna for their fine amount of this precious vitamin the body oils of certain fish are also valued for their vitamin D some varieties that are notable in this respect are salmon herring and sardines it is agreeable as well as economical to obtain vitamin D by serving seafood because fish supplies so many other valuable nutrients at the same time fish Is I 1 universally available there are perhaps more varieties of fish than any other tape type of first class protein food A g government bulletin has listed 40 kinds besides smoked and salted fish and the various shellfish thus the use of fish provides ample opportunities for varying the menu moreover though fish is is more perishable than other flesh foods it is available today in every town and hamlet however remote from the waterways no matter where she lives the homemaker can choose fro from a wide variety of canned dried smoked salted and quick frozen fish and both transportation and refrigeration have been so improved that fresh caught fish are distributed far inland the quick frozen fish should be handled as carefully as fresh fish kept under refrigeration and used within a reasonable time after purchasing canned fish naturally requires no refrigeration and a supply can always be kept on hand both for everyday use and for emergencies the most import important canned fish in terms of the amounts packed and sold is salmon this flavorsome fish is an excellent and economical protein food which is also notable for its energy value its calcium phosphorus and iodine and as a source of vitamins A and D other canned sea foods that are sold in volume include tuna sardines shrimp and clams canned crab and lobster meats and oysters are re also to be found upon the shelves of most grocers together with other varieties of seafood some packed in tomato sauce when using canned salmon and other kinds of fish that have been pu put t into the cans before cooking 1 1 it Is advisable to conserve the I 1 juices which cooked out during the tha sterilization process as these contain valuable nutrients I 1 clams oysters shrimp and scallops differ somewhat from other forms of seafood chiefly in that they contain some carbohydrates they have very little fat oysters are rich in iodine and they might amigh be compared to the glandular organs such as liver and kidney as a source of three vitamins A B and G place of fish in the diet the most important contribution of all forms of fish is their prod pro beins which as we have seen mayl may be used interchangeably with those of beef pork lamb veal and poultry the iodine of seafood and shellfish is also extremely important and in some varieties the content of vitamins A and D the more fatty fish including mackerel salmon eels herring catfish and shad are comparatively ively rich in energy values the fuel value of cod flounder perch smelts and haddock which are low in fat and halibut and whitefish which have a moderate amount may be increased through the use of a rich sauce or they may be cooked in fat I 1 taking into consideration its food values and economy and when the preserved forms are utilized its ease case of preparation the homemaker who desires to feed her family well should serve fish or shellfish in some form much oftener than once each geeki |