222. Cheap And Costly Foods

This table reveals several interesting and important facts. It is emphatically true that at present prices the products of plant growth, such as flours, meals, rolled oats, hominy, and sugar are by far the cheapest source of nutrition. Among animal foods pork and dairy products supply the cheapest nutriment, excepting possibly mutton. While the public might concede the relative cheapness of pork products, the general impression appears to be that milk, butter, and cheese are comparatively expensive, which is not true at the present time. The most costly foods of plant origin as a source of energy are certain fresh and canned vegetables and some fruits, including string beans, peas, tomatoes, strawberries, and raspberries. It should be recognized, of course, that fruits and vegetables are healthful foods, and are an essential part of well-regulated dietaries, but it is well for those who must economize to know that they are comparatively costly fuel. As their use safeguards health, they have a value not accounted for on the fuel basis. The costly animal foods are fish and shellfish. The common meats like beefsteak of various kinds, lamb chops, and beef and lamb roasts occupy a middle ground among animal foods as to expensiveness, not differing greatly from eggs and poultry. The table shows clearly that the cheapest diet is the one into which cereal grain foods enter most largely, also that the cost of living,is increased when fish, shellfish, and chicken broilers take the place of dairy products and the ordinary meats. In the matter of economy the vegetarian who makes a free use of cereal products has a great advantage over the meat eater, but whether he has other advantages will be discussed elsewhere. Fruits, however healthful they may be, excepting possibly grapes and plums, furnish comparatively high cost nutrition. Of course prices are not fixed, and as they change the relative expensiveness of foods changes.

One or two points are worthy of special notice. From the standpoint of food value, white bread is more than twice as costly as the wheat flour that is used to make it. A barrel of flour, 196 pounds, will make on the average about 315 five-cent loaves of bread. The bread costs the consumer $15.75, whereas the flour can be bought at the time of writing for $6.50. For some years the sale of skimmed milk has been prohibited in the city of New York. When sold at two cents per quart, it supplies nutrients twice as cheaply as whole milk at six cents per quart.

Notable examples of luxurious living are the payment of $.50 to $.75 per pound for butter of an especially high flavor when good creamery butter may be bought for $.30 or $.35, the purchase at high prices of the first fruits and vegetables that come into the spring market, or the purchase of anything at an unusual price simply because it excels in flavor or appearance. Such expenditures mean the payment of a heavy tribute to appetite. Exquisite flavor may serve to excite a desire for food, may even over-stimulate appetite, but only to that extent is it a nutritive asset.