The world's supply of wheat--Wheat in the United States--Meeting the wheat shortage CHAPTER II. THE WAR-TIME IMPORTANCE OF WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS The significance of different kinds of food--The social importance of cereals, especially wheat--Wheat flour in war-time--The 50-50 rule. Another way to cut the consumption of wheat--Substitutes for wheat flour CHAPTER III. WAR BREAD The bakers' regulations. Victory bread--The individual's answer to the bread cry--Flour and bread in the Allied countries--Why we in the United States do not have bread cards CHAPTER IV. THE MEAT SITUATION Where Europe's meat has been produced--The war and the European meat-supply--The meat rations of Europe--The part of the United States--Meat conservation--Meat and other protein foods--The meat substitutes CHAPTER V. FATS The situation abroad--The situation in the United States CHAPTER VI. SUGAR Why is there a sugar shortage?--The effect of the shortage--In place of sugar--The price of sugar--To cut down on sugar CHAPTER VII. MILK--FOR THE NATION'S HEALTH The valuable constituents of milk--Our milk problem--Our milk abroad CHAPTER VIII. VEGETABLES AND FRUITS In the war diet--Canning and drying vegetables and fruits CONCLUSION A FEW REFERENCES INDEX CHAPTER I THE WHEAT SITUATION Wheat is as much a war necessity as ammunition--wheat is a war weapon. To produce it and distribute it where it is needed and in sufficient quantities is the most serious food problem of the Allied world. The continent of Europe, with her devastated fields, can raise but a small fraction of the wheat she needs, and ships are so few that she cannot import it from many of the usual sources. Not one of the warring European countries has escaped serious suffering, and the neutral countries have suffered with them. THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF WHEAT France, always an agricultural nation, was the most nearly self-sustaining of the western Allies. Now one-third of her wheat-fields are barren. Thousands of her acres have been taken by the enemy, or are in No Man's Land. Much of the land that has been fought over these past four years is now hopeless for farming, and will be for years to come. Even the territory still under cultivation cannot be expected to yield large returns, for laborers, tools, and fertilizers are lacking.