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Show WHAT to EAT and WHY C. Houston Goudiss 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 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 of all these foods properly may be considered together. Their composition composi-tion is very similar, consisting principally of protein, water and fat, with the chief variafcon occurring in the fat content. They also average about one per cent of minerals and contain con-tain some of the vitamins in varying amounts. Fish vs. Other Flesh Foods There is a wide variation among the different kinds of fish in the k V J : amount of fat they contain. In general, gen-eral, fish have less fat 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. 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 regard-ed as equally useful with other forms of meat for helping to build and repair body tissues. Most lean fish are richer in minerals than fatty fish; in this respect, they resemble lean meats. Salt water fish are notable as a source of iodine, required for the proper functioning of the thyroid thy-roid gland. It is desirable that this mineral be included in the dietary to help prevent simple goiter. The Cattle of the Sea The most significant difference between fish and most other flesh foods is that with the exception of Certain shellfish which are produced pro-duced under government regulation, regula-tion, "crops" from the sea are neither planted by man, nor cultivated cul-tivated by him. Unlike the farmer or the cattle man, the fisherman gathers his "harvest" without the previous effort ef-fort 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 ex-panse 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 depend-ent for their sustenance upon the sun, which stores up energy in green plants. i The sun is concerned, too, with j 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 nat-ural sources of vitamin D. This vitamin is necessary for the proper prop-er utilization of calcium and phosphorus phos-phorus 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 her-ring and sardines. It is agreeable agree-able as well as economical to obtain ob-tain vitamin D by serving seafood, because fish supplies so many other valuable nutrients at the same time. Fish Is Universally Available There are perhaps more varieties varie-ties of fish, than any other type of first-class protein food. A government gov-ernment 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 more perishable than other flesh foods, it is available today in every ev-ery town and hamlet, however remote re-mote from the waterways. No matter where she lives, the homemaker can choose from a wide variety of canned, dried, smoked, salted and quick-frozen fish. And both transportation and refrigeration have been so improved im-proved 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 aft-er purchasing. Canned fish, naturally, nat-urally, requires no refrigeration, and a supply can always be kept on hand both for everyday use and for emergencies. The most important canned fish, in terms of the amounts packed and .sold, is salmon. This flavor-some flavor-some fish is an excellent and economical eco-nomical 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 seafoods that are sold in volume include tuna, sardines, shrimp and clams. Canned crab and lobster meats and oysters are also to be found upon the shelves of most grocers, together with other varieties va-rieties of seafood, some packed in tomato sauce. When using canned salmon and other kinds of fish that have been 9 put into the cans before cooking, it is advisable to conserve the juices which cooked out during the sterilization process, as these contain con-tain valuable nutrients. Clams, oysters, shrimp and scallops scal-lops differ somewhat from other forms of seafood, chiefly in that they contain some carbohydrates.-They carbohydrates.-They have very little fat. Oysters are rich in iodine and they might be compared to the glandular- organs, or-gans, 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 proteins, pro-teins, which as we have seen may be used interchangeably with those of beef, pork, lamb, veal and poultry. The iodine of seafoods sea-foods and shellfish is also extremely ex-tremely important, and in some varieties, the content of vitamins A and D. The more fatty fish, including in-cluding mackerel, salmon, eels, herring, catfish and shad are comparatively com-paratively rich in energy values.. The fuel value of cod, flounder, perch, smelts and haddock, which ate 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. Taking into consideration its food values and economy, and when the preserved forms are utilized, uti-lized, its ease of preparation, the homemaker who desires to feed her family well should serve fish or shellfish, in some form, much oftener than once each week! i |