It is a KLOst erroneous notion that "rich food" is strengthening. The
strengthening quality of food depends first upon its digestibility, and second
apon the proportion ot albuminous elements which it contains. Sugar, fat,
spices ana otner ingredients which are added to food in making it "rich" are
of only secondary importance as nutritive elements and in the case of condi-
ments of exceedingly doubtful value, if not whollv worthless. In the manner
in which these substances are combined in "rich food" they are worse than
worthless. Beally rich food is that which contains a lar^e proportion of the
essential elements of food in a condition to be easily assimilated. Graham
bread, oatmeal mush, pea-soup, baked beans and kindred foods, are really
rich, and in the highest degree strengthening.
It is an error to suppose that persons engaeed in laborious occupations re-
quire a large amount of flesh f ooa. Persons wno labor hard either physically
or mentally, need a liberal supply of food rich in albuminous elements.
These elements are furnished by such food as pease and beans in even larger
quantities than in the best beefsteak. A pound of pease contains four ounces
of albuminous elements, while a pound of beefsteak contains but about three
ounces. Oatmeal and wheat meal are also very rich in albuminous elements.
The Scotch laborers who subsist largely upon oatmeal porridge are said to be
among the finest developed and hardiest men in the world. Numerous sim-
ilar evidences in favor of a liberal supply of vegetable food might be given.
It is an error to suppose that the system is better supported bv meals at
very frequent intervals than by food taken in accordance with tne known
time required for digestion. It has long been the custom to supply laborers
undergoing severe exertion, as during harvest time among farmers with two
or three extra meals during the day, thus often bringing meals within two
or three hours of each other. We believe that the practice is a bad one,
and that three meals at most are muQh better than more. The custom of
eating five meals a day, common in some foreign countries, is certainly
unphysiological, and must be injurious. Children are often injured by too
frequent feeding ; not only while infants, but after having grown so as to
be large enough to attend school, being very often supplied by fond mothers
with luncheon for recess, and apples to eat at all hours. It is a most unwise
thing to all<yw children to form the habit of nibbling at food between meals.
The fact that they are growing and need a large supply of nourishment is no
apology for the practice, but rather makes it the more necessary that they
should be regular in their habits in order to secure good digestion. The
stomach needs rest as well as the arms and limbs and other orsans of the
body. More food will be well digested with three meals than with a larger
number, and hence a larger amount of good blood will be produced and
more healthy tissue formed.
HINTS FOB THB WSLL. 661
t^im
Page 579
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
It is a most erroneous notion that "rich food" is strengthening. The strengthening quality of food depends first upon its digestibility, and second upon the proportion of albuminous elements which it contains. Sugar, fat, spices and other ingredients which are added to food in making it "rich" are of only secondary importance as nutritive elements and in the case of condiments of exceedingly doubtful value, if not wholly worthless. In the manner in which these substances are combined in "rich food" they are worse than worthless. Really rich food is that which contains a large proportion of the essential elements of food in a condition to be easily assimilated. Graham bread, oatmeal mush, pea-soup, baked beans and kindred foods, are really rich, and in the highest degree strengthening.
It is an error to suppose that persons engaged in laborious occupations require a large amount of flesh food. Persons wno labor hard either physically or mentally, need a liberal supply of food rich in albuminous elements. These elements are furnished by such food as pease and beans in even larger quantities than in the best beefsteak. A pound of pease contains four ounces of albuminous elements, while a pound of beefsteak contains but about three ounces. Oatmeal and wheat meal are also very rich in albuminous elements. The Scotch laborers who subsist largely upon oatmeal porridge are said to be among the finest developed and hardiest men in the world. Numerous similar evidences in favor of a liberal supply of vegetable food might be given.
It is an error to suppose that the system is better supported by meals at very frequent intervals than by food taken in accordance with the known time required for digestion. It has long been the custom to supply laborers undergoing severe exertion, as during harvest time among farmers with two or three extra meals during the day, thus often bringing meals within two or three hours of each other. We believe that the practice is a bad one, and that three meals at most are much better than more. The custom of eating five meals a day, common in some foreign countries, is certainly unphysiological, and must be injurious. Children are often injured by too frequent feeding ; not only while infants, but after having grown so as to be large enough to attend school, being very often supplied by fond mothers with luncheon for recess, and apples to eat at all hours. It is a most unwise thing to all<yw children to form the habit of nibbling at food between meals. The fact that they are growing and need a large supply of nourishment is no apology for the practice, but rather makes it the more necessary that they should be regular in their habits in order to secure good digestion. The stomach needs rest as well as the arms and limbs and other organs of the body. More food will be well digested with three meals than with a larger number, and hence a larger amount of good blood will be produced and more healthy tissue formed.
HINTS FOR THE WELL. 661
t^im