deal of muscle, the waste of which is repaired by protein found in such food as lean meat, eggs, cheese, beans, peas, oatmeal, fish, etc., a supply of these articles must be considered in purchasing the daily supply.  Fatty tissue (not muscle) serves as fuel, therefore the value of such foods as butter, cream, oils, etc., is apparent.  Carbohydrates form fat and serve as fuel and force producers; these come in the form of starches, sugars,—­vegetables and grains being the most important.  In being themselves burned to yield energy, the nutrients protect each other from being consumed.  The protein and fats of body tissue are used like those of foods.  An important use of the carbohydrates and fats is to protect protein (muscle, etc.) from consumption.  “The most healthful food is that which is best fitted to the wants of the user:  the cheapest food is that which furnishes the largest amount of nutriment at the least cost:  the best food is that which is both healthful and cheap.”  By referring to the various charts a fair estimate of food values may be obtained.

As will be noticed, the animal foods contain the most protein and fats, while the vegetable foods are rich in carbohydrates.  A pound of cheese may have 0.28 pound of protein, as much as a man at ordinary work needs for a day’s sustenance, while a pound of milk would have only 0.04, and a pound of potatoes 0.02 pound of protein.  The materials which have the most fats and carbohydrates have the highest fuel value.  The fuel value of a pound of fat pork may reach 2.995 calories, while that of a pound of salt codfish would be only .315 calories.  On the other hand, the nutritive material of the codfish would consist almost entirely of protein, while the pork contains very little.  Among the vegetable foods, peas and beans have a high proportion of protein.  Oatmeal contains a large proportion also.  Potatoes are low in fuel value as well as in protein, because they are three-fourths water.  For the same reason milk, which is seven-eights water, ranks low in respect to both protein and fuel value, hence the reason why it is not so valuable as food for an adult as many of the other food materials.

These few illustrations will help to show the need of an intelligent idea of food values before attempting to purchase the supplies for family use.  As one-half a laboring man’s income goes towards providing food, it must follow that such knowledge will help the housewife very materially in securing the best results from the amount expended.

The average daily diet of an adult should contain (Church):—­

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NUTRIENTS.                      |  IN 100 PARTS.  |   EACH 24 HOURS.
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|                 |  lb.  oz.      gr. 
Water                           |       81.5      |   5    8      .320
Albuminoids                     |        3.9      |   0    4      .178
Fat                             |        3.0      |   0    3      .337
Common salt                     |        3.7      |   0    0      .325
Phosphates, potash, salts, etc. |        0.3      |   0    0     0.170
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Quantity of Food Required.