The nutrition of manChittenden, R. H. (Russell Henry)
Science
The nutrition of man
Chittenden, R. H. (Russell Henry)
Nutrition
The main point to be emphasized in this connection, however, is that a
high proteid animal food, like lean meat, eggs, fish, etc., obviously
cannot alone serve as an advantageous food for man. We see at once the
philosophy of a mixed diet. Let us assume that our average man of 70
kilograms body-weight needs daily 2800 calories. On this assumption,
if he were to depend entirely upon lean beef for his sustenance, he
would require daily four and a half pounds of such meat, which amount
would furnish nine times the quantity of proteid needed by his system.
The same would be more or less true of other kindred animal products.
On the other hand, certain vegetable foods on our list, such as flaked
rice, crackers, and shredded wheat, contain proteid, with carbohydrate
and fat, in such proportion that the energy requirement would be met
essentially by the same quantity as served to furnish the necessary
proteid. Passing to the other extreme among the vegetable products, as
in potatoes and bananas, for example, we find fuel value predominating
largely over proteid content. The ideal diet, however, is found in a
judicious admixture of foodstuffs of both animal and vegetable origin.
Wheat bread, reinforced by a little butter or fat bacon to add to its
calorific value, shredded wheat with rich cream, crackers with cheese,
bread and milk, eggs with bacon, meat with potatoes, etc.; the common,
every-day household admixtures, provide combinations which can easily
be made to accord with true physiological requirements. The same may be
equally true of the more complicated dishes evolved by the high art of
modern cookery.
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