More and more are we coming to see the importance of this class of foods in the dietary, they are important on account of their mineral salts, their vitamine factors and for the bulk which they lend to the food mass which facilitates its passage along the digestive tract. The majority of vegetables furnish organic acids or their salts which function in the body, as potential bases, assisting in the neutralization of the acids formed in the body as a result of the breaking down of the proteins. ~Fruits.~--Fruits have practically the same value from a dietetic standpoint as vegetables, and the same care must be given to their selection. Some fresh fruit should be given to children every day to safeguard them against scurvy. And adults should have fresh fruit several times a week, the remainder of the time dried fruits may be used. Canned fruits while good are not so valuable as fresh fruits and are more expensive than the dried fruit. The ~fruits and vegetables~ will here be considered. Some of the fruits and vegetables contain high percentages of sugar, aside from the mineral salts, for which they are especially valuable. This class includes the sugar cane, sugar beet, raisins, dates, figs, etc., while others such as the potato, taro, banana, etc., furnish an appreciable amount of starch. All of the vegetables and fruits are rich in mineral salts, which are as important to the work of the body as the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Hence it is essential to add the foods containing these mineral salts to the daily dietary both in health and in disease. Both fruits and vegetables should be free from blemishes. Those to be served raw, such as lettuce and other salad vegetables, must be purchased from reliable markets. Unscrupulous vendors have been known to sprinkle old wilted vegetables, to restore their freshness, with water from stagnant pools teeming with typhoid bacteria, thereby spreading infection broadcast. Vegetables which require cooking before they are eaten are, for this reason, safer. ~Canned foods~ should be avoided in the diet of the invalid whenever it is possible; but, when it is not, care should be observed that no can is used in which there is the least sign of fermentation. Beans and peas are sometimes artificially colored, but this custom is not so prevalent now as it used to be. PEAS _121 calories_ 1/2 cup fresh peas 1 pt. boiling water 1 tsp. butter 1/4 tsp. salt Add salt and peas to boiling water; allow to cook from 30 to 60 minutes, or until they are perfectly tender, drain and add butter and additional salt if necessary, or 1 tablespoonful of cream sauce. In gastro-intestinal disorders and with young children, it is best to press peas through sieve or remove the indigestible parts. STRING BEANS _94 calories_ 1 cupful of string beans (measured after the strings are removed and the beans cut into small pieces) 1 tsp. butter 1/2 tsp. salt